Lyft patents tech that shows safety warnings on self-driving cars' windshields to prevent accidents

Soon, Lyft's self-driving cars could warn pedestrians and cyclists when they're about to cross the street. The ride-hailing giant filed a patent for technology that would display on-screen warnings and other information to other cars, pedestrians and bicycles that it shares the road with. The patent, which was filed April 23rd but made public on Tuesday, describes what Lyft refers to as an autonomous vehicle system. By creating a way for autonomous cars to communicate with others in their environment, it could lead to improved safety once the technology becomes more common in the future. 'Traditionally transportation and related services have been provided by a human-operated vehicle,' the patent states.