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In the NoCo

This technology could save bicyclists’ lives. So why isn’t it mandatory?

A man rides a bicycle through an intersection.
Natalie Skowlund
/
KUNC
A cyclist bikes through an intersection at City Park Avenue and West Mulberry Street in Fort Collins on Monday, June 24, 2024. Traffic-related cyclist fatalities in Colorado went up 33% last year over 2022, making 2023 among the deadliest years for cyclists statewide over the past decade.

A year ago last summer, a young bicyclist named Magnus White was struck and killed by a driver on Highway 119 near Boulder. A memorial ride for Magnus earlier this month drew more than 2,000 participants, with hundreds more joining virtually.

His parents spoke to the crowd and called for measures that would make roads safer for cyclists – including better bike lanes and stiffer penalties for careless driving.

And they also called for a more unusual measure: a federal requirement that all new vehicles be equipped by the year 2029 with Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) systems that can sense bicycles. For example, if your car drifts into the shoulder where a bicyclist is riding, the car would automatically brake or be nudged back into its lane.

Data shows roads across the U.S. are becoming more dangerous for cyclists. In 2022, just over 1,100 pedalcyclists were killed in vehicle crashes – an increase of about 13% over the previous year, and more than 46,000 were injured. Here in Colorado, 20 traffic-related cyclist fatalities were recorded in 2023 – a 33% increase over 2022.

All of this got us wondering – how well do advanced safety systems like AEB or V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) work? And how feasible are they right now?

We reached out to Bryan Reimer with the Center for Transportation and Logistics at MIT to learn more. He researches driver behavior, and how humans interact with automatic braking systems and other advanced vehicle technologies.

Reimer spoke with host Erin O’Toole about the potential for this new technology, and its limitations.

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.
As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.
Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.