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Ford Patents Motorcycle “Lane-Splitting” Detection System
Ford Motor Co. has received a U.S. patent for a safety system that is designed to help motorists detect motorcyclists approaching from behind while straddling the center lane in heavy traffic.
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Ford Motor Co. has received a U.S. patent for a safety system that is designed to help motorists detect motorcyclists approaching from behind while straddling the center lane in heavy traffic.
So-called lane-splitting allows motorcycles to cut through traffic but can be dangerous if preceding vehicles inadvertently cut them off. The practice, which is common in many countries, is legal in California but it is prohibited in most other states.
In addition to alerting drivers, the system could activate the brakes or steer the host vehicle back into the center of a lane. Ford notes that the system also would benefit autonomous vehicles, which have had trouble identifying motorcycles and bicycles during initial prototype testing.
About 5,000 people die per year in motorcycle-related accidents in the U.S. A recent IEEE report asserts that bicycles and motorcycles are the most difficult challenge that autonomous vehicles face.