Over the weekend a Washington Post story on Tesla’s Autopilot system made national news. The story included this quote from former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) senior safety adviser, Missy Cummings, “It’s very dangerous for motorcycles to be around Teslas.”

According to the Post’s research, since 2021, there have 17 fatal crashes involving Teslas operating in Autopilot mode. Motorcycles were involved in four of the 17.

You may remember that NHTSA recently opened investigations into fatal crashes involving Tesla vehicles and motorcycles. One occurred in Utah, when a motorcyclist on Interstate 15 outside Salt Lake City, was struck from behind by a Tesla in Autopilot. “The driver of the Tesla did not see the motorcyclist and collided with the back of the motorcycle, which threw the rider from the bike,” the Utah Department of Public Safety said.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in May that Autopilot is not an appropriate name “When the fine print says you need to have your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times.”

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) has been raising this issue with federal officials for years. Just last month, MRF President Kirk “Hardtail” Willard and Vice President Jay Jackson, met with safety officials at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on this very topic. The two MRF leaders stressed the concerns of bikers about the deployment of this new technology. Additionally, in the coming weeks, MRF senior officials will meet with leaders at NHTSA to seek answers on this troubling report. 

These meetings with Biden Administration officials come on the heels of the MRF’s Bikers Inside the Beltway (BITB) annual event. During BITB, riders from across the country met with Members of Congress seeking action on self-driving cars as they relate to motorcyclists.

The MRF has been, and will remain, vigilant on this subject that effects ALL motorcyclists. Increased media scrutiny, along with the thousands of voices demanding action, is turning the heat up. Let’s keep the pressure up and protect bikers on our nation’s roadways.