Motorcycle Safety Pioneer Dies

By Andy Cherney

The motorcycle grapevine is a small network, so when big news unfolds, the info travels fast. This past weekend, the lines were buzzing all over the country; one of motorcycling’s biggest champions passed away. Sources close to the family say Dr. Hugh H. (“Harry”) Hurt, Jr. died Sunday, November 29th -from what is being reported as a heart attack. Dr. Hurt had recently undergone major back surgery. He had back problems since being rear-ended years ago in his automobile.

Dr. Hurt was the originator of the first comprehensive motorcycle accident causation study. The Hurt Report was a motorcycle safety study conducted in the United States, starting in 1976. When the results were published in 1981, many described the report as “the most comprehensive motorcycle safety study of the 20th century.” The full title was Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, Volume 1: Technical Report.

The study was launched by the Department Of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which contracted with the University of Southern California Traffic Safety Center, where USC professor Harry Hurt ultimately conducted the work. Hurt later became President of the Head Protection Research Laboratory (HPRL), of Paramount, CA.

As Wikipedia states, “the Hurt Report findings significantly advanced the state of knowledge of the causes of motorcycle accidents, in particular pointing out the need for more rider training.”

Because he knew Harry Hurt well and had the chance to work with him a number of times, we asked Art Friedman, former editor of Motorcyclist and Motorcycle Cruiser magazine for some of his thoughts and memories of Harry. Art was happy to oblige.

The following are excerpts:

” Back in the 1970s, when we heard that the NHTSA was going to conduct this (safety) study, we were slightly alarmed. At the time the agency was headed by Joan Claybrook, who was perceived as being very anti-motorcycle. We feared this study would simply conclude that motorcycles were so dangerous that they should be illegalized. So we were suspicious when we learned that it was about to be released and decided to interview the egghead professor at USC who was in charge. Professor Hurt immediately won us over. “

“He was obviously very smart. His approach to accident investigation made tremendous sense, even to doltish motorcycle journalists. We were also surprised that he was a real enthusiast. He rode a Kawasaki 750 Mach IV two-stroke triple, among other things. He insisted that his investigators be motorcyclists too, so that they could really understand what happened in motorcycle crashes.

“His study was thorough, unbiased, and enlightening. Sure, it confirmed stuff we already believed, such as the fact that DOT helmets really do work. But we also learned that a cheap helmet was as effective in preventing head injuries as a pricey lid and that all the imagined downsides of helmet use (neck injuries, failure to perceive other vehicles, etc.) simply weren’t issues. We learned that we were doing a poor job of making ourselves visible in traffic, that we need to keep our skills sharp if we are going to escape the dreaded left-turner, that “laying it down” was more dangerous than staying upright, that failure to use the brakes effectively would likely end in a crash from either stopping too slowly or losing control, and that even a single beer impaired us significantly.

Though it was hard to pin him down on the topic, he actually didn’t seem to favor motorcycle helmet laws. He apparently took a Darwinist approach to the matter — if you were too stupid to wear something so clearly effective, you deserved to be taken out of the gene pool.

Although he is best known for his work in motorcycles, he was an equally bright light in aviation, having been a pilot since his teens. His book, Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators, published in 1960, is still the standard work on the topic. As a grad student at USC, he was involved with a project to develop a crash helmet for the military which lead to the basic design — a hard shell lined with EPS — that forms the basis for helmets we use today.

One story gives some sense of his enthusiasm for motorcycling: He’d broken his leg and wasn’t supposed to ride. Then one day in his garage, he realized that if he could sit on his Triumph, he could start it by rolling down his driveway and popping it in gear. He could then shift awkwardly with his casted leg. Soon he was breezing along on a desert road…maybe a bit too fast. The red lights came on in his mirror but he just pulled over to the edge of the road and slowed down. The cop pulled up and yelled for him to stop. “He shouted back. “I can’t.” The cop let him go.

I don’t think his contributions to motorcycle safety can be overstated. Back in 1990, when I was editor of Motorcyclist, we picked a Motorcyclist of the Decade (the 1980s) through a reader poll. Readers, not surprisingly, chose multiple-time World and National Champion Kenny Roberts, but using my prerogative as editor, I wrote a column naming my choice, which was Harry. After all, Roberts had thrilled us, but Harry Hurt had helped save many of our lives and limbs and continues to do so. Mostly I remember him for his considerable intellect, his reluctance to suffer fools, and his tremendous enthusiasm for motorcycling and making it safer.”

Ride in Peace, Harry.

- Art Friedman

Harry Hurt dies at 81; motorcycle accident expert

His groundbreaking research published in 1981 continues to form the basis of many of the country’s motorcycle safety programs and is credited with saving countless lives.

Harry Hurt, seen in 1978, was a USC safety science professor who studied motorcycle crashes and their causes, and whose seminal study led to national changes in motorcycle safety. (Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times)

By Susan Carpenter

Harry Hurt, one of the world’s foremost authorities on motorcycle crashes and their causes, has died. He was 81.

Hurt suffered a heart attack Sunday at Pomona Valley Hospital. It was a complication of back surgery that he had a week earlier, said his eldest son, Harry Hurt III.

Hurt was the principal investigator of the Hurt Report, an in-depth, on-scene investigation of 900 motorcycle accidents in Los Angeles from 1976 to 1977.

Published in 1981, his groundbreaking research continues to form the basis of many of the country’s motorcycle safety programs and is credited with saving countless lives.

Hurt was a professor of safety science at USC’s Traffic Safety Center in the early 1970s, when roughly 10% of U.S. highway traffic fatalities were because of motorcycle accidents.

In 1975, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reached out to Hurt and the university to develop an accident investigation methodology and study that would determine the causes of motorcycle crashes and injuries.

Among the study’s major findings were that speed was not a factor in most crashes; that helmets were very effective in preventing brain injuries and deaths; and that two-thirds of motorcycle crashes involved cars and two-thirds of those accidents occurred when a car driver failed to see the motorcycle and violated the cyclist’s right of way.

“Harry was the acknowledged giant in motorcycle accident research,” said Jim Ouellet, one of the accident investigators for the Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures study, better known as the Hurt Report.

“Similar studies since 1990 reflect his influence and have largely confirmed his findings. He was a bulldog at finding the facts and making them public even if some people were unhappy when the facts he reported didn’t support their pet theories.”

Hurt was a lifelong motorcyclist and never had a crash, said his wife, Joan.

He rode “a garage full of things: Hondas, Triumphs, Nortons, dirt bikes, street bikes — all kinds of stuff,” his son said, including a Suzuki trail bike he used to walk his pet, “Gurl Dawg,” as recently as a decade ago, when he gave up motorcycles because he was no longer physically able to ride.

The only child of a banker, Hugh Harrison (Harry) Hurt Jr. was born Dec. 13, 1927, in Big Spring, Texas, where he grew up building and flying model airplanes.

Hurt joined the Navy toward the end of World War II, learned to fly and became a commissioned officer, but the war was over, so he never flew in combat.

He met his wife, Joan Beene, while serving in the Navy. They were married in 1950, the same year he graduated from the Agriculture and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University), where he earned his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering.

After a short stint analyzing airplane designs for the Texas aero physics lab North American Aviation, he moved west to attend USC and earned his master’s degree in aeronautical engineering.

As a graduate student, Hurt was involved with a project to develop a crash helmet that forms the basis for helmets used today: a hard exterior shell lined with an energy-absorbing material and soft inner padding.

Hurt’s expertise in vehicular safety began with aviation. He wrote “Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators,” a flight-training textbook that continues to be standard reading for aviators and is still in print, 44 years after its initial publication.

It was after joining the USC faculty and heading the engineering section of its safety division that Hurt branched into motor vehicle safety research, developing and teaching courses in accident investigation/analysis and accident reconstruction.

Although he is best known for the Hurt Report, his more recent work included a large-scale motorcycle accident causation study in Thailand. Hurt supervised it through his Head Protection Research Laboratory in Paramount, a nonprofit organization he established to evaluate helmets and other forms of head protection equipment after he retired from USC as a professor emeritus.

“I don’t think [Hurt's] contributions to motorcycle safety can be overstated,” said Art Friedman, former editor of Motorcyclist magazine, who in 1990 wrote a column naming Hurt as “Motorcyclist of the Decade.”

“Our readers, not surprisingly, had chosen multiple-time World and National Champion Kenny Roberts, but my choice was Harry,” Friedman said. “After all, Roberts had thrilled us, but Harry Hurt had helped save many of our lives and limbs and continues to do so.”

In addition to his wife and son Harry, Hurt also survived by another son, John; three daughters, Julie, Vivien and Vera; and 10 grandchildren.

A remembrance will be held at the Paramount lab in January.

Harry Hurt – motorcycle crash expert – dies

Harry Hurt, one of the world’s foremost authorities on motorcycle crashes and their causes, has died. He was 81.

Mr. Hurt suffered a heart attack at Pomona Valley Hospital on Sunday, a complication of back surgery he had had a week before, according to his eldest son, Harry Hurt III.

Mr. Hurt was the principal investigator of the Hurt Report, an on-scene investigation of 900 motorcycle accidents conducted in Los Angeles from 1976 to 1977. Published in 1981, his research continues to form the basis of many U.S. motorcycle safety programs and is credited with saving countless lives.

Mr. Hurt was a professor of safety science at the University of Southern California in the school’s Traffic Safety Center in the early 1970s, when roughly 10 percent of U.S. highway traffic fatalities were because of motorcycle accidents. In 1975, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reached out to Mr. Hurt and the university to develop an accident investigation methodology and study that would determine the causes of motorcycle crashes and injuries.

Among the study’s major findings were that speed was not a factor in most crashes; that helmets were effective in preventing brain injuries and deaths; and that two-thirds of motorcycle crashes involved cars and two-thirds of those accidents occurred when a car driver failed to see the motorcycle and violated the motorcyclist’s right of way.

“Harry was the acknowledged giant in motorcycle accident research,” said Jim Ouellet, one of the accident investigators for the Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures study, better known as the Hurt Report.

“Similar studies since 1990 reflect his influence and have largely confirmed his findings. He was a bulldog at finding the facts and making them public even if some people were unhappy when the facts he reported didn’t support their pet theories.”

Mr. Hurt was a lifelong motorcyclist and never had a crash, his wife, Joan, said. Mr. Hurt rode “a garage full of things. Hondas, Triumphs, Nortons, dirt bikes, street bikes, all kinds of stuff,” his son said, including a Suzuki trail bike he used to walk his pet, Gurl Dawg, as recently as a decade ago, when he gave up motorcycles because he was no longer able to ride.

The only child of a banker, Hugh Harrison “Harry” Hurt, Jr. was born on Dec. 13, 1927, in Big Spring, Texas, where he grew up building and flying model airplanes. He joined the U.S. Navy toward the end of World War II, learned to fly and became a commissioned officer, but the war was over so he never flew in combat.

He met his wife, Joan Beene, while serving in the Navy and they married in 1950, the same year he graduated from the Agriculture and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University), where he received his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering. After a short stint analyzing airplane designs for the Texas aerophysics lab, North American Aviation, he moved west to attend USC and received his master’s degree in aeronautical engineering.

As a graduate student, Mr. Hurt was involved with a project to develop a crash helmet that forms the basis for helmets used today: a hard exterior shell lined with an energy-absorbing material and soft inner padding.

Mr. Hurt’s expertise in vehicular safety began with aviation. He wrote “Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators,” a flight-training textbook that continues to be standard reading for aviators and is still in print, 44 years after its initial publication.

It was after joining the USC faculty and heading the engineering section of its safety division that he branched into motor vehicle safety research, developing and teaching courses in accident investigation/analysis and accident reconstruction.

“I don’t think (Harry Hurt’s) contributions to motorcycle safety can be overstated,” said Art Friedman, former editor of Motorcyclist magazine who, in 1990, wrote a column naming Harry Hurt as Motorcyclist of the Decade.

Along with his wife and son, Mr. Hurt is also survived by his son John; daughters Julie, Vivien and Vera; and 10 grandchildren.

Dec. 3, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: James Holter
Phone: (614) 856-1900, ext. 1280
E-mail: jholter@ama-cycle.org

American Motorcyclist Association expresses condolences to family of Hugh H. ‘Harry’ Hurt

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) offers its most sincere condolences to the family, friends and co-workers of Hugh H. “Harry” Hurt, who died of a heart attack on Nov. 29. He was 81.

Professor Hurt was an award-winning author best known in the motorcycling community for conducting a benchmark motorcycle safety research study in 1981 entitled “Volume I: Technical Report, Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, January, 1981 – Final Report.” Commonly referred to as the “Hurt Report,” the study was widely viewed to be the most comprehensive motorcycle safety study of the 20th century.

In addition to that groundbreaking study, Hurt was the author of dozens of publications in the fields of motorcycle handling, safety, crash analysis, and helmet performance. It was on this basis that Hurt was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2007.

“Harry Hurt was an icon in the motorcycling community, and there’s no doubt that his research prevented many motorcycle crashes and saved many lives,” said Rob Dingman, AMA president and CEO. “On a personal level, he was such a good friend to so many people. He will be missed greatly, and yet his legacy will live on and inspire all of us to achieve excellence.”

Hurt was a lifelong motorcyclist. Born in 1927, he grew up and began riding as a kid in west Texas. His first motorcycle was a worn-out Cushman scooter that he brought back to life. Hurt graduated from Texas A&M University in 1950, and became a Navy pilot during the Korean War. After the war, Hurt loaded up his 1947 Harley-Davidson 61 and headed west for California. He completed a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering at the University of Southern California (USC), and soon after he joined the faculty at USC.

The 1970s motorcycle boom led to an increase in crashes, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a contract to study motorcycle accidents. The USC Traffic Safety Center got the job, and Hurt was the professor responsible for carrying out the study. The study’s objectives were to determine the causes of motorcycle crashes, analyze the effectiveness of protective gear, such as safety helmets, and then determine what countermeasures might help prevent crashes or reduce injuries.

Hurt’s investigative team, all of whom were experienced motorcyclists, went to motorcycle accident scenes, day or night, for over two years. The team collected exhaustive data on more than 900 motorcycle accidents, and interviewed 2,310 passing motorcyclists and studied 3,600 police reports from the same area. Numerous recommendations flowed from the study regarding protective apparel, riding practices and rider training.

Hurt summed up his advice about motorcycle safety in one sentence: “There is no magic bullet other than getting smart.” That perspective led the motorcycling community to focus on the creation of research-based rider training and licensing standards, and making them available in every state. As a result, hundreds of thousands of riders have since benefited directly from Hurt’s pioneering work.

“The most satisfying experience for any research scientist is to see public acceptance and wide application of their research results,” said Hurt in a 2007 interview with the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. “We were thrilled that the public and industry so widely accepted and used the 1981 report.”

In the same interview, Hurt looked forward to new research that would update the results of his own study.

“As the years passed by without further studies to update the 1981 findings, we were proud that our research was so durable, but it was apparent that current information was needed and the 1981 research was being stretched to the point of desperation,” Hurt said. “What are the effects of many years’ changes in motorcycle riders, motorcycle design, training and licensing, law enforcement, etc.?”

Hurt received numerous awards for his studies of motorcycle safety. In 1977, the Society of Automotive Engineers cited Hurt with the Outstanding Presentation Award for his “Human Factors in Motorcycle Accidents, 1977.” In 1989, he was given the Key Award from the Motorcycle Industry Council. He was named Motorcyclist of the Decade by Motorcyclist magazine in 1989 and in 1997 he was presented with the Chairpersons Award from the National Association of State Motorcycle Safety Administrators.

Hurt is survived by his wife Joan; sons Harry and John; three daughters, Julie, Vivien and Vera; and 10 grandchildren.

A remembrance will be held in January in Hurt’s honor at the Head Protection Research Laboratory that he created in Paramount, Calif.

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations.

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