Safety When Commuting Ctd

SammiG

hey guys,

i was on here a couple of months ago doing some research for a tech project.

i have finally made a product and have attached some pictures of it here and any positive things you could say about it would be great for my evaluation.

the device is made to force cars to keep their distance when passing commutors. it is collapsable so that it can be put in a work bag and to allow the user through 'flows' when riding.

the ultrabright LEDs make it very visable.

it attaches around a verticle axis so that if hit by a vehigle from behind the cyclist is not put off balance.

it attached around the seatpost using the black handle.











Regards Sam

miggy_magic

Red LEDs would be a more logical colour surely if it's mainly seen from behind? Blue/white may confuse other road users, or is that deliberate?

Also, the use of arrows pointing right might be seen as an instruction to overtake. Is that what you intend? Confusion may result.

Kieran_Burns

that would be an awful lot better centre mounted as opposed to slung (literally) out to one side. that way you would not need to have pieces of string to hold it on

chuckcork

There was a thread recently discussing the use of blue lights on bikes, apparently the preserve of the police....

I would suggest that perhaps the design could be reconsidered to be lighter and more flexible, along the lines of those roadside marker posts that are of plastic, that way if you did get hit by a car they would just flex. The aim isn't after all to damage vehicles, is it (not that I care, if they are overtaking that close).

Also, given how commuting cyclists will commonly filter through traffic, where does this figure in your product design?

How much does it way, and how does the mounting work practically? Does it throw the bike off balance? From where it seems to be mounted it looks like riding would be constantly brushing against your thighs too?

nielsamd

chuckcork wrote:

There was a thread recently discussing the use of blue lights on bikes, apparently the preserve of the police....

Blue lights for official emergency vehicles I can understand.
But do the regs say anything about blue reflective material?

I have seen commercial contractors with yellow high viz vests with blue patches.
With more cops (or at least those community support pseudo cops) on bicycles where I am, I've been thinking that anything like some chequered blue and yellow reflective patching that makes a motorist think twice about passing close or cutting you off... if they think even for a micro-instant that you may be a cop on a bike.. then job done.. they'll probably pass you a bit less recklessly.

always_tyred

nielsamd wrote:

chuckcork wrote:

There was a thread recently discussing the use of blue lights on bikes, apparently the preserve of the police....

Blue lights for official emergency vehicles I can understand.
But do the regs say anything about blue reflective material?

I have seen commercial contractors with yellow high viz vests with blue patches.
With more cops (or at least those community support pseudo cops) on bicycles where I am, I've been thinking that anything like some chequered blue and yellow reflective patching that makes a motorist think twice about passing close or cutting you off... if they think even for a micro-instant that you may be a cop on a bike.. then job done.. they'll probably pass you a bit less recklessly.

I seem to remember that all of these considerations apply to the vehicle, meaning that you can wear any colour you want on your person.

nielsamd

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battenburg_markings

Could be some interpretation as to what is `Battenburg' relective markings on your person (or vehicle?.. have to go thru `The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989' with a fine toothed comb to see if you can have e.g. one colour (yellow) reflecting and the other non-reflecting)
and/or e.g. one row of alternate colours instead of two
or rectangles in one colour, squares in another......