Partially funded by a provision sponsored in 2005 by U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., the study will be the first of its kind in about 30 years.

Motorcycle riders remain one of the highest-risk groups on the nation's roads despite years of steady improvements in highway safety and historic lows in traffic fatalities, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

FHWA figures show that nearly 5,300 motorcycle riders died in roadway crashes in 2008. accounting for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities.

Another 96,000 riders were injured.

"OSU is delighted to be the lead research institution for this important study,” said Dr. Alan Tree, associate dean for research in OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

"We expect very significant, scientifically valid results to emerge from this work and look forward to a very positive final outcome."

Tree said the four-year study will be funded with $2.5 million from the federal government, $500,000 from various states and $100,000 the American Motorcyclists Association.

The motorcycle industry was expected to help fund the study, but Tree said those terms could not be worked out.

He said the federal government provided a waiver to allow the study to move forward.