A NEW device designed to protect cyclists has been unveiled by Worcester City Council.
Staff from Worcester Cycle Centre demonstrated the Cyclear system, created by Innovative Safety Systems (ISS), on City Walls Road last Thursday (July 10).
The device will be positioned on the back of refuse and recycling vehicles and lights up with an image of a bike with a strike through it when the driver indicates left.
If a cyclist then attempts to overtake the vehicle in the left hand side, a sensor picks up the movement and alerts the driver.
Gavin Thoday, director of ISS and inventor of the device, said: “For safety technology to be effective it needs to be 100 per cent reliable.
“The Cyclear system is unique in that it eliminates virtually all false alarms by only detecting the progressive movement made by the cyclist, unlike other systems, which can be triggered by stationary objects.”
Coun Andy Roberts, cabinet member for a cleaner and greener city, added: “Worcester City Council takes cyclist safety very seriously.
“The number of cyclists in Worcester is set to increase over the next decade as more people realise the health and cost benefits, as well as the rise in the city’s student population.
“Any new technology which helps to make roads safer for cyclists deserves serious consideration.”
The system is currently being trialled by Transport for London and has been purchased by councils in Southampton, Bournemouth, Guildford and Sutton.
