AnonymusPerson

Just an idea I had recently, wanted to see how the community would react to it

AnonymusPerson

I was wondering what safety measures people use to see behind them. Do you just look behind you? Do you use clip-able side-mirrors? (are the effective? What problems may they have?) Are vehicles behind you a major threat, or is there any other larger threat? And finally, my idea; a sonar system to warn you about approaching cars. How would you like the output (the warning)?

cb400bill

1. Turn your head and look behind you.
2. Clip a mirror onto your glasses.
3. Attach a mirror to your bike.
4. Garmin already make a radar/taillight combo unit that connects with a radar screen and certain bike computers.

FBOATSB

Yeah, whatever happened to google glasses, anyway.

mcours2006

Google glass with some kind of easy to read HUD would be great, like the kind fighter pilots have. Also, glasses with some kind of ghost rider whom you can chase down. Not a safety feature, but would be awesomely fun!

A great safety idea would be a device to project a large image of a vehicle around the bike making it look much bigger and wider, or perhaps a tractor or a horse.

Maelochs

I use a helmet-mirror for group rides ... when i ride solo i generally use my ears and turn my head.

Sonar, radar? I don't want or need all that.

Not saying it isn't good, but nothing i want on my bike.

BobbyG

Been commuting 26 years. I do 1, 2 & 3.

indyfabz

Interestingly enough, a guy recently posted on the FB page of the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia information about a sonar-like warning system that is being developed by, IIRC, some students at Drexel University. You will have to look it up yourself as I cannot access FB from work. The post was maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago so it shouldn't be hard to find.

mcours2006

I don't understand how a early radar warning system would help you with your safety. It's not like we're travelling at Mach 2 where a few km's would would only be seconds away. As a cyclist you have 'visual contact' with the vehicle long before you encounter it.

I still think my holograph idea could be the answer

Milton Keynes

I just use a mirror attached to my helmet. It gives me all the warning I need to know that there's a vehicle behind me. Only issue I have is when I forget to look into it once in a while and get surprised by a car passing me.

I wouldn't say that vehicles behind me are a major threat, since so far everyone who's passed me has given me plenty of room, except for one. As long as drivers aren't texting or otherwise distracted they haven't been much of a threat.

MoAlpha

The only time I need to see behind me is if I am moving potentially into the path of faster traffic or to let a motorist know I know (s)he's there. If I'm already in the path of faster traffic, it's because that's where I want to be. When I need to look, I employ the muscles with which I was endowed by my creator to rotate my trunk and neck, so as to get a good look at the road behind me. Continuous monitoring of what's coming up from behind is what ears are for and mine still do a pretty fair job. If I hear a big diesel, that can be helpful, but the information isn't especially useful except to prevent me from being startled.

I was sideswiped by a passing car once, but additional visibility wouldn't have made any difference.

genec

Ditto... never liked the glasses mirror, but the handle bar mirrors work fine for me...

Work fine for motorcycles... and yes, cars too have attached side mirrors.

I think the OP is going down a hole to try to come up with a "new high tech safety solution" that is better than "silvered glass..." otherwise known as a mirror. Besides mirrors are cheap, and easy to replace. Anything with a battery... not so much so.

caloso

I listen and I turn my head. I've been commuting on city streets and training on country roads for more than 25 years and have yet to be struck from behind.

SJM205

WNCGoater

Rear view helmet mirror. This is the best one I've found. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
That and my ears to listen. Not sure anything else would increase my safety, in fact, some electronic warning system would just be something else to monitor and with any traffic, I could easily envision being distracted by some constant "alarm". Realistically, my own wit, eyesight and attention to what is happening around me is my best defense. I can watch every car, but cannot control a single one. All I can do is be ready to react at all times.

JanMM

Vehicles from the rear and from the front and from the sides are all threats. Eyeballs can be effective for locating vehicles, either directly or by using mirrors.
Sonar is usually referring to an underwater system.

Daniel4

I'd like the output warning pointed behind me to alert motorists they are approaching too fast and are too close. No need to warn me. I can see them in my mirror.

genec

In a way, that would be a nice idea... sort of like the collision avoidance "radar" that comes on many new cars... but instead of alerting the cyclist, it could flash faster and brighter depending on the approach speed and distance... maybe even eventually actually "honking" (thus alerting both the cyclist and the motorist) if it calculates a possible collision.

Regarding the actual technology... "sonar" might be correct, if it uses a range-finding system similar to the old Polaroid cameras... otherwise, if it is using a "radio beam" detection system, it would be more correct to call it radar.

Of course, with such a system, false alerts might be an issue. And of course such a system depends on batteries... which must be charged. Mirrors require no such charging to be effective.

MoAlpha

Stipulating that one can predict how close a MV is going to come at some reasonable interval before it's inches from one's left elbow–which I am not sure is true, what does one do? Steer for the ditch?

FBOATSB

Pretty sure many agressive asshat drivers would love to see cyclists dive into the ditch with close passes

Milton Keynes

And between powering all the lights and making sure my phone is charged, the last thing I really want on my bike is one more thing with a battery.

MoAlpha

Maelochs

My question is ... what technology is OP envisioning which will automatically pick out cars from the background of traffic and how will it identify threats .... or will it use radar or Lidar to ping anything closing on the rear of the bike? And if so, how would it differentiate threats from all other approaching vehicles?

Furhter ... how much warning could it give in most areas?

Wouldn't a dedicated rear-view camera and a screen be safer? Except cyclists might spend too much time watching the screen.

There is a sort of mindset that "some gadget can make everything a little better." Especially, i see it with safety. I question how many of these gadgets really make up for the lack of attention which is the root of many safety issues. .

MoAlpha

The last thing I, at least, need for riding in traffic is anything distracting me from the threats I can do something about; i.e., those ahead of me. Attention is finite and focal.

rumrunn6

mirror on glasses