Three London entrepreneurs have come up with a simple, practical invention which could help make cyclists safer on the streets of our cities.
The three – Luca, Agostini and Simon, who live near Chelsea, London – are the team behind Cycl, a start-up company which aims to create innovative solutions for cycling safety.
Their new product is WingLights, indicator-like amber blinkers which can be snapped on and off the end of handlebars of bicycles and which can be carried around as a key-ring when detached.
They say the WingLights’ high visibility LEDs, turned on and off with a simple tap, ensure that cyclists “grab the attention” of drivers and walkers from the front, rear and side and in all light and weather conditions.
The team, all cyclists themselves, say WingLights were inspired by their own experiences feeling unsafe and uncomfortable on the capital’s roads and by accident statistics which show that 75% of UK cycling accidents happen at junctions.
They realised that hand signals are simply insufficient on today’s crowded roads, especially while turning at busy junctions where cyclists are frequently not seen by motorists.
They say WingLights offer cyclists extra presence on roads by grabbing the attention of drivers, having visibility from over 10 metres away, thus dramatically reducing the chance of an accident.
Company co-founder Luca says: ” Our aim is to make the world’s roads safer for cyclists. We believe WingLights will reinforce bike presence on our roads and prevent the chance of accidents.”
Cycl is supported by UK Trade and Investment through the Oxygen Accelerator programme at the Google Campus London, and has now launched pre-sales on Kickstarter.
For more information and video of the WingLights in action visit their Kickstarter site.
