High-tech cars face new safety standards for detecting bikers

A major step-forward in motorcycle safety beckons following plans for an updated testing protocol on new car electronic safety avoidance systems.

Motorcyclists had raised concerns over the new generation of ‘Advanced Driver Assistance systems’ (ADAS) since it was discovered that some failed to detect bikers.

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This was compounded by the fact that the existing new car safety rating system, Euro NCAP could still award a four star rating to vehicles that may not react to bikes.

But now Euro NCAP have announced that they are going to introduce a new testing protocol, which will test new cars fitted with ADAS on their ability to react to vulnerable road users from 2023.

The news has been welcomed by riders’ rights groups. FEMA, the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations, said: “This a significant step, because these new test protocols show us that Euro NCAP takes motorcyclists’ safety seriously.

“We see more and more car manufacturers introducing these driver support systems – and not just in high-end cars – so testing these systems will hopefully keep inferior driver support systems off the roads.”