Linking motorcycles to cars

Honda recently held demonstrations in Detroit of experimental safety technology designed to prevent its vehicles from colliding with motorcycles, vehicles and pedestrians.

Embedded computer chips in motorcycles, cars and in a pedestrian’s mobile phone can communicate their respective whereabouts and detect if they are on a collision course. If so, warnings will show up on the vehicles’ screen or the phone. If that doesn’t work, the vehicle is programmed to make an emergency stop, taking crash avoidance out of the driver's hands.

Honda researchers demonstrated a range of projects in prototype stage at their research and development center in Raymond, Ohio. The advanced technologies are part of a larger initiative to enable cars to avoid accidents autonomously even if a driver does not take evasive actions.

“Our goal is not just to reduce the severity of accidents, but avoid them altogether,” said Art St. Cyr, Vice President of product planning for American Honda.

“Advanced safety is fundamental to what it means to be a Honda,” said Rick Schostek, a senior vice president with Honda North America.

The vehicle-to-motorcycle system presents a picture on the car’s screen of an approaching motorcycle and if a collision appears imminent, warns the driver to brake and then initiates a hard stop if required.