Newscientist.com reported on this awesome product for night riding. “Cycle lanes are a good way of keeping bikes away from cars and minimising accidents, but they aren’t available on every road. Evan Gant at the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and Alex Tee of Altitude Inc in Somerville, Massachusetts, have designed a portable cycle “Light Lane” that straps to the back of a bike. A laser projects an image of a cycle lane onto the road directly behind the cyclist to remind approaching cars to leave room.”
I want one and will try not to crash if I ever see one (eyes on the road my friend).
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4 Comments
HA!! Fantastic!!
That’s the best thing I’ve seen in years! I’m getting one!
This is intriguing. I followed the links and got the PDF file describing the product. The inventor talked about moving from SF to Boston, where drivers never look before changing lanes, and where SUV doors present a constant threat to riders too close to the curb. Frankly, while this product might improve visibility of a cyclist from the rear at night, I fail to see how it will prevent a driver “merging into” me while I ride, or prevent me from being “doored” if I ride too close to the curb.
It seems yet another invitation to “risk homeostasis”.
The best defense for a cyclist is and always has been to assume that s/he’s completely invisible to the average driver, and position and comport oneself accordingly.
The only drivers to whom we’re not invisible, unfortunately, are the aggressive road-ragers. The others will run you down completely unintentionally, and will be very sorry you died or were permanently injured.
“I swear, Your Honor, I didn’t see him until it was too late. I think he swerved right into my path”.
This is soooo cool – I want one!!!