Anti Collision systems for motorcycles.

[Boffin]

The UK's Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA), working with an industry partner has devised some 'Safe riding aids', which they envisage being taken up by manufacturers in the next 18 months.

 

I do not know if I hate the idea or like it. What say you?

 

Link to BBC report

 

Andy

[UberXY]

Well, I like the collision avoidance-cruise control linkage on Mercedes, so I am open-minded about it on bikes. In the meantime I have to admit that I really really like the traction control on my RR, and hope that it is offered as an option on many more bikes.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Jebbus Harrison Kristos!!! Train riders to look out for themselves and maintain situational awareness. It ain't that hard.

 

Time and money better spent teaching cage drivers to be motorcycle aware and getting the communication devices out of their hands and ears.

 

Last thing I want is my instrument panel nattering away at me cause there is a car that is apt to turn left 1/2 mile ahead.

[UberXY]

Jebbus Harrison Kristos!!! Train riders to look out for themselves and maintain situational awareness. It ain't that hard.

 

Time and money better spent teaching cage drivers to be motorcycle aware and getting the communication devices out of their hands and ears.

 

Last thing I want is my instrument panel nattering away at me cause there is a car that is apt to turn left 1/2 mile ahead.

 

It's just not that simple. It's not always about protecting you from yourself.

 

On Christmas Eve, we were driving home and came upon an ugly accident. Four cars were sitting at a red light, and a drunk doing about 45 hit them from behind, never even slowed down. A lot of people were hurt, and all five cars badly damaged. Fortunately the leaking gas tank did not ignite. The drunk wasn't hurt.

 

Not long ago, a local cop coming home from a training session crossed the yellow line on a straight road and hit two Harleys, killing a husband and wife. The cop wasn't hurt.

 

In both of these accidents - just ones of thousands - situational awareness training didn't mean shit to the people who got hit. A collision avoidance system in the rednecks truck or in the cops car might have lessened the injuries in the other vehicles.

[upflying]

TCAS has been used by aircraft for years. Maybe a two-dimensional system could be adapted to bikes.

IMO, the best collision avoidance system is your judgment and situational awareness. Don't need or want further government control and intrusion in how I ride.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_collision_avoidance_system

[ghaverkamp]

Don't need or want further government control and intrusion in how I ride.

 

That's likely what folks are thinking when you pull up behind them on your work bike.

[kmac]

I am conflicted here. Part of me wants to take the "we all die sometime, its just a matter of when" type of mentality, but the father in me wants the safest options.

 

One thing I do know, is I DONT want some active system always trying to dictate my riding. A sytem that brakes when it thinks it should, or cuts power when it thinks I need it is not a feature I want.

 

A system that interacts way out on the edge of control is one thing, but one that constantly trys to control me and my riding, no thanks!

[plext]

Full marks to them for trying, but my motorcycle already has a system which provides all the functions the article mentions.

 

It's called a rider.

 

One system under test based around radar constantly monitors the blind spots around and behind riders," said Mr Moore. "Vehicles behind or to one side of a bike can be hard to spot because the helmet restricts visibility and riders must remember to move their head regularly to check.

Anyone who is not always situationally aware has no place on a motorcycle and is going to die no matter how many times their cheek pad slaps them in the face or the Excita Vibromax seat gives them cheap thrills; you cannot engineer out stupid.

 

I'm fairly certain everybody here would have seen

but it's a case in point that really does not matter how many "Collision imminent! ...... You have now collided!" systems you fit, if you're not paying full attention, you'll end up taking a breather on the tarmac.

 

I love the ASC and ABS on my bike, I find them to be genuine safety improvers. It does make me wonder at times however if there are young people out there who will never learn the subtlety of throttle control and threshold braking, as we humans have a decidedly marked tendency to rely upon our technology and not learn the underlying skills if we don't have to.

 

I suppose really my concern here lies with false security, why do head checks or be observant at all if the bike is going to do it for you? Granted most of us who have been riding on and sometimes sliding over the roads for many years understand the requirements, no amount of electronic nanny is going to convince us that we don't need to look. But I do know that there are more than a few people out there who would decide that the gizmo is enough, and I further know that they won't last long.

[Username]

Put all the electronic crap on that you want. You will never stop collisions from happening. There will always be someone making some kind of mistake somewhere.

[EddyQ]

My arms are open for a better systems than the mirror. But often simple is hard to beat. Lets see what ideas are out there. Hopefully riders, rather than marketing folks, decide what our future bikes will get.

 

 

[Ponch]

It's nanny state, but that's where vehicles are going. What if I want to hit someone? Case in point in a car: What if I am being attacked or car jacked? Now I can't use my car as my only weapon, and I may be dead because of it. I know it's an extreme case, but who needs it.

[upflying]

Rather than collision avoidance, how about focusing on surviving the collision when it happens? I am in favor of safer motorcycles such as shown by this example. Not

[bobbybob]

Jebbus Harrison Kristos!!! Train riders to look out for themselves and maintain situational awareness. It ain't that hard.

 

Time and money better spent teaching cage drivers to be motorcycle aware and getting the communication devices out of their hands and ears.

 

Last thing I want is my instrument panel nattering away at me cause there is a car that is apt to turn left 1/2 mile ahead.

 

+++ But if you think thats bad, looky here--I cliked another link on that same web page. Jeeeeeeeez --->>

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12215915

 

Somebody up there is determined to just take the fun out of EVERYTHING!!

 

 

[Fraidycat]

"Anti Collision avoidance system"

 

I happen to agree with the guy that defined that as being the driver

 

But hey! As long as we are thinking like Brits---why don't we just turn our transmissions around and drive out bikes backwards-----that will cut down on the number of head on accidents won't it? Let's commission a study!

 

[kmac]

In all honesty if I could have a system that I could disable and enjoy my driving experience but when I need to commute I could turn it on and take a nap, read, work on stuff online, etc....while stuck in traffic I would love that.

 

But on my MC, NO thanks. I ride because I want to feel and experience the road. I want to push myself and my bike to point of excitement once in a while. Maybe even clip that edge of LOOSE here and there.

 

But to sleep on the way to work for 1.5 hours.....Im in.

[bobbybob]

In all honesty if I could have a system that I could disable and enjoy my driving experience but when I need to commute I could turn it on and take a nap, read, work on stuff online, etc....while stuck in traffic I would love that.

 

But on my MC, NO thanks. I ride because I want to feel and experience the road. I want to push myself and my bike to point of excitement once in a while. Maybe even clip that edge of LOOSE here and there.

 

But to sleep on the way to work for 1.5 hours.....Im in.

 

 

Well, take the train then.

But don't let the transportation czar know your feelings.

[Antimatter]

I'm struck by home similar the discussions were when widespread use of ABS started to appear in motorcycles. A lot of riders were of the opinion that they could out-brake the system, that proper training made it unnecessary and so forth. Now, ABS appears to have been widely accepted by the riding community and many riders have said they won't buy a bike without it.

 

I think traction control will go the same way, and I have no doubt that an alert system that told you of traffic that was closing on you at a high rate of speed would be the same way. If an alert noise or flashing light could get you away from a rear collision a half second faster, I'd be all for it.

[kmac]

No trains in the urban So. Cal area I live in. The train system sucks here. The nearest train station is 30 min+ away from me and it only goes to a few stops. Then it requires alot of train changes to get anywhere. To get to most of my job sites it would be 2-3 trains and at least 1 bus with a 3 hr ride. I can drive it in 1.5 hours.

 

If I could hop on a train near my house and ride it for X time and get off with a few minute walk from a jobsite you bet I would. I loved the train system in NYC. They actually got us everywhere. We spent 8 days in Brooklyn and went everywhere on the subway. We only rented a car for one day when we went upstate. Nice system.