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Oct 01
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Blind Spot Warnings Display On Motorcycles

By General Posts

from https://www.malaymail.com

How blind spot warnings could be displayed directly in motorcycle mirrors.

Motorcycle manufacturers are exploring ways of alerting riders to the risk of collision with vehicles in their blind spot.

TOKYO, Sept 30 — Yamaha has filed a new project with the Japanese Patent Office for a system that alerts motorcycle or scooter riders when a vehicle is in their blind spot. This solution takes the form of LED strips placed directly behind the mirrors that face the rider. This solution could prove an effective means of alerting riders to this type of danger.

Most motorcycle manufacturers are actively working on blind spot warning systems. Yamaha recently filed a patent revealing a new technology that displays specific icons directly on the bike’s mirrors.

The idea is to be able to alert riders to dangers quickly and effectively. To do this, the Japanese manufacturer relies on displaying warnings on the bike’s mirrors in case of danger. The solution takes the form of a small screen placed behind each of the mirrors in the bike’s two rearview mirrors, capable of displaying a warning icon in the event of a collision risk, i.e., a vehicle in a blind spot. Note that the system could also display the warning on just one mirror, depending on the side where the danger is located.

In addition to the presence of a vehicle in their blind spot, this device could also warn riders of a risk of collision with another vehicle, when they’re breaking the speed limit or when they receive an incoming phone call. It could theoretically be fitted to a motorcycle as well as a scooter. Still, it remains to be seen whether this solution will eventually see the light of day.

Currently, the most advanced solution in this field is undoubtedly Bosch’s Blind Spot Detection (BSD), which is used in many motorcycle models, including BMW, Ducati or KTM bikes. In the event of a risk of impact with a vehicle coming from the rear, the system emits a sound or displays a visual alert on the screen.

Of course, the easiest & safest way to avoid this type of accident is to turn your head before pulling out or changing lanes, to make sure that there are no vehicles in your blind spot.

Aug 16
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NHTSA Report on Tesla Crashes

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MRF Flash Alert – Tesla Crashes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wrote, in a document released Monday, that it has identified 11 crashes since 2018 in which a Tesla vehicle using the company’s driver assistance system, struck one or more vehicles involved in an emergency response situation. Four of those crashes occurred in 2021.

NHTSA now plans on studying the Advanced Driver Assistance System, otherwise known as “autopilot,” in the nearly 765,000 Tesla vehicles produced between 2014 and 2021.

For several years, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), in cooperation with our state motorcyclist rights partners, have warned of the need for increased oversight of this new technology. Allowing vehicles to be deployed on our nation’s roadways, that cannot adequately detect and respond to all roadway users, is dangerous. Regulators and auto manufacturers should work together to ensure tragic crashes, like the ones found in this report, never happen again.

To read the brief report from NHTSA on the Tesla crashes click here.

About MRF: http://mrf.org

Aug 03
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Fact or Fiction – Helmet Use

By General Posts

from Motorcycle Riders Foundation at http://mrf.org/

On a nearly annual basis the media in this country is inspired to report stories about motorcycle fatalities on our nation’s roadways. Invariably, these stories paint motorcycle rider deaths as a product of irresponsible riders who live in states that have some level of helmet choice. Frequently they report statistics that prove their narrative but fail to paint a full and complete picture. The lens with which these stories are reported often takes the naïve view that crashes can be made “safer” if only bikers somehow followed government helmet mandates.

The only true solution to motorcycle safety and reducing fatalities are proactive measures, which prevent a collision from occurring at all, rather than reactive steps that may or may not offer some level of injury mitigation only after a crash has already taken place. Rider education, which prepares motorcyclists to interact with other roadway users by learning and practicing the skills necessary for hazard avoidance and developing a strategy to deal with real world traffic, is the primary component of a comprehensive motorcycle safety plan. Additionally, educating all motor vehicle operators to be alert and free of impairment as they share the road with others is critical in deterring crashes caused by inattention.

When coming across these stories keep in mind some facts that are omitted from their reports.

Fact: Over the last decade motorcycle related deaths have varied between years but for the most part remain flat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data from 2019 shows 5,014 deaths, a decrease from the 2008 5,307 deaths NTSHA recorded. In that same time period registered motorcycles increased from 7.7 million in 2008 to 8.7 million ten years later. In other words, there are a million more bikes on the road and there were 300 less deaths.

Fact: Twenty-nine percent of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2017 were riding without proper licensure at the time of the collision. A valid motorcycle license includes a rider having a valid driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement or possessing a motorcycle only license. Proper training and licensing are fundamental parts of motorcycle safety, taking unqualified riders off the road is a commonsense solution to lowering motorcycle fatalities.

Fact: The lack of a helmet mandate in the 31 states who have allowed freedom of choice does not prohibit someone from choosing to wear a helmet. In fact, a 2019 U.S. Department of Transportation audit showed that states without mandatory helmet laws still saw 56.5% of riders choose to wear a helmet.

Fact: A 2019 U.S. Department of Transportation Fatality Analysis Reporting System report showed that in crash study data, where helmet use was known, 36% of motorcyclists killed were not wearing a helmet. Conversely 61% of motorcycle fatalities involved a rider wearing a helmet. The remaining 3% had unknown usage. These numbers closely mirror NHTSA data on overall helmet usage which shows 64% of riders wearing helmets.

Fact: Despite the constant drum beat from safety advocates, the media and Washington D.C. bureaucrats about the ills of helmetless riders, state legislatures continue to trust the judgment of bikers. Just last year Missouri passed a modified helmet law allowing the choice to ride without a helmet to those who are qualified. In at least three other states, West Virginia, Maryland, and Nebraska there are active campaigns to change their helmet mandates and let those who ride decide.

Ride With The Leaders ™ by joining the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) at http://mrf.org/ or call (202) 546-0983

Jul 30
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Cameraman collides with Batman’s motorcycle, filming halted

By General Posts

by Jeremy Mathai from https://www.slashfilm.com

‘The Flash’ movie Production Halted Following Accident on Set.

The long, arduous journey to get The Flash into development and finally begin production has unfortunately met another setback, this time interrupting the actual filming of the movie. Reports out of the UK indicate that an accident has occurred on the set of The Flash while shooting on location in Glasgow, causing the apparent hospitalization of a member of the camera crew.

Glasgow Live is reporting that a camera operator was involved in a collision with a stunt man in full Batman garb who was riding atop the Batcycle in the Andy Muschietti-directed production. Eyewitnesses claim that the cameraman, on a motorcycle of his own, accidentally collided with the Batcycle from the rear while racing down one of the city streets in an attempt to capture the action up close. There has been no official word from Warner Bros. just yet, but filming immediately paused while the crew member had to be extricated from underneath the vehicle and subsequently received medical attention. All indications are that the injured party was then treated at a local hospital, while an ambulance was seen leaving the site. However, no other details or updates are known at this time.

We recently reported on pictures taken from the UK set that showed off the newly-redesigned Batcycle that will appear in the multiverse-spanning crossover film, with the stuntman’s Batman outfit pointing towards an appearance by Ben Affleck‘s costumed crime-fighter. Michael Keaton is also set to make his grand return to the DC universe, having seemingly hung up the cowl for good in Batman Returns nearly 30 years ago.

Somewhere in the middle of all this action, presumably, will be Ezra Miller‘s Barry Allen. The Flashpoint-inspired film will recount the complications that spring up as a result of some serious timeline shenanigans on Barry’s part. In the famous comic series, the Flash travels back in time to prevent the death of his mother, but these actions only create another splintered universe and alternate timeline.

As of yet, it is unknown just how much of a setback this will cause production. Obviously, the health and safety of the injured crewmember are of paramount importance and we can only hope for his full recovery. Blockbuster film sets are notoriously dangerous places to work, which is why the director and producers work overtime with all involved parties on multiple levels of production to ensure a safe working environment. We’ll provide more updates as they come in.

Nov 16
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Ride Vision raises $7 million for AI that alerts motorcycle riders to collision threats

By General Posts

by Kyle Wiggers from https://venturebeat.com

Ride Vision, a startup developing “collision aversion” technology for motorcycles, today emerged from stealth with a $7 million round led by investment platform OurCrowd. Ride Vision also unveiled an AI-driven safety alert system called Ride Vision 1 that will go on sale in several European countries in early 2021. A spokesperson said the fresh capital will be used for marketing, distribution, and R&D as the company looks to expand its 20-person team.

There are more than 700 million motorcycles on the road globally, according to estimates. And motorcycles currently account for 28% of all fatal road accidents, resulting in the death of roughly 378,000 people a year. That number could tick upward soon, as motorcycle sales have skyrocketed during the pandemic.

The company’s Ride Vision 1 package will feature cameras and LEDs designed to alert riders to dangerous situations. Two small wide-angle cameras mounted on the rear and front of motorcycles or scooters transmit footage to an onboard processing unit running an algorithm that detects and notifies riders of collision threats in real time via mirror-mounted LEDs. A mobile app delivers customizable alerts (including at night); records up to two-hour continuous-loop videos; and keeps note of stats like speed, lean angle, distance, location, and time.

Ride Vision says it can detect forward collision, blind spot, and distance keeping threats from cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and scooters. New alerts for rear collision, forward-left, and forward-right collision threats are scheduled to arrive post-launch.

“Ride Vision has built a unique dataset particular to two-wheelers that’s used to train models taking into account different bikes, level of biking experience, locality, different environmental conditions, and synthetic use cases,” a spokesperson told VentureBeat via email. “Ride Vision has the ability to improve upon the skill set of riders should the riders elect to share their ride data [and] an option of impacting insurance due to ongoing risk estimations. This data can be used to lower riders’ insurance rates and open up new business models, such as ‘usage-based insurance’ to train various models.”

Ride Vision 1 hardwires directly into a vehicle’s battery and claims to draw less charge than a standard cellphone. The system’s two water-resistant video cameras begin recording the moment the motorcycle is turned on and transmit footage to the app over Wi-Fi. Ride summary cumulative reports are broken down by weeks, months, and years and include total distance, total alerts, and max speed data. They can be exported for personal use or things like insurance reduction.

Ride Vision walls new software, alerts, and other updates behind a subscription fee, but it offers a free plan with periodic security updates, bug fixes, and other small enhancements. Features on the premium roadmap include emergency contacts, enhanced video with automatic ride state overlays, and “more extensive” metrics.

Ride Vision says it’s working with motorcycle manufacturers as well as with resellers and insurers. Currently, the company has resellers across the EU but is looking to expand further into the EU and North America.

This latest funding round brings the Herzliya, Israel-based company’s total raised to $10 million. YL Ventures, Mobilion, and Metagal also participated in the round.