Design and Development of a Foldable Triangular Emergency Hazard Light to Enhance Safety of Powered Two-Wheel Motorcycles

Motorcycle roadside emergencies can expose riders to increased risk when a stationary motorcycle is insufficiently visible to approaching road users, particularly under nighttime and low-visibility conditions. Conventional reflective warning triangles provide passive visibility but may offer limited conspicuity as observation distance increases. This study aimed to develop a foldable triangular emergency hazard light for powered two-wheel (PTW) motorcycles, integrating active LED illumination, reflective materials, rechargeable energy storage, solar charging, and a compact folding configuration. A design and development methodology was adopted, comprising a user requirement survey, conceptual design, Pugh concept selection, prototype fabrication, and experimental visibility evaluation. The survey involved 164 Malaysian motorcycle riders, of whom 65% reported frequent nighttime or low-visibility riding and 59% had experienced a roadside emergency or motorcycle breakdown. Three conceptual designs were evaluated using the Pugh method, with Design C achieving the highest net score of 4 and subsequently selected for prototype fabrication. The prototype was compared with a conventional warning triangle at 50, 75, and 100 m on straight and curved road sections under daytime, nighttime with street lighting, and nighttime without street lighting conditions. On straight roads, the prototype achieved visibility scores of 10, 10, and 9 at 50, 75, and 100 m, respectively, under nighttime conditions without street lighting, compared with 4, 2, and 1 for the conventional triangle. On curved roads, the prototype achieved 3, 7, and 9, compared with 4, 3, and 1, respectively. The findings demonstrate that the developed prototype provides improved visibility, particularly under nighttime conditions, while maintaining portability through its foldable configuration.

Emergency hazard light; motorcycle safety; visibility; LED warning system; prototype development.

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