[m0nty]

So you're telling potentially distracted drivers that hey, it's OK to be distracted, the AI will take care of that for you? Like with Tesla's auto-pilot, it doesn't matter what the product manual says - too many drivers will interpret it to mean you can pay less attention and the computer will take up the slack for you.

[Luxonis-Brandon]

Luxonis-Brandon here. So the distracted driver actually wouldn't be aware that the person riding the bike has this installed... unless the driver is paying super-close attention, in which case the device is not needed.

So unlink the Tesla example, where the driver knows his vehicle has this safety feature... the driver does not know the biker has this feature.

Thoughts?

[m0nty]

Sorry I missed your reply.

My experience of cycling in the UK is many cyclists already go to great lengths to make themselves visible, and it makes no difference at all to close passing, etc. Hi-viz clothing, bright strobing lights - drivers act like you're not there.

It also makes drivers lazy - having nearly been knocked off my bike, the driver stopped and berated me for not wearing hi-viz, despite the bright lights I was using. Not impossible, therefore, that I also get berated for not using your device to warn me about drivers. There have been attempts to do this in the UK already with apps which notify drivers of cycists, with the app maker saying it would be the cyclists' fault if they were in an accident and weren't themselves using the app. (This was repudiated by the Advertising Standards Authority, but still.) This is similar to the all-too-frequent reporting about "A cyclist was crushed to death by a truck. Police said the victim was not wearing a helmet." Even the helmet manufacturers don't say it will stop a 20-ton vehicle from killing you :(

As Chris Boardman says about the helmet debate, it's the wrong emphasis. The issue is safety on our roads and drivers being careful around cyclists. Also, cyclists being predictable and riding safely. An electronic device will make little difference without that, and I feel it could make things worse.

Also, I find a mirror on the handlebars, a life-saver check when turning, and listening for engine noise to be pretty good at alerting me to drivers. Not sure electronics would improve this.