Motorbike tracking tags aim to cut theft and improve safety

A new tracking system for motorbikes has been developed that aims to improve the recovery rate of stolen bikes and automatically alert the emergency services to a serious accident.

A tag is carried by the legitimate owner and a reader is fitted on the motorbike. If the bike is moved when the owner's tag is not present it immediately alerts the police who can automatically track it.

The recovery rate for stolen motorbikes is 26 per cent compared to 65 per cent for cars due to the ease with which bikes can be loaded into the back of a van and the fact existing anti-theft systems mean the tracking device is not usually switched on until the owner discovers the bike has been stolen.

The system has been developed by security firm Thales, which claims the technology also has the potential to save bikers' lives through an accident-reporting feature that alerts the emergency services to any unusual mechanical readings from the bike.

The telematics technology measures axial angle and G force and reports them to a central unit that can alert the police and ambulance services of any unusual reading associated with a serious accident. The tracking technology then sends the location of the motorbike to the emergency services.

Thales has already won a contract to supply Performance House Holdings with 20,000 of the units, which will be sold under the T-Trac brand in the UK. A similar unit will be sold under the B-Back brand in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Rick Cappella, MD of Performance House Holdings, said in a statement: "We are pleased to be able to offer our customers this new solution to improve chances of recovery if their motorcycle is stolen. More importantly though, these units from Thales could save numerous riders' lives by reporting accidents and we are delighted to be able to offer such peace of mind to our customers."