Riding a bike or scooter may become much safer, as a coalition of companies is working to help them “talk” to cars and make drivers aware of their presence.
As climate change becomes a greater concern, there is growing momentum for individuals, especially in cities, to use bikes and scooters instead of cars. The two-wheeled vehicles are also much less expensive, making them an appealing alternative for many people. Unfortunately, the very circumstances where bikes and scooters shine are also some of the most dangerous places to ride due to streets crowded with cars.
Tome Software, Ford, Trek Bicycle and Bosch are looking to tackle this problem by helping bikes, scooters and cars to communicate, alerting drivers to the presence of the smaller vehicles. According to The Washington Post, the companies made the announcement at CES2021.
The bicycle-to-vehicle (B2V) technology will use Bluetooth 5. Given the early stages of the initiative, however, an established methodology has not yet been decided upon.
“We have completed a critical milestone in cross-industry collaboration while we continue the research and development process through 2021 testing and on-road data collection pilots,” Jake Sigal, founder and chief executive of Tome Software, said in a statement.
This initiative is good news for cyclists and scooter riders, and will hopefully help make the roads much safer.