Share the Road 2.0: Will automatic cars affect how you bike?

Later this month, League Legal Specialist Ken McLeod will be participating in a panel discussion at Carnegie Mellon University with researchers, transportation agency staff, and industry about the implications of autonomous and connected vehicles. We'd like to use the opportunity to share the voice of bicyclists with an audience that may shape the next major transportation revolution in our country.

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* 1. Do you think that automated cars (e.g. cars that do not require human control, like Google’s car) will increase or decrease safety for people who bike and walk?

Increase safety

Decrease safety

No opinion

Not enough information to know how safety will be affected

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* 2. What, if any, concerns do you have about sharing the road with automated cars?

The possibility of technology failures that will affect the safety of biking and walking (e.g. systems that fail to detect and respect bicycle lanes)

The possibility of new dangerous car behaviors or infrastructure (e.g. higher speeds or signal-less intersections)

The inability to communicate with the car (e.g. no eye contact with driver)

No concerns

That automated cars won’t be on roads soon enough (anything has to be better than current drivers)

That new technology might distract from efforts to promote biking and walking for transportation (e.g. money will be spent to optimize roads for automated cars and not people)

Other (please specify)

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* 3. Would you wear a radio beacon (a device that communicates with cars) or use a smartphone app if it lessened the likelihood of a car hitting you while riding your bike or walking?

Yes

No, why not?