Tech company See.Sense want to help improve cycling safety as lockdown is eased
A new app feature lets you report dangerous areas, so councils can take swift action
Cycling tech company See.Sense has launched a new way to report dangerous roads, in the hopes of improving safety beyond the coronavirus lockdown.
The brand, which designs reactive bike lights, has added a feature to its app that allows you to easily report safety issues.
See.Sense will then report the hot-spots to local councils, as authorities look to swiftly improve road safety to get more people on bikes.
CEO of the brand, Philip McAleese, said: “This is an unprecedented opportunity for cycling in the UK. The Covid-19 crisis has been a terrible disaster that has caused an immeasurable amount of suffering, which has touched all of our hearts.
“What it has also highlighted is how little space we have for people in our towns and cities, with only small paths and narrow lanes allocated for cycling and walking, which has made it almost impossible to safely social distance in places.”
The government has taken significant measures in the hopes of getting more people on bikes as the coronavirus lockdown is gradually eased.
With more people returning to work, there is a risk cities and towns become gridlocked as commuters are urged to avoid public transport to minimise the spread of the virus.
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This has sparked the government and local councils to act rapidly, introducing pop-up cycle lanes and offering incentives for cyclists like the new bike voucher scheme.
See.Sense now wants cyclists to upload data and offer suggestions via its app, including highlighting potholes, closes passes, collisions and obstructions.
The feature is available to all cyclists, not just See.Sense users.
A new feature is also set to be introduced soon to address social distancing, with crowdsourced data to be shared on the See.Sense website.
McAleese said: “We are delighted that the government has made the decision that they have to improve walking and cycling facilities and by making the #SeeSenseReport data available, we are working to help to empower cyclists to influence change that will help to make cycling safer.’”
The See.Sense app is available in the Apple Store and Google Play.
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See.Sense, based in Northern Ireland, are well-versed in using cycling data to improve rider experience – their range of smart products monitor the cyclist’s experience up to 800 times per second, collecting insights on road surface and car driver behaviour.
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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