The automotive world shook months ago when it was reported that a Tesla Model S had crashed while in autopilot mode. The vehicle failed to brake when an 18-wheeler took a left-hand turn in front of it. The resulting crash proved fatal for the car’s owner, and it raised questions about the safety of self-driving technology. This new concern over autonomous vehicle safety could wind up delaying when these vehicles hit the streets. But for those of us who ride motorcycles, this could actually be bad news.

Why Should Motorcyclists Look Forward to Autonomous Vehicles?

If you ride motorcycles, you are probably aware that the open road can be pretty dangerous. Weather, wildlife, and road conditions can turn a pleasant ride into a pucker moment really fast. However, none of these dangers even begin to compare with cars. The average American car weighs 10 times what a motorcycle weighs, and they out number motorcycles on the road by over 300 to one. Combine these facts with the statistics on distracted and drunk driving and it should come as no surprise that cars are the number one reason motorcyclists are hurt or killed on American roads. But the progress of autonomous driving technology promises to change that.

Autonomous vehicles never get distracted, never become fatigued, and they are far less likely to commit a driving error. Considering that most motorcycle vs car collisions happen as the result of the car driver failing to notice a nearby motorcycle, this could be a revolution in motorcycle safety, and we need it.

Nationwide, the number of motorcycle traffic fatalities has been dropping, but last year changed that trend. The number of motorcycle fatalities grew 8.3 percent nationwide, and Colorado saw an almost 11 percent increase. But why are so many people dying on our highways and road?

Some theorize that the rise in traffic fatalities is due to falling gas prices and the influx of more drivers on the road, but nobody is really sure. Experts predict that autonomous vehicles could actually help bring these crash numbers down, and reducing car vs motorcycle collisions would be a bonus effect! This could keep a lot of us in the saddle, but how much longer will it be before this technology hits the streets? And what other side-effects could driverless cars have on our roads?

Keep following our motorcycle safety blog to learn more, and don’t for get to drop the attorneys that ride a line on Twitter or Facebook to tell us what you think driverless cars will mean for the American motorcyclist.