I just caught this video about this new invention and it might just be a “Blaze of Glory,” for cyclists in harms’ way. “The Blaze Laserlight,” is a new product launching this January and I find it an intriguing new entry into the ‘protect us cyclists,” sweepstakes. I for one ride paranoid, if you know what I mean. Each and every car is a potential homicidal killer. That’s why bike paths are my preferred mode of cycle travel. Life and limb just too much to risk for a healthy and enjoyable spin about the town.
Emily Brooke is the inventor and she tells us what inspired her to create this new laser light. “I wanted to tackle the issue of safety of cyclists on city streets by increasing the visibility, footprint, and ultimately the awareness of the bicycle,” she said. “Eighty per cent of cycle accidents occur when bicycles travel straight ahead and a vehicle maneuvres into them. The most common contributory factor is ‘failed to look properly’ on the part of a vehicle driver. The evidence shows the bike simply is not seen on city streets.
“Even when lit up like a Christmas tree a bicycle in a bus’s blind-spot is still invisible. With BLAZE, you see the bike before the cyclist and I believe this could really make a difference in the key scenarios threatening cyclists’ lives on the roads.”
The Laserlight is, first and foremost, an excellent white LED light. The laser image is projected by a separate diode inside the light and can be switched on and off independently.
This new weapon in the war for safety comes with a hefty price tag, but if it works, and is a true innovation in this space, then it may very well be priceless. It’s about $200. Money well spent? Let me know what you think. It’s available here http://www.blaze.cc
5 Comments
I got hit over a year ago during the daylight, nearly died, and had 3 three trips to the hospital. I’m still visiting various doctors and therapists, going through recovery and not riding on the roads, just moutain biking on paths and indoors on a trainer. I see your video only shows it durning the night or durning dark conditions. What does this look like during the daylight?
Hi Larry,
Since it’s not yet available I haven’t been able to test it but according to their website:
Is it visible in daylight?
The bicycle projection is visible in daylight, but designed for use in low light when you’d normally use your bicycle lights. In the UK, this makes up over 50% of commuting hours.
By the way Larry, so sorry that you got hit on your bicycle. What were the conditions? Was the driver inattentive or belligerent?
I love this concept for cyclist safety. Ive been an avid cyclist for over 23 years and have been hit by a car from the rear and also by another cyclist.
I have read about recent riders being hit more and more by texting motorists .How can this device ensure the cyclist wont be hit by the driver who is distracted? Will he become overly confident using the laser signaling device? How can we encourage through this technology more alertness for drivers?
That’s all well and good, but I don’t think it would have helped the near-accident I had a couple of months ago. I live in a town that is primarily a car town. 99% of transportation is done that way, except for campus. Tons of bikers on campus, and I have been nearly hit by a couple moving as fast as possible on campus. It tends to be an issue on my campus. Which leads me to my near-accident. The campus decided to add bike routes to the roads for whatever reason. Well I hit an intersection that had a stop sign and I was turning right there. There was also a biker behind me booking towards the intersection and he was going straight. Well, I get to the intersection, I’m the only car there, so I begin to turn right after stopping. And just before I turn, I barely notice something moving up the passenger side of my car, it was the biker. Apparently he had no intention of paying attention to the stop sign and was about to blow through it. I hadn’t blocked his way around my car to cross the intersection, but I had turned just enough to impede it. He was no happy about it, I wasn’t too happy with him either. He decided to tell me to watch out and to quit being an asshole. I told him to try and obey the traffic laws and stop at a stop sign. He then informed me that bikers didn’t have to stop at stop signs, which prompted me to inform him that he indeed does, and there wouldn’t have been a near accident there if he obeyed the traffic laws, and that he was an idiot and would have been responsible for any damage to my car had he hit me.
I guess the point to my story is that this won’t help out bikers of drivers when bikers decide traffic laws don’t apply to them. Not saying all bikers do this, but y’all gotta police your own when it’s not always a car driver that is at fault for any of this.