Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

At a vehicle tech conference in Geneva this week, a bike industry representative raised the prospect that cyclists will have to be equipped with sensors in order to be detected by self-driving cars.

Carlton Reid at BikeBiz first reported the comments from Manuel Marsilio, general manager of the Confederation for the European Bicycle Industry, who was speaking at the "Symposium on the Future of the Networked Car."

The idea that everyone will have to wear sensors to avoid getting killed by self-driving cars is one of the hellish scenarios futurists discuss when imagining how cities will operate with autonomous vehicles. The National Association of City Transportation Officials has said that safe operation of AVs without relying on external sensors should be non-negotiable.

So it's alarming to hear someone in the bike industry talk as though he's ready to negotiate.

Detecting people and bicycles is seen as one of the more difficult challenges as AV technology develops. Uber's self-driving system was obviously poorly equipped to deal with the fairly routine occurrence of someone crossing a street outside a crosswalk, and it cost Elaine Herzberg her life.

Rather than insist that vehicle manufacturers refine their technology so people can walk and bike safely around self-driving cars, Marsilio, pressed by Reid, said he could imagine a future where sensors would be mandatory for cyclists.

Maybe Marsilio was thinking of "don't-kill-me" sensors as one more gizmo to sell. But they're obviously a nightmare for people who want to move freely without being inside a car. If you forget your sensor or just can't afford one, you'd be marked for death.

Maybe autonomous vehicle technology will deliver a safer transportation system one day. But they'll have to do it without external sensors on every human.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday’s Headlines Back the Bikes

Setting aside the fact that bike lanes don't make traffic worse, resisting bikelash on busy roads is essential to creating a useable network.

April 18, 2025

Does Driver’s Ed Really Make Roads Safer? 

States like Georgia are taking a critical look at their drivers education programs — but some say the whole concept of driver's ed deserves scrutiny.

April 18, 2025

Friday Video: Ken Jennings Has a Web Series About Transit!

Jeopardy's host and most famous player is a big fan of the bus — and he's helping educate his fellow Washingtonians about why they should be, too.

April 18, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: The Pacific Circuit

Alexis Madrigal connects containerization to globalization and its direct impacts on one Oakland neighborhood.

April 17, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Wonder Why

Why are drivers killing so many pedestrians? Governing magazine has a number of familiar theories.

April 17, 2025
See all posts