This is less so of an automation idea and more of an overall efficiency idea. I would like to be found the first rideshare service using motorcycles. This would probably be best for California, as lane splitting is one of the more attractive features. It’s perfect for people looking to get around fast and efficiently.
This idea came to while in an Uber on the way to Treasure Island. My driver, Angelica, was driving like an absolute menace– swerving through lanes, skipping backed up lines of traffic, shooting the gaps between cars. As someone prone taking unnecessary risks, I loved it. She was over joyed when I told her she was driving exceptionally, as she’s had passengers ask her to slow down or be more safe. I took down her number for future private rides.
There would certainly be an tsunami of legal and compliance issues. According to NHTSA “Motorcyclists account for 14% of all crash-related fatalities, even though they are only 3% of the vehicles on the road. Motorcyclists are 28 times more likely than passenger-vehicle occupants to die in a car crash. More than 80% of these type of crashes result in an injury or death.”
Motorcyclists account for 14% of all crash-related fatalities, even though they are only 3% of the vehicles on the road.
https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/motorcycles
In the event of a death during the service, the company would surely be shut down. We’d have to retain some of the best lawyers the world has seen. And the insurance bill? It’s take us twice as long as it took for Uber to become profitable (EBITDA adjusted, obviously).
As the roads get safer with self-driving cars and advanced technology, a motorcycle rideshare service may become possible. Until then, I’ll keep spending my paychecks on Revels.
Zen Making Robots 