A Tense Relationship on the Roads
The relationship between drivers and cyclists is tense at best, and at worst, well... suffice it to say that fistfights and accidents are not uncommon. Ideally, there would be a way for cars and bicycles to share the same streets safely, and Volvo believes it has a practical solution with its smart helmet concept, which uploads the location of cyclists and drivers to the cloud, with the aim of protecting both.
Some cities have adapted very well to bicycle use, while others are still swimming in that chaotic sea that pits cyclists and drivers against each other like Montagues and Capulets. On one hand, cyclists argue that cars are polluting, inefficient, and noisy, while drivers accuse cyclists of impeding the flow of traffic, completely ignoring traffic lights and signs, and risking their lives with strange maneuvers. Unfortunately, we face a real dilemma, because both sides have a point. On one hand, it is absurd to see huge cars occupied by a single person in a collapsed city, and on the other, the cyclist who ignores traffic lights is no myth.
How the Smart Helmet Works
There are times when everything ends very badly, and in a direct collision, the cyclist comes off worst. In an attempt to avoid that, Volvo has presented a smart helmet concept that connects to the cloud with the help of a smartphone. Basically, the goal is that both cyclists and drivers upload their location to the system, and from there, Volvo warns both when they are about to cross paths. The cyclist receives an alert with vibration and lights on the helmet, and the driver sees the proximity warning on the windshield. This concept has been developed in collaboration with the Swedish company POC, and with the people at Ericsson, now completely removed from mobile phones.
The Alarming Numbers Behind the Concept
The figures accompanying the smart helmet concept are chilling. 55 percent of all fatal cyclist accidents in the European Union occur in urban areas. Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland reported in 2012 that 85 percent of cyclist deaths were caused by accidents at street crossings, and the United Kingdom indicates that serious injuries among cyclists increased by 31 percent between 2009 and 2013. In other words, there are more cyclists on the streets, but this will inevitably lead to a greater number of accidents, unless systems like Volvo's become a reality. The concept and its creators will make an appearance at the next CES.
