The_Spokesmen_185

Episode #185 – Will beaconising the world further promote driving and kill off cycling? Part 2

March 31st 2018

HOST: Carlton Reid

GUESTS: Roger Geffen of Cycling UK, Chris Star of Australia’s 3CR community radio station, technology writer Max Glaskin, Lloyd Alter of Treehugger.com, and Caspar Hughes of Stop Killing Cyclists.

SPONSOR: Jenson USA

TOPIC: Episode two in a two-part series looking at adding driverless-car friendly sensors to bicycles, people, lamp-posts and animals. This follows a talk given at the Geneva Motor Show by a bike industry organisation boss – he called for all bicycles to have beacons so they can be seen by the semi- and fully-autonomous cars of the near feature. On the precious show, historian Peter Norton – author of “Fighting Traffic” – discussed the historical, ethical and mobility-centre issues that such a call raises.

On this show five other experts give their points of view on this technology and whether the bike industry should be talking to the automotive and telecommunications industries who believe the "connected car" future could be one where no cyclists or pedestrians get killed on the roads.

Will a beaconised future be one of unalloyed freedom for cyclists and pedestrians, or the very opposite?