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One of the problems of cycling on roads used by cars is the safety aspect: Too many drivers don't see cyclists or worse, ignore their hand signals to indicate their intentions to other road users.
A lightweight vest with coloured LED panels across the back and shoulders would alleviate much of
the problem.
Orange panels on the shoulders flash when making turns, a large red patch across the lower back flashes vigorously when decelerating or stopping, and a high intensity red light mounted on the back of the helmet serves as a high-mount rear stop light.
Power is provided from a 6V system with rechargeable batteries. Power is conveyed as far as the seat, where metallic pickups woven into the rider's shorts then convey it to a battery pack on the waist.
Cheap, efficient and sufficiently similar to the equipment on cars to be noticed by lazy motorists.
Background: I used to ride a lot. I was hit twice by cars in a period of about 8 years, and only this morning saw a traffic fatality occur whilst on my way to work.
AniMotion fiber optic animated clothing
http://www.gallerye....com/animotion.html
A sample of a fireworks design on the back of a leather jacket. [waugsqueke, Jul 31 2002]
Article about Ani-Motion
http://www.tnonline...kland/business.html
Mentions the Harley jacket, and others. [waugsqueke, Jul 31 2002]
"Lighted reflective LED safety vest"
http://www.safetyce...m/ligledsafves.html
[phoenix, Jul 31 2002, last modified Oct 05 2004]
Various neon-trimmed clothes
http://www.neontrim.com/clothes.html
[phoenix, Jul 31 2002, last modified Oct 05 2004]
Safety Signal Light Vest
http://www.signalandbeseen.com
Turn Signals, Stopping Signal and Moving Signal attached to the Vest [walter, Sep 03 2002, last modified Oct 05 2004]
[link]
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In my experience, most ( > 90% ) cyclists don't signal at all, don't use lights at night, and ignore 'Give Way' (='Yield') signs, traffic lights and one-way streets. How about compulsory, permanently-on lights, and a system which prevents them from turning *until* they've signalled?
Rant over. Good idea. |
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I agree with you on the first issue, angel. This is to help the sensible ones. As for the second... SPLAT ! |
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//compulsory, permanently-on lights//
Yes, angel
//a system which prevents them from turning *until* they've signalled//
No, angel - reason: evasive maneuvers
Well lit Croissant |
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//a system which prevents them from turning *until* they've signalled//
Yeah, that was the rant part. |
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Good idea. However, I dunno how much luminescence you could get from the LEDs. But I can't think of an alternative...pastry anyway. |
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yes yes yes please. Fun alternative: a backpack with big flippy-out indicators like the rabbit ears on old cars (Morris Minor?), controlled by small flick levers on the handlebars. Good for people like me who are a bit wobbly when trying to signal with one hand out. I can do it to turn right but I'm a bit shaky at letting go with the left. |
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Bun and well-meaning concern for your psychological wellbeing, UB. |
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Ani-Motion is a Pennsylvania company that has developed a technique for creating lighted animations using fiber optics woven into clothing. They've created some very interesting ideas. (See link for one example.) |
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They created a leather jacket for Harley-Davidson motorcycle enthusiasts that animates the logo on the back of the jacket. However, when the rider is on the bike and riding, the jacket stops its animation (to prevent distraction of drivers) but acts as an addition to the brake light, lighting up the logo when the rear brake is activated. I'm not certain how this is done - I believe there's some sort of small transmitter that attaches to the bike, which signals a small receiver built into a jacket pocket. |
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Anyway... point being, this is a perfect approach for baking your idea here. |
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I ride to work every day so I would try it, but I doubt it would help with some of the jackasses I see out there. |
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1 of those 9 is mine, but all my accidents and near accidents have been because of cars coming from side roads crossing the bike path or pedestrians walking abreast on the bike path (often dog on one side leashed to owner on other side) and wouldn't have been helped by this. Maybe a truck horn. |
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</fascinating> [sappho]: I have the same problem but the other way round. <fascinating> |
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[sappho] - They're called trafficators.
I'd like to see a
vest thing, much as [UB] describes, where the whole thing
glows softly, powered by the heat difference between
the cyclist's perspiring body and the chilly night
air.
Having said that though, my most serious bike
accident was when someone opened their car door on
me. I went into the door, bending the corner of it
through 90 degrees. I buckled the front wheel of my bike
and my frame and flew over the door onto the road. All in
broad daylight. Other nasty accidents include slamming
into pedestrians at high speed when they step off the
pavement without looking and, having stopped to allow a
car to cross my path, watching in amazement as it drove
over my front wheel.
[NickTheGreat] Fascinating
footnote! |
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NickTheGreat - want to share a tandem? |
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I've baked this a bit myself. I have 3 different LED lights in my work bag (in a mesh section on the back). This makes me a lot more visable from the back (although I'm sure that London busses just aim for you if they see you on a bike, I've been hit twice since I got 'em!) |
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The problem with bike lights is that even when cyclists use them, they're so much dimmer than car headlights, it can be hard to see them, especially if you've just been blinded by some oncoming motorist. Adding more faint lights isn't going to make a lot of difference. I would advocate some kind of large flashing beacon on the cyclist's head, which doubled as a cycle helmet. |
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[phoenix], similar to your link but I had the LED panels taking the place of taillights with all of their functions in mind when I posted. |
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A keen cyclist once advocated dressnig in black & using no lights or reflectors at night. His reasoning was that he then KNEW that no motorist woud see him, forcing him to act appropriately. As a pedestrian, I can appreciate his argument. |
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How about a rotating light on the cycle helmet?
Like on ambulances & police cars, only a different colour. |
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[Sappho]: are you sure that's wise? Or would one problem cancel the other?
[Hippo]: Why, thank you. |
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Safety Signal light Vest
http://www.signalandbeseen.com - how about the signal vest that you can indicate the turn signal, stopping signal and moving signal just like in a car. Also the interesting part of this product is that there is going to be a Voice Control System so that you can give a command to indicate all signal lights. I think this product is fabulous. |
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Neat idea, but I found the phrase "metallic pickups woven into the rider's shorts" frightening in its implications. |
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