News: Honda’s bicycle simulator has a yen for safety

Honda has announced a bicycle simulator that’s geared to keeping cyclists safe on those treacherous roads.

To be launched in Japan in February 2010, the Honda Bicycle Simulator is all about traffic safety education.

The “rider” will experience the very real risks associated with riding bicycles in traffic, and learn how to predict risks and increase safety awareness.

The Honda Bicycle Simulator will also give “riders” an evaluation of their performance.

While accidents involving bicycles in Japan have decreased over the years, the ratio of fatalities has increased, and approximatel 70 percent of bicycle accidents are caused by violation of traffic rules.

The bicycle simulator’s key features include a “walking sensor” (for when the user is walking with the bike), and different courses such as “going to school”, “going to the grocery store”, and “going to a local shopping street”, and even teachers users how to have good manners in mixed traffic.

The Honda Bicycle Simulator will retail for 698,000 yen (NZ$11,426).