If bicycles and e-scooters could “talk” to cars on the road, riders would be safer — at least in theory.

That’s the idea behind a consortium of bike and scooter manufacturers coming together to develop and test new safety software that would allow forms of micromobility to communicate with nearby cars. Detroit-based Tome Software spearheaded the initiative in collaboration with companies such as Ford, Trek Bicycle and Bosch.

At the core of the effort is a software standard that would allow a wide range of vehicle services to exchange information in real time so that drivers in big cities and congested areas are more aware of riders out of their line of sight. It could also trigger visible alerts on bicycles when cars get too close.

The group announced the news on Wednesday at CES, the large tech conference happening digitally this year.

“We have completed a critical milestone in cross-industry collaboration while we continue the research and development process through 2021 testing and on-road data collection pilots,” Jake Sigal, founder and chief executive of Tome Software, said in a statement.

The bicycle-to-vehicle (B2V) technology uses Bluetooth 5, the latest version of Bluetooth communication, to send a signal to nearby vehicles. Tome says the standard could manifest in a wide range of ways, and the group is researching to figure out which implementations are the most viable.

For instance, Ford is testing it out as part of its existing advanced driver-assistance system, something that could be used in addition to sensors on a car to detect and avoid objects. The automaker acquired Spin, an e-scooter company, for a reported $100 million in 2018, and e-scooter riders represent a growing part of its mobility business.

Ford’s Spin unit to boost e-scooters with software that alerts pedestrians of sidewalk riders

The bicycle manufacturer Trek is adding sensors to detachable taillights that could trigger an “interruptive” flashing light pattern meant to alert motorists. The company says the light is visible at all times of the day and claims studies show that it could decrease bike-related accidents by 33 percent.

Tome says there aren’t current plans to retrofit existing consumer cars with the technology. Still, the software firm is collaborating with automakers as new vehicles roll out to figure out the possibilities.

The prototype announcements come as cities roll out more bike lanes, giving people more space to commute amid the ongoing pandemic. It also trails a micromobility boom in which cities, including D.C., implemented e-scooter regulations as people embraced ride-sharing alternatives.

The shift from cars to smaller rides also increased scooter-related accidents, drawing more attention to safety.

Trek is one of the largest bicycle brands in the United States, based on representation in bike shops. Ford is among the world’s top automakers. Other companies represented in the consortium include the engineering company Bosch, the bicycle computing company Hammerhead and the cycling equipment companies Specialized, SRAM and Shimano. Uber

The group aims to attract other leading brands in the field.

“What we didn’t want to create was, like, something that works on a Trek bike to communicate to a Ford car and that’s it,” said Eric Bjorling, brand director at Trek. “That’s just not a common-enough scenario for enough cyclists to take advantage of.”

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