Honda is trying to up the ante on its motorcycle safety features with a crash detection system. This system will call for emergency services in the event of an accident, which is a legitimately good idea. However, it’s not especially novel. The technology has existed for some time and has been used by other companies.
Stepping up Rider Technology With Crash Detection
The idea of automatically alerting emergency services in the event of a crash is great. So, hat’s off to Honda for investing in this kind of technology. What I’ll say about this is that it’s not new.
The helmet manufacturer Quin Design has been producing a helmet that will do this for years. Their helmets look great and from what I understand the technology works really well. Also, iPhone and Apple Watch have similar features that you can enable.
The good news about Honda’s system the company is working on is that it is even more intelligent than some of the competitors out there. According to Cycle World, the system will utilize more sensors—a Bluetooth headset for example—to tell emergency responders how bad the accident was. That way they can come prepared.
Right now Honda is working on patenting its system, and while I think it’s pretty cool, I’m not blown away by the idea. Damon’s electric motorcycle’s Co-Pilot system is much more advanced, and the company has even said it would license its technology in some cases. some could argue even Quin’s analytics and communications capabilities make it more interesting.
So, in short, Honda has a good idea that it’s patenting, but I think it’s only scratching the surface of what it can do here.
Also, I worry about how much this would drive up the cost of bikes and if it would be optional. My expectation is that it will be optional at least at first, but after a while, as is what happens with many safety technologies, it could become mandatory equipment costing us riders more money even if we’re not interested in it.
As much as I often applaud safety technology, I also worry that adding too much of it could contribute to making motorcycling too expensive for some riders. With that said, making motorcycling safer could help entice more people to get out on two wheels. I’m excited to see where this one goes.
