Vehicle: Bicycle: Safety
blinkin’ obvious   (+8, -2)  [vote for, against]
indicator lights on cyclist’s helmets using the new 3D movement recognition technology.

it can be very difficult to predict what a cyclist is going to do even in daylight as their arm signals are often misinterpreted, hidden by other traffic, lost in the driver’s blind spot or even non-existent.

as a motorist, I am very careful of cyclists, as they look and are very vulnerable but careful as I am, from their perspective, I am just a crazy uncaring roadhog.

these cyclist helmets are equipped with lights both back and front and different movements produce different indicators.

several quick nods to the left will indicate left and a nodding head to the right will indicate right. stopping lights can be achieved by bending the head backwards. perhaps even a “gonna overtake that damned ice-cream van if it kills me” could be a full-on single beam.

two light shakes of the head will produce the traditional “thank you” as a reward for considerate driving.
-- po, Mar 11 2005

How about leds on rings, so that when you put your hand out a turn indicator comes on?
-- david_scothern, Mar 11 2005


That or you'll have a street full of dizzy cyclists... : )
-- k_sra, Mar 11 2005


Show me a cyclist who signals at all, and I'll show you one who'll use this.
-- angel, Mar 11 2005


I once got mown down by a very polite driver who turned left across me (this is in the UK). She said that she thought I was turning left too. When I pointed out that I hadn't ****** indicated left, she said (and I kid you not) that cyclists always turn without indicating. There was a bizarre logic to that.
-- Basepair, Mar 11 2005


Forget signaling, I've never seen a cyclist obey any traffic rules; stop lights, one-way signs, etc.; at least in NYC.
-- brodie, Mar 11 2005


Yeah, same here. If the light's on red, they use the footpath.
-- angel, Mar 11 2005


fess up, who voted for mowing down cyclists?

angel, they're much more brazen down here.
-- po, Mar 12 2005



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