Innovators Form Coalition for Cyclist Safety Based on V2X

An ecosystem of 19 innovators in the automotive, bicycle, and technology sectors have joined forces to work towards advancing and deploying connected transportation solutions to help reduce the risks facing cyclists and e-bike riders on North American roads. The new Coalition for Cyclist Safety represents a commitment to develop a comprehensive approach to bicycle safety centered on deployments of vehicle-to-everything technology.

In the last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation has embarked on strategies to unlock the connected V2X ecosystem as a key technological solution to improve road safety for vulnerable road users. Members of the Coalition believe that V2X has safety benefits, as well as the potential to reduce congestion. The new Coalition is committed to deploying critical components of that roadmap to improve safety for cyclists and enlist other supporters for this mission.

The Coalition participants intend to work together on integrating bicycles into the future V2X communication ecosystem. By enabling V2X-equipped cars, bicycles, and other road participants can recognize each other and create mutual awareness, thereby raising the possibility of lowering the number of injuries from crash situations. Additionally, these efforts will benefit from insights and advice provided by cycling, safety, and smart-transportation advocates and associations under an Advisory Committee of the Coalition.

Many companies from the automotive and bicycle industries as well as the connectivity, chip, and software sector have already responded to the call for action and have pledged to support the initiative. The founding coalition members are Audi, Cariad, Accell, AT-Zweirad, BMC, Bosch, Koninklijke Gazelle, Shimano, Trek, Autotalks, Commsignia, Qualcomm, Spoke, Deutsche Telekom, and TELUS. The Coalition’s Advisory Committee will include ITS America, the League of American Bicyclists, People for Bikes, and The Governors Highway Safety Association.

To unlock the potential of the V2X ecosystem and to make streets safer for road users, the industry initiative follows a holistic approach and aims to integrate relevant stakeholders and decision-makers. The companies in the initiative are committed to individually developing, implementing, and deploying V2X solutions, components, and applications. By cooperating with regulators and infrastructure operators at varying governmental levels, the companies aim to ensure that the guidelines for V2X deployment are clear and that the relevant infrastructure requirements are met. The industry initiative advocates for cyclists to be included in V2X developments and will therefore also work closely with other representatives of bicycle and eBike interest groups.