Throttle Control – Back With a Vengeance

Right To Ride reports that EVSC (Electronic Vehicle Speed Control) is back with a vengeance through the re-introduction of the Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) – or – speed control system in a European Union (EU) Commission funded project called “Saferider”.

Over several years speed control systems have been proposed to control the throttle on the motorcycle by removing the ability of the rider to accelerate when the motorcycle reaches determined speeds.

The EU funded Saferider project is moving system control technology forward with, Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS) being developed for motorcycles in order to warn the rider of a potential crash or collision in a number of scenarios, including a variation of the Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) – or – speed control system.

Force feedback in throttle: A throttle with programmable return force is being developed. “In the project the motorcycle will be equipped with a force controlled throttle able to tune the return force through a servo controlled electric motor in order to communicate a speed reduction warning”.

The authors also state that “imminent warnings cannot be turned off by the rider. This is due to the fact that imminent warnings only occur in cases that lead to great danger for the riders’ safety (2008:61).

In spite of consultation at the beginning of the project with expert trainers who stated that ALL systems must have an on/off switch and that the warning systems being developed must not de-stabilize the bike or distract the rider, it appears that the trainers’ advice was dismissed or ignored.

Right To Ride’s, Trevor Baird, says, “From my experience of having ridden an ISA equipped motorcycle in trials conducted in Great Britain, I can only condemn the force feedback throttle as dangerous because of the propensity of the system to de-stabilize the bike.”

If the project consortium gets acceptance for the throttle control system – by default – because there is nobody to protest and nobody to challenge them, then what will stop the proposal of compulsory throttle control in the not too distant future?

Experience has taught us that when you work with the authorities and decision makers, it is always a good thing to define a red line that you will not cross – the principles which you will not compromise under any circumstance.   The red line for Right To Ride is clear:

We say – “No To Throttle Control”

Information

Throttle Control – Back With A Vengeance – Right To Ride – June 2010 pdf 210kb

Saferider – List of Deliverables – 5.1HMI concepts and strategies – www.saferider-eu.org

Updated 9th July 2010
Right To Ride’s Trevor Baird, when with MAG in 2007, had the opportunity to ride a motorcycle fitted with throttle control.
Read what he had to say:
EVSC and ISA Motorcycle – MAG UK 2007 pdf 142kb
Updated 13th July 2010
No To Throttle Control!
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  1. Sounds like a completely authoritarian step, no more and no less than control for controls sake akin to telling you not to run incase you fall. Id prefer to make the decision to wind the throttle on my self without some draconian ruler riding stowaway on a bike which I have bought with money I have worked for.
    I protest this throttle control completely

  2. Seems like Transport for London Road Safety is toying with the concept of ISA….
    http://openlylocal.com/documents/28743-Minutes-for-Road-Safety-Consultative-Committee-meeting-Mar-24-2010-7-30PM
    5. Intelligent Speed Adaptation PDF 52 KB
    Presentation by Hamish Keith, Transport for London
    Minutes:
    Councillor Spencer welcomed to the meeting Mr Hamish Keith, Road Safety Manager, Transport for London (TfL) who had been invited to give a presentation on Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) which was currently under development by TfL.
    In response to questions, Mr Keith said “ISA is about changing and adopting driving style and, therefore, there were no plans to introduce a Mandatory ISA, adding that in trials drivers had discovered some imaginative ways to override the system, which had identified a need for solutions to prevent this. However, Mr Keith said that an individual could of course install a Mandatory ISA on their vehicle, as could companies wishing to introduce safer driving to their vehicles. Mr Keith confirmed that an accelerator “kick-down” (two kicks) would temporarily override the Voluntary system to enable someone to accelerate out of trouble”.
    Members noted that only the Advisory ISA would be available for motorcycles, since tests for the Voluntary and Mandatory systems had identified throttle management issues, which would not be safe.
    Well at least somebody “up there” recognises that “throttle management issues would not be safe for motorcycles”

  3. Steven Noye says

    Another total waste of money by bureaucratic idiots who should go & find something more useful to do (shouldn’t be difficult) like making Europe a better place to live in, not make it a mind controlling nanny continental sized state where no-one is allowed to think for themselves.
    Give these people proper tasks to do, not nonsense like this.
    Nothing is better at controlling a motorcycle than a motorcycle rider.
    Case Closed.

  4. When I was with MAG in 2007 I had the opportunity to ride a motorcycle fitted with throttle control.
    You can now read the report click on the link – “EVSC and ISA Motorcycle – MAG UK 2007″ – above on the page.
    We will have more to report on throttle control shortly.
    Trevor Baird – Right To Ride

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