Is Safety the New Horsepower?
If raging horsepower wars have dominated recent two-wheeled trends, safety might be the next hot topic for the motorcycle industry. Sure, Hayabusas, ZX-14s, and V-Maxs will still offer more power than most mortals can handle, but we've also got self-inflating outerwear from Dainese and Impact, airbags from Honda (see left), "uncrashable" bike concepts from BMW, government funded safety campaigns, and proposed legislative crackdowns. Even celebrity mishaps are bringing the topic of motorcycle awareness to the general public. This goes way beyond basic safety gear; these are the rumblings of a bona fide movement.
That said, it shouldn't be a big surprise that Motorcycle News is reporting that Honda and Yamaha are working with 12 car manufacturers to test and develop technology intended to "...reduce rear-end shunts, head-on collisions and drivers who turn right across a road in the face of oncoming traffic, a common cause of motorcycle accidents."
The systems, which will begin testing in Japan this March, enable automobiles to communicate speed and road position to other vehicles, and warn of potential accidents via voice alerts and nav system messages.
Complex? Yes. Foolproof? Probably not. But these tests are an encouraging start to what could very well be a gradual revolution in motorcycle safety.
Photo © Junko Kimura / Getty Images NewsClick to enlarge
Comments
The single most important safety equipment on a motorcyle is the nut behind the bars. If it’s too tight or too loose, disaster is not very far away.
However, anything the industry can do help protct us from ourselves and blind car drivers will be welcome.
Bring it on!
I been thinking about this for a couple of days, and I’m torn. Will this safety equipment simply make people lazier or will it really provide an additional margin of safety? Unfortunately, I’m afraid the human condition will just result in lazy drivers and riders.
Scottie,
Riders definitely have more to gain here, and I think the average motorcyclist has more of a vested interest in being aware than the average driver.
That said, if this is a big enough deal to warrant two major motorcycle manufacturers teaming up with twelve automakers, I’m all for it… with my fingers crossed.
Basem
Scottie raises an interesting point…
Consider how many people still don’t wear seat belts because they have air bags…
This practice is far more dangerous than wearing just a seat belt in a non air bag equipped car. That’s why they’re call SUPPLEMENTAL Restraint Systems.
Such will be the case with these new iniatitives the Auto & MC industries are working on. I too am all for it, but there will never be a substitute for doing your best to stay out of the collision in the 1st place. When all is said and done, there are very few “accidents”…99% are because someone did something stupid.