Some may view safety technologies such as blind-spot warning devices, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning devices as baby-steps towards the ultimate goal of removing the driver completely from the act of driving. We are not nearly ready to give up our licenses to computers, but enabling vehicles to "speak" to one another so that they "know" where they are might be an acceptable compromise. According to Motorcycle News, Yamaha and the powersports side of Honda have joined forces with 12 automobile manufacturers to make this type of technology a reality. Tests are currently underway in Japan which would alert drivers of impending danger when they might not be aware that a motorcycle is in their line of travel. Still, the next time that we are out for a motorcycle ride, we'll still act as if every other driver is intentionally trying to hit us. It's worked out for us so far.
[Source: Motorcycle News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
matt @ Feb 26th 2008 6:37PM
you mean driver education?
DW @ Feb 26th 2008 6:45PM
or drivers can just use those two round, white things they have in their heads. eyes
rem83 @ Feb 26th 2008 8:37PM
It's amazing how hard that is for most people to accomplish. Just today I was riding my motorcycle and a woman in an SUV tried merging into me. The most amazing part is most of my motorcycle was actually in front of her bumper - she didn't look over at all before merging!
Andrewgto @ Feb 26th 2008 6:46PM
I agree Matt. We need more driver education here, less cup-holders and text messaging while driving too. I already implement a blind-spot technology which involves focusing on nothing other than driving and actually rotating my head before changing lanes.
Chris Ice @ Feb 26th 2008 7:35PM
Sadly, it's really about people/drivers taking responsibility for their skills (or lack thereof). Each of the devices simply removes another bit of responsibility and we'll have more drivers blindly driving off cliffs because the gps told them to.
Of course, if you can't be trusted but you still get to drive anyway...you'll only hurt others...so as a defensive measure, I think these are good because they should lessen the chances of me being hurt by a stupid person.
But still doesn't address the fact that there are people who shouldn't drive, or drive vehicles they shouldn't be trusted with, who are out there...and continue to be allowed to do so. (like 80yr olds driving RVs the size of rock-tour busses with NO ADDITIONAL LICENSING REQUIREMENTS).
Benfolio @ Feb 26th 2008 6:48PM
Blasphemy!!!!!!
We ALL need electronic devices in our cars because we cannot drive and chew gum at the same time and dammit we need to be eating and drinking and texting and smacking our kids in the back seat and changing CDs and looking at the hot chick in the Focus in the lane next to us and talking to our passengers and putting on our mascara and scratching our balls and looking for that peanut we just dropped on the floor and trying to find that cross street on our navi and change our pants and find that rattle in the dash and take pics of our odometers reading 31337 miles to be interested in actually DRIVING.
cowboy bob @ Feb 27th 2008 11:19AM
Ben, I do all these things while shaving and catching a movie on my portable DVD player. I am proud to say that I have not killed a single person to date, and those currently hospitalized are all due to recover after therapy. The fact that I run my vehicle at a steady 43.2 MPH on all roads, including the freeway, is my reason to claim this success. I also must give credit to my optomitrist who gave me new glasses back in '55, (dead now no doubt) and which I still wear today. If all you people wern't in such a damnable hurry running along at speeds up to 55mph all the time, nobody would have run into the back of me,... again.
brn @ Feb 26th 2008 6:52PM
Fourteen manufactures are involved. The article mentions two. Who are the other twelve?!?!?!
Come on Motorcycle News! Stop acting like a blog. :)
PJ @ Feb 26th 2008 7:50PM
Include an "off" switch for the whiners and install this puppy pronto.
To the average, non-enthusiast motorist, anything that increases their own safety and that of others is more valuable than whatever manhood is gained by working without a net.
Besides, if you're the one on the bike, how could it hurt to have the half-awake commuters in cages alerted to your presence?
fawgcutter @ Feb 27th 2008 7:33AM
The fact that the same driver also ignores the "Check Engine" light on this dash ; )
PJ @ Feb 27th 2008 3:44PM
True. Maybe "alerted" is a strong word.
Still, acknowledging the "Check for Motorcycle" light doesn't cost them anything, which removes a pretty big disincentive.
h8rain @ Feb 27th 2008 9:08AM
"Still, the next time that we are out for a motorcycle ride, we'll still act as if every other driver is intentionally trying to hit us."
Before I bought a bike, I took the MSF course and that was probably the most important thing I learned from it. I just assume every car is going to hit me. It has made me, in my opinion, a fairly good rider. Also has prevented accidents in the car. I don't know if they teach that in drivers ed, but I think they should.