New technology from Jaguar Land Rover aims to reduce cycling deaths and injuries
Car manufacturer, Jaguar Land Rover has announced it is developing new technology which will see future Jaguar and Land Rover cars fitted with devices that warn drivers of nearby pedestrians and cyclists.
The ‘Bike Sense’ technology includes a bike bell sound that plays through the car’s audio system to warn motorists of a nearby cyclist. A matrix of LED lights on car window sills, dashboards and windscreen pillars will also help to identify the exact position of a bike or pedestrian in relation to the car.
Researchers are also working on a car seat which extends to ‘tap’ drivers on their left or right shoulder, causing them to instinctively check over that shoulder to identify a hazard.
Vibrating foot pedals will also help encourage drivers to slow down or avoid accelerating if there is a hazard ahead, while vibrating door handles will help prevent a motorist from opening their car door into the path of a cyclist.
During 2013, 109 cyclists were killed on UK roads, and there were 19,438 cyclist casualties. It is hoped that this technology could help to reduce the number of road traffic accidents involving cyclists.
Laura Storer, a serious injury solicitor based in Thompsons Solicitors’ Birmingham office, said: “This new technology from Jaguar Land Rover adds to an exciting array of new technology that could help address the serious issue of road traffic accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians which occur too often on UK roads.
“Significantly, these developments are being developed by premium car brands and there is a real risk that even if they become mainstream in that level of car they are ultimately a minority of the vehicles on the road.
“The government talks about the UK being a leader in innovation yet it fails to put its weight behind developments that could save lives and save the state money spent supporting those who are injured or the loved ones of those killed. The government needs to get behind these innovations and lead from the front – supporting the R&D and spreading the technology across the whole industry - not just waiting for an elite sector to do its job for them.”
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