Safety is the number one priority anyone should keep in mind when selecting a vehicle to take on the roads. It should rank above convenience, comfort, advanced optional features, aesthetics, and even fuel efficiency.

After all, there’s no point in traveling cheaply, comfortably, or with the best radio and sound system if it means you have to give up your safety or put your family at risk. That’s why even those who restore classic cars will often refrain from driving them on the highway or during the winter seasons, as they know that the handling and reliability aren’t quite as solid as modern variants, even if they can enjoy their car in the right context.

This goes to show - many modern technologies keep us safer in our cars and allow us to remain careful and effective on the roads. Of course, nothing will keep your driving experience safe like paying attention, taking care of your vehicle, and driving within the rules of the road.

However, it’s worth paying attention to some of those aforementioned technologies only to understand what to look out for next. In this post, we’ll discuss six of the essential safety features keeping motorcyclists safe on the roads:

1. Motorcycle Airbag Systems:

As even the best motorcycle accident lawyer will tell you, motorcyclists are inherently exposed to more danger on the road. That’s not to say driving a motorcycle is necessarily more or less safe, only the consequences for suffering a dangerous outcome remain much higher than a car driver behind the wheel.

Motorcycle airbag systems are subverting that trend, as cushioning the blow of a collision is now more possible than you may have imagined. Integrated into the rider’s jacket or worn over the top as a protective coating, these inflated pockets can grow and provide thorough cushioning should you encounter a stop or hit of sufficient force. This could save a life, so it’s no wonder more motorcyclists are investing in them.

2. Blind Spot Detection (BSD):

Even the best motorist is at the mercy of their blind spot, and they must always keep it in mind when pulling out or making a turn. Thankfully, drivers can be aided in this through the use of BSD systems, which have been implemented in cars for some time now, but are increasingly available in motorcycles too.

By detecting and providing warnings via sensors and radars, you can more easily be notified of vehicles or buildings on either side of your when turning out. This extra sixth sense grants you more positional awareness on the road, which is always a benefit.

3. Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC (News - Alert))

A motorcyclist learns to position their body when making turns, how to lean into certain angles, and how to remain stable despite variations in the road’s angle, pitch, and texture. For this reason, technologies that assist them this process, especially for new riders, are worth paying attention to.

MSC is a technology that combines anti-lock braking and traction control systems to help assist with acceleration, lean angle, and braking force. This allows the bike to better react to the road in front of it which can be tremendously helpful in avoiding accidents or encountering unusual or damaged roads.

4. Smart Helmets

That’s right, smart helmets are available and used by many motorists. They can feature heads-up display systems providing vital information about the bike, and built-in cameras that help you see small windows with your reverse view, for example. They can also allow for Bluetooth connectivity, so taking calls with an 8-way intercom is now completely possible.

Sure, it may take some time to get used to “recharging your helmet,” but doing so will no doubt become the norm of the future. While they’re much more expensive than standard bike helmets and are a mostly optional investment for each rider to make, there’s no doubt that they can help improve safety and observation while on the bike.

5. Adaptive Headlights

Adaptive headlights provide more utility and convenience to the motorcyclist because the frame of a bike is manipulated much more than that of a standard car, and this means that lighting can be affected depending on your lean.

These smart headlights help improve visibility by enhancing illumination (but not blindingly so) when turning around corners to make up for the lean difference. On top of this, they can respond to the light environment to brighten or dim at a moment’s notice, but with a gradient so you don’t shock other road users.

Oncoming road users can also benefit from your adaptive headlights, as when your headlights detect a shifting light level from oncoming traffic, they can dim and prevent blinding other road users while retaining your presence on the road. With the use of standardized reflectors, you’ll both stand out but avoid causing harm with said enhanced lighting.

6. Emergency Call Systems

Safety planning isn’t complete if it doesn’t involve responding to potential emergencies. This is why many motorcycles now have emergency call measures, similar to the eCall system in modern cars. These sensors can determine an emergency based on the force of impact on road traffic collisions, sending your GPS information to emergency services through the format of a distress call.

This can help reduce response time and ensures you’ll be found as quickly as possible. It’s not nice to think through that scenario, but of course, it’s always best to plan for the worst and accept that motorcycling itself has a distinct safety risk over driving cars. With great attention and observation, route planning, bike maintenance, and all the safety technologies on this list leveraged in your favor, we believe you’ll be able to remain as safe as possible on the roads.

Conclusion

With the blossoming market of motorcycles quickly being replaced by electric bikes, and the potential software and design implications of AI coming to al industries, it will be interesting to see what the next ten to fifteen years of motorcycle safety may be. Thankfully, whatever keeps you safer, more secure, and more observant on the road can only be a good think.

Using this advice, we  hope you can remain as safe as possible on the roads and enhance your motorcycle experience.