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ELECTRO- KINETIC ROAD RAMP
A news item issued on the BBC website* on the 16th December 2005 reported the development of a £25,000 road ramp by Dorset inventor, Peter Hughes, that uses passing cars to generate power for traffic lights and road signs.
The question on whether this perceived "Motorcycle Death Trap" was tested on motorcycles was forwarded by, MAG members Tigger and John – Suzuki Owners Club from their respective motorcycle web forums.
After some enquires it was possible to speak to the "inventor" and who replied to the questions below explaining why motorcyclists should not be concerned.
Q1. Given the diversity of the wheel size and wheel base of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds, has the system been tested on all these types of powered two wheelers?
A1. The ‘inventor’ is a motorcyclist himself and has tested the ramp by riding over it and did not find a problem.
Q2. Has the grip for motorcycles in various weather conditions been taken into consideration in the design and the materials used in the ramp?
A2. The ramp surface is covered with an elastomeric membrane that has a built in anti-skid surface applied in a net effect. Grip has been tested and a certain build in flexibility means that ice and snow are dispersed by vehicles passing over the ramp.
Q3. The design appears to have a flush approach but the second half of the design appears to have a raised lip of at least six inches. This would affect the stability of a powered two wheeler andpossibly damage tyres and wheels. Has this effect been tested on motorcycles?
A3. The ramp pictured is a prototype and "exposed" for the picture. The raised lip of the ramp exposed to the road is 12mm.
Q4. Considering that motorcycles can weigh from 114 kg to over 363 kg. (Scooters and mopeds can weigh less than 114 kg). Will the weight of a motorcycle be sufficient to depress the ramp?
A4. Yes a small weight will depress the ramp. The ramp is dampened and with the 12mm of movement there is no "springing" effect.
Q5. Which local authorities have expressed an interest?
A5. He was unable to list the authorities over the phone. They are interested in using the generated power for traffic lights and road signs. Private car park companies have expressed the same interest. The 10kw of energy generated is at 5mph.
Q6. Have the Highways Agency and Department for Transport given assurances that the design is acceptable for all road users?
A6. As this is a prototype the relevant assessments are ongoing at present.
Q7. Has the system been tested on cycles?
A7. Yes and no problems were found.
Q8. There was an environmental issue of the extra energy required by vehicles to depress the ramp - from the horizontal plane to the vertical plane - that the ramp required vehicles to exert more energy than was produced?
A8. If the ramp is fitted on a downward gradient then the inertia of the vehicle would offset any extra energy required to depress the ramp by 12mm.
Q9. Your website appears to have been removed from the internet.
A9. Due to the influx of traffic to the "company's" website www.hughesresearch.co.ukthe server crashed, the hosting provider has changed and the website should be back online shortly.
There has been much controversy concerning the various types of "speed reduction" designs fitted on the UK roads but wherever these are fitted, consideration for motorcycles must be taken into account in their design, their placement on the road, their conspicuity and their maintenance.
This advice is mirrored in The Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers (IHIE) Motorcycle Guidelines published in April 2005.
Riders are presently facing a similar issue to include the specific needs of motorcycle riders in European standards for crash barrier systems.
The FEMA's (Federation Of European Motorcyclists Associations) document "The Road To Success" states that, "Most 'road furniture' is designed with cars in mind and motorcyclists' safety needs are not taken into account."
The £25,000 to purchase each ramp is a significant amount to spend for councils, even if there are `revenue' savings and MAG says, that the money would be better spend on improving and maintaining the present road infrastructure in a safe condition for motorcyclists using the simple acronym "keep it simple stupid".
What is clear is that there is a requirement for strenuous testing during the development of structures or devices fitted to road surfaces.
The development of prototypes raises questions with regards to existing standards and procedures.
The haphazard fashion with which the testing of this latest product has been carried out in relation to designs on motorcycles is worrying.
Although MAG has been invited to view the Electro - Kinetic Road Ramp in the flesh, watching video clips of the ramp in action on the companies website leaves us seriously unimpressed.
* http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/4535408.stm
Trevor Baird
Director Of Public Affairs (MAG UK)
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