Opinion: Self-Driving Cars Aren't Safe Until They Can Detect Bikes

Self-driving car companies have proposed equipping bikes, pedestrians, and even pets with the ability to communicate their positions wirelessly. But should autonomous cars really need the help?

1 minute read

February 9, 2018, 12:00 PM PST

By Elana Eden


Rainy Biker

Tyler Olson / Shutterstock

"The most difficult detection problem that autonomous vehicle systems face"—according to a 2017 report from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers—is bicycles.

That's a blind spot with life-or-death stakes, so companies like Ford, Tome Software, and Trek Bicycle have proposed a possible solution: give bikes the ability to simply tell autonomous cars where they're going. But Christina Bonnington argues in Slate that bicycle-to-vehicle communication—or its logical extension, vehicle-to-everything—is just a crutch for fundamentally inadequate detection technology.

After comparing the logistics of distributed communication to the high-performing detection systems boasted by some AV companies, like Uber and Waymo, Bonnington concludes:

"Bicycle-to-vehicle communication is a good idea and could be useful in certain scenarios, such as when visibility is low—at night or in the rain—or on tricky, twisty back roads with blind corners. But if cars are going to drive the roads without human help, they need to be able to handle all of the challenges that come with it, regardless of whether they’re wirelessly connected to the world around them."

Saturday, February 3, 2018 in Slate

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Millbrae BART station.

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City

The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

April 24 - San Diego Post

Spiral ramp on exterior of parking garage in downtown Spokane, Washington.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill

A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

April 24 - OPB

Missouri state capitol dome in Jefferson City, MO.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users

A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.

April 24 - Missouri Independent