Brigade backs ‘Bike Smart’ message

Protecting cyclists and motorcyclists continues to be a leading concern for anyone involved in road safety. The statistics make grim reading: in the UK alone, more than 100 riders are injured every day in crashes; motorcyclists comprise the largest proportion (25%) of road crash admissions to trauma centres; and you are 15 times more likely to be killed on Britain’s roads if you ride a bicycle than if you drive a car.

November 19^th – 25^th is Road Safety Week in the UK, and the theme of this year’s awareness campaign is ‘Bike Smart’. Safety for people on two wheels is a subject that’s close to our hearts here at Brigade Electronics. Our company was founded with the intention of protecting vulnerable road users in the vicinity of larger vehicles such as HGVs, waste trucks, buses and delivery vans. More than three decades ago, we recognised the potential of technology to prevent road accidents and save lives, and this has been our driving mission ever since.

When commercial vehicles are equipped with safety devices such as camera monitors, the danger of cyclists being hidden in a driver’s blind spot – a leading cause of accidents – can be eliminated.

Road Safety Week, organised by the charity Brake, is campaigning for:

• Policy-makers to implement a safe systems approach, mandating life-saving technology and prioritising cycle-friendly infrastructure
• Drivers to be Bike Smart by looking out for those on two wheels, driving safely and slowly, and giving bike riders plenty of space
• Cyclists and motorcyclists to be Bike Smart through safe riding behaviours and appropriate training and equipment

Banish blind spots in commercial vehicles

In collisions with HGVs between 2009 and 2014, 61% of cyclist and 49% of pedestrian fatalities were potentially influenced by vehicle blind spots.

Even the most careful and well-trained commercial driver can fall victim to a blind spot at the side or back of their vehicle, because a cyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian could move into the blind spot while they are checking an opposite side mirror. The result could be anything from a close call to a fatal accident, with all the terrible devastation this causes.

Clearly there is an urgent need to address this issue, and with the advance of new technology, solutions are now available.

Brigade’s Backeye®360 is an intelligent camera monitor system which enables a complete surround view of live images taken from four wide angle cameras mounted high on the vehicle – a ‘bird’s-eye view’ that leaves nothing to chance. The latest generation of this ground-breaking product includes many new features such as:

• Front/Rear Focus – provides a close up of the front/rear of the vehicle, which is ideal for parking and slow manoeuvres
• Left Hand and Right Hand Lane Change – 360^o image shifts to the left/right when triggered to give the driver added focus on the right or left hand lanes
• Viewable onscreen area increased by 22%

For a sample view of a Backeye®360 monitor, check out Brigade’s YouTube channel. And if you’d like any more information on our products and how they can help create safer roads for cyclists, don’t hesitate to get in touch.