Should motorcycles talk to each other?

In a prior post we highlighted how a motorcycle rider’s GoPro camera captured a near fatal accident where another rider did not see him and barreled into him. It remains to be seen why the other rider did not see the crashed motorcyclist; as it is much more common for drivers to fail to see motorcycles.

But what if motorcycles talked to each other? Indeed, the notion of vehicles talking to each other may seem far-fetched right now. But with the prospect of self-driving vehicles growing every year, it is more likely that motorcycles will talk to each other too.

Part of the safety features that come with autonomous driving features is the ability for cars to exchange information about location and speeds so that collisions can be avoided. The technology is being developed so that cars can see and detect each other, but being able to see motorcycles would be beneficial as well. After all, the common claim (or statement) by drivers is that they did not see the motorcycle before a crash.

While it remains to be seen when this technology will become mainstream, the legal (and practical)duty that drivers have is fairly clear. Part of the duty to use reasonable care means looking out for hazards on the road while a driver is behind the wheel. To do so, drivers must minimize distractions. This means that staying off the cell phone, not texting and not reading messages. If a person fails to use reasonable care, and it results in a car-motorcycle accident, the driver could be held liable.