Device warning cyclists of vehicles behind aims for national prize in US (+ video)

Award for device that warns drivers of cyclist ahead = eyes?

Award for device that warns cyclists of drivers behind = ears?

Utterly pointless. Reminds me of that NTNON sketch when Rowan Atkinson plays a deaf man with a light bulb on a head mount that tells him when the phone is ringing. Light goes on. Deaf man picks up phone: 'Hello?... Hello?'

"Yes Your Worship, I did run over and kill the cyclist. However, I would like to enter into mitigation the fact that the cyclist had a 'Backtracker' fitted to his cycle. As he would have been aware of my approach he should have taken avoiding action and therefore is mostly to blame for the collision!"

Am I being too cynical? As "Cyclists Stay Back" stickers have been used as mitigation in court I fear I may not be being cynical enough.

The driver already has the facilities to achieve the same. I call them eyes, common sense, respect for life and plain decency. Sadly we continue to read of an increasing shortage of people with these items hence the on going victimisation of one vulnerable group at the hands of another.

The car needs to be automatically limited when a signal is detected ahead. Driver is warned in advance so they can anticipate another road user and the cars response to it.

40mph is quite fast enough to pass and if the driver insists on accidentally sticking their car into another person's body at least there is a decent chance of someone living rather than the ridiculous 80mph + passes I've been subjected to in the past.

History has well proven that the weak link in all of this isn't technology. It's the dumbass who is incapable of driving properly so all the bells and whistles under the sun will not change some people's attitude.

Until technology can wrestle the monkey away from the biscuit jar we'll continue to see cars hitting things.

He is cycling on the wrong side of the road, that is obviously dangerous. The think looks like it weighs two kilos. Why not just fire a James Bond style EMP at any approaching car and disable it?

I have a more affordable low tech one, its called a Mirror. Great one for when you havent the time to shoulder check.

I can't the Dragons investing in or buying this. I am out too.

April 1st?

Since there's bog all the rider can do about this even if the machine tells them, maybe it should have a series of appropriate messages to accompany the rider to their doom depending on the speed and proximity of the bellend in a car.

"Watch out, fuckwit approaching"
"You are going to die"
"Say your prayers"
"Goodbye"

What am I supposed to different when there's a car behind me?

But won't it alarm for any object coming behind you!?

If people want to use it, than fine. It's only a prototype so it will hopefully get smaller and neater. I can't see any drivers paying attention to flashing lights though and it will be a pain listening go all the beeping.

I just hope that if it does take off in the UK that the courts won't use it as another excuse to blame the dead cyclist for not having this item on there bike.

Weird. The unit has lights facing rearward below the saddle. So the driver who hasn't seen you directly in front of them sees the lights? I don't think the designers or the selectors ride bikes in traffic.

As for the cyclist why not just look behind you? I agree you can't always hear a vehicle behind you, you do have to look. If you want to spend money on being safer get some cycle training!

What is wrong with a good old fashioned clip on mirror??

Try slight headwind and a hybrid car behind... if you can hear that, you're probably a bat.

It sounds like a better idea than most of the crap I've seen.
I'd like one that warns other cyclists against trying to draft my commute.

I find most cars have tyres....I can hear them coming.....

So basically for cycle commuters on busy roads it would be like riding with really loud tinnitus? That wouldn't be irritating at all

Please tell me this is a joke.