It gives us a big sigh of relief when we hear about companies working on improving motorcycle safety by developing new and innovative equipment to keep us safe. Thank you. Recently, we’ve seen that radar technology has played a crucial role in all the latest advancements in motorcycle safety. Companies like Honda, Ducati, and Suzuki have been working on such systems. So, it’s quite evident that we’d be seeing more use of it in the future.
There is a new patent filed by Honda which states the use of radar and camera by fitting them at the rear of a motorcycle helmet. This system is expected to notify the rider of any fast-approaching vehicle. It would comprise of a number of parts like a camera, CPU, various sensors, etc. While all this would add to the weight of the helmet, we don’t think it would be a real major issue of concern. Of course, the actual weight of the entire system would be known only when, or if, the system sees the light of the day.
We understand and respect Honda’s intention, however, there are a few issues with this design. To begin with, how this system is supposed to work if there’s a pillion? And it’s mounted on the helmet which we can’t really consider to be stationary at all times. The rider might move his head around. Let’s say, there’s a traffic signal and the rider is at a halt. This is one of the scenarios where the probability of getting rear-ended is high. The rider is looking to his left. How the system would work then as the cameras won’t be capturing anything coming from behind? Perhaps, this is one of the reasons why such technologies are placed on the motorcycle and not on the rider.
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Another big question is even if the rider gets notified about a fast-approaching vehicle from behind, it’s very doubtful that he would have enough time to react. He would need to move out of the way; either he can jump off his bike or move the bike itself. Doesn’t it sound like a time-consuming process?
Well, it’s just us pondering on this whole idea. We do appreciate Honda exploring new motorcycle safety measures to keep us safe. And, perhaps, Honda has already thought about all this and would implement solutions later as right now the system is expected to be in its very early stages of development.
