Recent research showed 48% of crashes between motorcycles and cars were the result of the car driver failing to look properly. However, Jaguar Land Rover is developing an on-board warning system which could prevent motorcycle and cycle accidents.
Known as ‘Bike Sense’, the vehicle has a series of in-built instinctive responses, with lights, sounds and vibrations to alert the driver about a potential hazard.
That’s not the best part: sensors on the car will detect the difference between a motorcycle and bicycle and warn the driver using the most appropriate method. For example, a bell will ring from the near-side rear speaker if the car spots a bicycle approaching on the inside. Equally, a motorcycle horn will sound using the closest speaker from the direction the motorcycle is approaching. The car can also vibrate the seat next to the driver’s shoulder encouraging them to look in a blind spot.
A series of LED lights on the window sills, dashboard and windscreen pillars glowing from amber to red as the bike gets closer. The British-firm confirmed the driver would not be overwhelmed with the array of vibrations, lights and sounds because in theory the car prioritises the nearest hazard rather than alerting the driver to every hazard, particularly in busy urban areas.
At this stage the technology is still at a concept stage and the man at the top, Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “By engaging the instincts, Bike Sense has the potential to bridge the gap between the safety and hazard detection systems in the car and the driver and their passengers.”
He continued: “This could reduce the risk of accidents with all road users by increasing the speed of response and ensuring the correct action is taken to prevent an accident happening.”
Here is the official demonstration video:
Announced last month was the news that Jaguar Land Rover would form part of a consortium also including Ford, the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, called ‘UK Autodrive’. The consortium won the Government’s £10 million ‘Introducing Driverless Cars’ competition.
Testing is due to begin this month which will see a semi-autonomous Range Rover tested in real world conditions on roads around Coventry and Milton Keynes. UK Autodrive has said that the aim is not full autonomy, but a passenger car that is capable of being autonomous for part of the time.
A Jaguar Land Rover spokesperson confirmed to Bike Social: “This (Bike Sense) isn't part of our driverless car research.”
He continued: “While we are looking at how we interact with the driver and other road users in the future with autonomous cars, Bike Sense is researching how we can make the driver act smarter and faster to hazards in their environment.”
Could driverless cars halve motorcycle accidents?
- Driverless or autonomous cars to begin testing on UK roads
- Government announces testing to begin in January 2015
- Legislation being developed
- MAG and MCIA have technology concerns
- Bike Social investigates
Instead of ‘Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You’, within three years we could be riding in a much safer environment and there’s every possibility that ‘It’s Ok Mate, My Car Saw You’ will be a very welcome change to the industry-recognised SMIDSY phrase.
According to research by BikeLawyer.co.uk, figures show that 48% of crashes between motorcycles and cars were the result of the car driver failing to look properly. Therefore the most important assurance we, vulnerable road users, should be seeking is: If driverless or autonomous cars are the future then will they be sufficiently tested and programmed to avoid any form of collision where they could be deemed to be at fault?
Often when we ride in slow traffic, we filter. Some vehicles move aside to create an easier passage. When we move the front of a queue at traffic lights, road works or a level crossing the real human driver acknowledges this. Would this be the action of a robotic or GPS system?
What can be certain is that any testing and development of such extremely sophisticated technology will take other road users into account. What we can’t be certain of are faulty systems, connectivity drop out or the bigger manufacturers outbidding the smaller ones for bandwidth favourability.
Looking at the information currently available to the public, it's still early days and we have to hope the testing process involves scrutiny from members of the motorcycle industry. Currently none have been contacted. We spoke to some of those representatives for their initial views:
The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) remains wary. Karen Cole, Director of Safety and Training, told Bike Social, “We need to understand how driverless cars will be programmed to take vulnerable road users into account, before being able to work out how it will affect motorcyclists.”
We also spoke to former MP, Lembit Opik, who is now Director of Communications at the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG). He also voiced concerns over current technology and said, "MAG welcomes anything that genuinely improves road safety, especially in relation to vulnerable road users. We are not yet convinced that driverless cars will achieve that goal in the near future. Essentially, it all depends on the technology, but it’s currently not apparent how current technology available would effectively deal with all unexpected situations."
How will the testing work?
Using complex, high-tech GPS systems and laden with sensors, the driverless cars will be on the roads and around us from as early as January 2015. Trials will take place in three UK cities who will share a £10million fund to cover their hosting costs. Those cities will be announced in due course and the brains behind the operation, Business Secretary Vince Cable, is encouraging cities to put forward their proposals with the resulting testing period expected to last between 18-36 months.
The two areas of driverless technology which will be covered in the review are:
- Cars with a qualified driver who can take over the controls
- Fully autonomous vehicle where there is no driver
A Department for Transport spokesperson told Bike Social, “Safety concerns for all road users are paramount and will be considered in the review. We are responsible for the development of legislation and are reacting to manufacturers developing their own technology.”
The announcement took place yesterday at MIRA - home of the controlled 'City Circuit' environment - where Mr Cable said, “The excellence of our scientists and engineers has established the UK as a pioneer in the development of driverless vehicles through pilot projects. Today’s announcement will see driverless cars take to our streets in less than 6 months, putting us at the forefront of this transformational technology and opening up new opportunities for our economy and society.”
The future is upon us and the theory of reducing motorcycle accidents by 48% could be phenomenal but at this early stage of testing there are many more questions and concerns than answers.
. It'll drive the driver mad.
