“See Mi” Helps Cyclists Stay Safe

In a measure to protect their cyclists, the Danish city of Grenå is funding a large-scale project called “See Mi” that will make navigating the city’s busiest streets easier for both cyclists and drivers.  The initiative will see the installation of battery-powered RFIDs in the steering columns of 300 bikes as well as receivers at seven of the city’s most dangerous intersections. The RFID from the resident’s bicycle will send a signal to the traffic light when approaching the intersection; in turn, the traffic signal will automatically flash a ‘cyclist’ sign to warn drivers that they should keep an eye out for cyclists before making a right turn.

In a similar effort, the Copenhagen city government will be is installing light diodes and sensors at busy intersections to notify drivers of bikers riding nearby. When a cyclist passes the sensors, the diodes will blink next to and ahead of drivers – a simple system that could save lives and state money (a serious accident or cyclist death costs the country as much as US$300,000).

[via TreeHugger]