The BBC is reporting on an award-winning prototype cycling jacket lined with LED lights that change from green to red depending on whether the cyclist is accelerating or braking. As well, the jacket also senses when the rider’s arm is extended and flashes amber to indicate a turn.
Michael Chen, 28, won a £6,000 prize for his Reactiv cycle jacket, which changes colour as the cyclist brakes. The inspiration for the jacket came from wanting to feel safer when cycling the streets of London.
Chen said: “I cycled round London in the dark wearing my first prototype. It was a £10 waterproof jacket with LEDs stuck on by gaffer tape.”
He continued: “For the first time, I noticed that cars passed me more slowly, gave me more room, and that the drivers and passengers were even making eye contact.”
As cycling becomes increasingly economically and environmentally attractive for a wider slice of the population, it’s likely we can expect more innovative inventions like this that would have a good chance to succeed if they made it to market.
Thanks to Siobhan O’Flynn for the tip.
13 comments
A concept that needs too many wrinkles ironed:
– can’t wear it year-round
– can’t steer/brake well while signaling
– drivers won’t understand
– drivers don’t pay attention
– drivers don’t care
– drivers aren’t policed
Most of those “wrinkles” apply to “cycling” in general, not this jacket. Yet we keep riding.
sweet!
Right. In particular “can’t steer/brake well while signaling” and “drivers don’t pay attention”. I think everything that helps you to get noticed while riding in the dark is more than welcome.
Hey, anything to make cycling in central London marginally less terrifying is A-OK by me.
The point is to communicate as much information about yourself as possible to drivers, which, even if it doesn’t always help, can’t possibly hurt.
Some drivers don’t pay attention to or care about cars’ turn signals either; some of them think it’s bothersome to use signals while driving/steering. Doesn’t mean we’re about to stop using them.
Want one.
Not much helps with the last two I wrote, but for the first four I have enough on my person that even an autohead cop will have to realize anyone who’d hit me is a tool
– orange and reflective sash
– red flash on my bike and helmet
– white flash on my bike and lamp on my helmet
I also have an assertive attitude and am cynical of driver intelligence, and that’s why I’m still alive.
Please note that, if you wear one of these walking down the street, pedestrians will also pass you more slowly, give you more room, and make eye contact.
Wearing an LED jacket gets you attention now because you look like a crazy person. (Think Doc Brown in the DeLorean.) But if everyone gets one, cyclists will get ignored again.
– can’t steer/brake well while signaling
Signalling while wearing the jacket isn’t any different than how you’re supposed to signal now. Of course a vanishingly small percentage of cyclists signal as it stands. What is the signal for “veer diagonally across an intersection against the lights to enter a one-way street heading the wrong direction”, anyway?
“For the first time, I noticed that cars passed me more slowly, gave me more room, and that the drivers and passengers were even making eye contact.â€Â
Me, I just wear my tinfoil hat! Does all of the above, plus protect me from ALIEN MIND RAYS.
You’ll get the same amount of notice with reflective markers, blinky lights, proper hand signals, making eye contact on your own and an assertive attitude.
it’s a great and fun way to get around, though i think the safety measure is waaaay more cultural than having blinky lights.
cycling needs to be a more integrated and respected part of the whole cultural context, and alas… no LEDs (no matter how AWESOME they are. omfg i want one) will do this on their own.
as an aside, if doc brown and the delorean ever become status quo, i will be a *very* happy person.