Suzuki Motorcycles have developed a radar reflector, not to detect or jam a police speed radar, but to make motorcycles easier for hi-tech cars to detect them.
In fact, the radar reflector could make motorcycles easier for police to detect with radar guns!
Suzuki have filed a patent in Japan for the radar reflector.
There is no word yet from Suzuki about whether they will make or fit the reflectors to their motorcycles.
The reflectors would react with various automotive collision avoidance systems such as blind spot alert, as well as the coming wave of autonomous vehicles.
Drawing from Suzuki’s patent applicationRadar reflector
The Suzuki patent might help address the valid concern that autonomous vehicles and various collision avoidance systems have difficulty detecting vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.
While cyclists and pedestrians may not be able to carry radar reflectors, they could easily be included on a motorcycle.
But it’s yet another piece of technology that creates extra expense and puts the emphasis on motorists trusting technology rather than their own crash-avoidance skills.
Bosch radar warns riders of trafficThis is a first step toward motorcycles that take over from the rider in emergency situations such as automatic emergency braking.
And once the systems are developed, the next step is for legislators to make them mandatory.