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Safety in motorcycles has come a long way over the last three decades.
If the new BMW Motorrad Advanced Safety Concept is anything to go by, we are in for an exciting array of new additions in years to come which will help make two-wheelers even safer.
Similar in principle to the Mercedes-Benz Experimental Safety Vehicle, which showcased all the latest and greatest in automotive safety waiting in the wings, this BMW concept gives us a glimpse of the exciting safety technologies engineers are developing for future bikes.
The role BMW Motorrad has played in motorcycle safety over the last four decades is well documented.
BMW was responsible for the world’s first motorcycle ABS system and over the years have added an impressive selection of other active safety measures ranging from tyre pressure control and traction control to xenon low-beam headlights and automatic stability control. The Advanced Safety Concept motorcycle features four key new technologies which might very well make their way onto the next generation of two wheelers.
CRUCIAL SAFETY UPGRADES
These are advanced Daytime Riding Lights, Motorrad eCall, a camera-based information assistance system and ConnectedRide with intelligent assistance systems.
Popular on passenger cars, daytime running lights increase the visibility of any vehicle to other road users (especially in markets where there are long winters). For a motorcycle, which has low front-on proportional visibility to other road users, it’s even more crucial. Dual lighting rings from BMW’s K 1600 GT provide the Motorrad with its daytime lighting functionality.
BMW’s eCall technology is even more impressive. Imagine for a moment you are driving alone on some deserted Karoo back road and manage to end up in a ditch in a greatly incapacitated state. By the time a passerby finally notice you and informs the emergency services, valuable time would have been lost.
This is where the eCall system comes in. The system is already available in BMW cars, so extending it to two-wheelers is easily conceivable. If a rider is involved in an accident the system automatically sends out an emergency call with GPS details of the exact location of the accident as well as more detailed information about the nature of the accident.
A camera-based rider information and assistance system is where the Advanced Safety Concept really starts speeding off into the future, and it is unlikely that we will see this technology on any models in the immediate future. BMW is working on motorcycle-specific camera-based rider information system which aims to eliminate dangerous situations from arising in the first place.
In addition to monitoring and providing feedback on speed limits by reading traffic signs, the system can also detect objects and alert the rider to obstacles in the road and draw his attention to the object. But the system doesn’t only warn the rider, it also primes the brakes for an emergency stop and increases the bike’s visibility by flashing the headlight along with LEDs strobes integrated into the mirrors and indicators.
DIGITISING SAFETY
BMW Motorrad ConnectedRide Car manufacturers have been talking for some time about vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems which allow cars to talk to each other and avoid collisions in the process. BMW is hoping to extend this technology, which the company has broken down into six elements, to motorcycles as and when it becomes mainstream.
Cars pulling out from sidestreets are a constant threat to motorcyclists. BMW's cross traffic assistant comes into its own here. This system hopes to lessen that risk by monitoring road users approaching a junction. If it senses that a crash is likely, the bike sends a warning to the car and also responds by making itself more visible through brightly flashing strobe LEDs and by sounding the horn.
Next-up is the traffic light phase assistant, which communicates with traffic lights ahead. If the lights are red it alerts the rider to start braking, and also lets the rider know how slow he needs to drive if he only wants to get to the light when it turns green.
For those riders in less summery climates, BMW's developed a bad weather warning system, too. It monitors the weather conditions and communicates that to other cars and the road infrastructure so other road users know what to expect ahead. This way the rider can be alerted early to dangers such as icy roads, fog, hail or a howling South Easter around the next bend.
Finally there's an obstacle warning system - similar to the weather warning system - that keeps an eye on the road for a broken road surface, spilled oil or broken down vehicles. It alerts the rider and also communicates the information to other road users.
If the new BMW Motorrad Advanced Safety Concept is anything to go by, we are in for an exciting array of new additions in years to come which will help make two-wheelers even safer.
Similar in principle to the Mercedes-Benz Experimental Safety Vehicle, which showcased all the latest and greatest in automotive safety waiting in the wings, this BMW concept gives us a glimpse of the exciting safety technologies engineers are developing for future bikes.
The role BMW Motorrad has played in motorcycle safety over the last four decades is well documented.
BMW was responsible for the world’s first motorcycle ABS system and over the years have added an impressive selection of other active safety measures ranging from tyre pressure control and traction control to xenon low-beam headlights and automatic stability control. The Advanced Safety Concept motorcycle features four key new technologies which might very well make their way onto the next generation of two wheelers.
CRUCIAL SAFETY UPGRADES
These are advanced Daytime Riding Lights, Motorrad eCall, a camera-based information assistance system and ConnectedRide with intelligent assistance systems.
Popular on passenger cars, daytime running lights increase the visibility of any vehicle to other road users (especially in markets where there are long winters). For a motorcycle, which has low front-on proportional visibility to other road users, it’s even more crucial. Dual lighting rings from BMW’s K 1600 GT provide the Motorrad with its daytime lighting functionality.
BMW’s eCall technology is even more impressive. Imagine for a moment you are driving alone on some deserted Karoo back road and manage to end up in a ditch in a greatly incapacitated state. By the time a passerby finally notice you and informs the emergency services, valuable time would have been lost.
This is where the eCall system comes in. The system is already available in BMW cars, so extending it to two-wheelers is easily conceivable. If a rider is involved in an accident the system automatically sends out an emergency call with GPS details of the exact location of the accident as well as more detailed information about the nature of the accident.
A camera-based rider information and assistance system is where the Advanced Safety Concept really starts speeding off into the future, and it is unlikely that we will see this technology on any models in the immediate future. BMW is working on motorcycle-specific camera-based rider information system which aims to eliminate dangerous situations from arising in the first place.
In addition to monitoring and providing feedback on speed limits by reading traffic signs, the system can also detect objects and alert the rider to obstacles in the road and draw his attention to the object. But the system doesn’t only warn the rider, it also primes the brakes for an emergency stop and increases the bike’s visibility by flashing the headlight along with LEDs strobes integrated into the mirrors and indicators.
DIGITISING SAFETY
BMW Motorrad ConnectedRide Car manufacturers have been talking for some time about vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems which allow cars to talk to each other and avoid collisions in the process. BMW is hoping to extend this technology, which the company has broken down into six elements, to motorcycles as and when it becomes mainstream.
Cars pulling out from sidestreets are a constant threat to motorcyclists. BMW's cross traffic assistant comes into its own here. This system hopes to lessen that risk by monitoring road users approaching a junction. If it senses that a crash is likely, the bike sends a warning to the car and also responds by making itself more visible through brightly flashing strobe LEDs and by sounding the horn.
Next-up is the traffic light phase assistant, which communicates with traffic lights ahead. If the lights are red it alerts the rider to start braking, and also lets the rider know how slow he needs to drive if he only wants to get to the light when it turns green.
For those riders in less summery climates, BMW's developed a bad weather warning system, too. It monitors the weather conditions and communicates that to other cars and the road infrastructure so other road users know what to expect ahead. This way the rider can be alerted early to dangers such as icy roads, fog, hail or a howling South Easter around the next bend.
Finally there's an obstacle warning system - similar to the weather warning system - that keeps an eye on the road for a broken road surface, spilled oil or broken down vehicles. It alerts the rider and also communicates the information to other road users.
