Skip to main content

Bosch develops motorcycle to car communications to reduce crashes

Bosch, in partnership with Autotalks, Cohda Wireless and Ducati, has developed a prototype solution which connects cars and motorcycles, allowing them to communicate with each other in a bid to reduce the number of crashes involving motorcyclists. According to estimates by Bosch accident research, motorcycle-to-car communication could prevent nearly one-third of motorcycle accidents. The system enables vehicles within a radius of several hundred metres to exchange information about ten times a second about
May 26, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
311 Bosch, in partnership with 6765 Autotalks, 6667 Cohda Wireless and Ducati, has developed a prototype solution which connects cars and motorcycles, allowing them to communicate with each other in a bid to reduce the number of crashes involving motorcyclists.


According to estimates by Bosch accident research, motorcycle-to-car communication could prevent nearly one-third of motorcycle accidents.

The system enables vehicles within a radius of several hundred metres to exchange information about ten times a second about vehicle types, speed, position, and direction of travel. Well before drivers or their vehicle sensors see an approaching motorcycle, this technology informs them that a motorcycle is approaching, allowing them to adopt a more defensive driving strategy. If the system identifies a potentially dangerous situation, it can warn the rider or driver by sounding an alarm and flashing a warning notice on the dashboard. In this way, all road users receive essential information that actively helps avoid accidents.

The public WLAN standard (ITS G5) is used as the basis for the exchange of data between motorcycles and cars. Transmission times of just a few milliseconds between transmitter and receiver mean that participating road users can generate and transmit important information relating to the traffic situation. Parked or idling vehicles also transmit data to any surrounding receivers. To allow riders and drivers who are farther away to reliably receive the necessary information, the technology makes use of multi-hopping, which forwards the information automatically from vehicle to vehicle. In critical situations, therefore, all road users know what is happening and are able to take appropriate action in advance.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Debating the future development of ANPR
    July 31, 2012
    What future is there for automatic number plate recognition? Will it be supplanted by electronic vehicle identification, or will continuing development maintain the technology's relevance? In recent years, digitisation and IP-based communication networks have allowed Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to achieve ever-greater utility and a commensurate increase in deployments. But where does the technology go next - indeed, does it have a future in the face of the increasing use of, for instance, Dedi
  • Houston hurricane prompts TranStar warning
    April 1, 2019
    Hurricane Harvey led to the creation of the Houston TranStar flood warning app
  • New App alerts emergency services after a collision
    July 20, 2015
    Launched in time for the summer holiday season, Collision Call is a new app which automatically calls and alerts emergency services after a serious collision and sends an e-mail to family, work and friends, allowing them to take immediate action. The app measures G-forces which occur during a collision. If those forces exceed a certain level, dangerous to humans, the app automatically calls the alarm number in the relevant country and sends e-mails to programmed contacts. To prevent this from happening w
  • Taking the long view of ITS
    March 24, 2015
    Caroline Visser believes the ITS industry must present a coherent case for consideration of the technology to become part of transport policy and planning. As ITS advisor and road finance director for the International Road Federation (IRF) in Geneva, Caroline Visser is well placed to evaluate quantifying the benefits of ITS implementation – a topic about which there is little agreement and even less consistency. She is pressing to get some consistency in the evaluation of ITS deployments through the use of