One in five cyclists in London have stopped cycling to work following recent deaths and almost 70 per cent believe it’s not safe to cycle on the capital’s roads, a BBC London poll has found. The University of York may have found a solution, says Healthista’s Bodyologist blogger Helen Foster
Active commuting keeps weight off – which is why I love whoever it was at the University of York who decided to make cycling around campus that bit safer.
They are the first organisation to introduce Cycle Alert to their buses (and biking students) this month. It uses a Cycle Tag, which is a motion activated sensor attached to the cyclist, their helmet or their cycle which sends a message to sensors mounted on Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). The HGV sensors receive the signal and relay this information to the HGV driver with the warning ‘cyclist’ and then the cyclist’s position is displayed on a screen the driver can see, basically alerting them the cyclist is present and showing where they are.
Yes there’s an argument that once it’s established drivers might rely on the system not their eyes putting ‘non-alerted’ cyclists at more risk – but it’s a start.
Co-founder, Peter Le Masurier’s inspiration for the device was after he had heard a radio interview that spoke of a cyclist and an HGV driver that collided with one another that ultimately resulted in the cyclist’s death. It could be one step towards making things safer for all.
The brand will start selling to the public early next year. See more at cyclealert.com.
Healthista’s Bodyologist Helen Foster blogs daily on all things health, fitness and diet related at healthehelen.wordpress.com. Follow her on Twitter @healthehelen
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