Honda, Yamaha and BMW Motorrad are coming together to accelerate the development of Cooperative – Intelligent Transportation Systems with the goal of increasing motorcycle safety. Initially a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by all members of the European association of motorcycle manufacturers in 2014 with the objective of getting the C-ITS systems in motorcycles by 2020. This agreement between the three named manufacturers aims to get it done sooner. The objective of ITS is to facilitate better communication between vehicles to improve traffic flow and safety. There has long been a move to do this in automobiles but it has been acknowledged that automobile technology can not simply transfer to a motorcycle application. As stated in the release:
If well considered and properly deployed, ITS technologies offer the potential to further increase safety, security and efficiency in all transport systems, in particular for motorcycles. Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) require the integration of information and communications technology including transport infrastructure, vehicles and users. Basic applications currently exist in GPS navigation systems, where real-time traffic information is provided such as rerouting advice based on traffic jams ahead. For road transport in particular, interoperable networked wireless communication between vehicles can enable road users to make coordinated and informed decisions about their route as well as allowing safer manoeuvring in busy urban environments.ITS technologies are expected to generate particular safety benefits in regard to powered two-wheelers (PTWs), not least by offering a level of electronic communication which can be shared between riders and drivers of other road vehicles.
