Car safety systems are disastrous for motorcyclists

More and more cars are on the road with different safety systems. This is not only the result of the fact that more and more of these systems are available, but also due to the fact that many of these systems are gradually becoming mandatory. However, it now appears that many of these systems are too rigid. In other words, standard situations are not necessarily the problem, but deviating from them has dire consequences. Meanwhile, it appears that many of the safety systems of cars are disastrous for motorcyclists.

Passive and active safety systems

It is nothing new that safety systems are becoming increasingly mandatory. Consider, for example, mandatory seat belts, airbags, but also ABS. This development is also taking place in the motorcycle market, with ABS being mandatory from 2015 for motorcycles from 125 cc. That is also why many motorcycle manufacturers arrive at 124 point as many cc. However, blind spot detection systems (the orange light in the mirrors of cars) should also be considered, which should alert the driver that something is in the blind spot. However, these are all passive safety systems. In other words, systems that do not intervene when something threatens to go wrong.
At the other end of the spectrum there are active safety systems. Consider, for example, steering corrections to keep the car between the lines, or systems that automatically maintain distance. One of these systems is also an emergency braking assistant. This system brakes fully automatically when it deems it necessary. For example, in a traffic jam or in the city. More and more of these active safety systems are also becoming mandatory and this is where the problem starts.

Standard situations

All these systems work more or less the same way. The systems are ‘taught’ how to act in certain situations and will therefore respond when necessary. However, deviating from the norm causes problems. Who doesn’t recognize that Tesla driver who continues to drive stiffly in the middle in a traffic jam, preventing the motorcyclist from passing? Why is this? The Tesla is programmed in such a way that it always looks for the middle of the lane, because this is how it has been learned. This also applies to systems that automatically keep distance. They have been ‘taught’ to follow with a minimum legal distance. If someone intervenes, the system will brake to reach that distance and return to the standard situation.

Motorcyclists not standard

However, many of these systems have not been sufficiently ‘learned’ about motorcyclists. On the one hand, this has to do with the fact that there are simply fewer motorcyclists, but on the other hand, also with the fact that motorcyclists do not always meet the ‘standard situation’. Motorcyclists do not always drive exactly in the middle of the lane or drive between traffic jams or are sometimes simply not observed, too late or incorrectly. This is how it happened that three motorcyclists in the United States have already died in exactly the same way due to a collision with a Tesla. The American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) also recently conducted research into the operation of automatic braking systems in combination with motorcyclists. What turned out? But one car brand scored a passing grade. The rest is well below par. Especially when the motorcyclist was not driving exactly in the middle.

Research necessary

In the meantime, developments are not standing still. For example, a new law was recently passed that makes it possible to test self-driving cars without the driver being in the car. It is logical that Dutch legislation keeps up with the times and also offers room to improve these systems. Developments are also continuing within the motorcycle world. Traction control and cruise control have been commonplace for a long time. Adaptive cruise control (keeping your distance) is also on the rise. In addition, the laws and regulations for motorcycles are also becoming increasingly strict. Bosch is also working on a system to enable communication between cars and motorcycles. Where matters such as speed, position and vehicle type are exchanged. According to Bosch, this system ensures that the motorcyclist becomes more ‘visible’ to the car. Something that the IIHS research also shows is very necessary.