Motorbikes 'to get safe driving aids'

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by embee

I honestly don't think this is a productive route to travel, concentrate on rider training and driver awareness.

Agreed! All the so called "safety" systems in cars are becoming standard because people are getting lazy, and this is simply a continuation. Most of us would not go out now without a mobile phone just as most people would not buy a car without ABS and a whole host of other accronyms, most of which we don't actually need.

Common sense and good training *should* be all you need, but in the "I want it now" generation we're moving dangerously away from that and relying on technology way too much.

[kaivalagi]

Originally Posted by davepreston

allow me to justify my point
like war brings tech to everyday life, i hope people thinking of stuff (no matter how useless) may infact lead onto something that may be usefull and improve biking in some form or another
yes i also understand the big brother thing and i to would be ****ed off with topend restrictors and the such , but pretty much everything can be abused by "the powers that be" and i hope it doesnt happen, but cutting off the exploration of ideas because "it could happen" is stupidity in its own right imho

+1, just keep it in the lab and on the test track until it's worthwhile tech...I hope they have sensible people deciding if this stuff goes out into the real world...

TBH I wouldn't mind a HUD in the corner of the visor giving me sat nav directions, atleast then I wouldn't have the urge to look down at the screen to confirm what the hell the voice guidance is saying...they have it in aircraft helmets!

In my mind anything doing the job of safety for you is just asking for it, it should be an additional aid on top of your own common sense and therefore not so intrusive, and never a substitute...let's hope if/when this stuff turns up it is used as such otherwise I can see more accidents rather than less.

One word.....
Borrocks!!

[keith_d]

Safe driving aids - a six foot pike which is automatically deployed from the front of the bike when a car pulls out in front of them. After the first few fatalities car drivers would pay a lot more attention at junctions.

Originally Posted by keith_d

Safe driving aids - a six foot pike which is automatically deployed from the front of the bike when a car pulls out in front of them. After the first few fatalities car drivers would pay a lot more attention at junctions.

I like that! Don't know how many times I've seen car drivers at a give way, look directly at me on approach, hesitate, then decide to pull out in a hurry. They have seen you, but in that split second their brain actually decides that you are not a risk to their personal safety because you are small, "oh, it's only a bike, even if it did hit me, it wouldn't hurt". Had there been a lorry approaching at the same speed and distance, the foot would have stayed firmly on the brake pedal.

i dont mind if they pull out and speed away, its when they look at you, see you, pull out half way, see you again then just stop across the width of the road and stare at you with that blank "oh i dont know what to duuuuuurrrrrrrhhhhhhh" look on their face, like their brain has just had an electric fart.

here are links that give more info -

http://www.saferider-eu.org/

not sure why the beeb ran the story on the 25th jan, it seems to have come from an event in november

http://www.saferider-eu.org/index.php?id=3


http://www.saferider-eu.org/assets/d...Event_FEMA.pdf

I think ABS will be on all bikes over the next few years except maybe 50cc and 125cc. Traction control will filter down to bikes that dont really need it like 600cc middleweights and eventually i wouldnt be surprised if airbags in the tanks make it into production bikes. BMW have been testing this idea for years, best to stick to old bikes that have none of these.

haha an airbag on the tank, i can see someone slamming brakes on, sliding, just a small bump into the side of the car, still sat on bike...

"Phew that was clo-" BOOM! sends you flying off the back of the bike. oh i like my imagination =]

I thought what happens if the airbag goes off instantly and the rider slides forward. Would they get catapulted into the air ? It all seems a little bit overkill to me, but i doubt the germans would be doing it if they thought there was no profit at the end?