Over 19,000 cyclists are in involved in accidents every year in the UK. Many of the collisions are caused by bad visibility. Car manufacturer Volvo comes up with a bright idea.
Mobility is an important theme when it comes to making cities pleasant places to live. And cities everywhere struggle to move people around efficiently and safely. Air pollution from traffic is a major problem. Cycling is a healthy, environmentally alternative, as everybody knows, but in many cities it remains a high-risk mode of transport. The dangers of cycling increase as darkness descends. Lights on bikes often involve a lot of fuss. Those that come mounted on bikes rarely survive for long, while detachable lights are bound to get mislaid sooner or later, usually when you most need them.
In collaboration with creative agency Grey London, Volvo has developed and launched Life Paint, a reflective spray for your bike, clothes, helmet, rucksack, dog leash, shoes, pram, wheelchair or anything else. The spray is invisible in daylight and lights up when light shines on it in the dark. The spray can be washed off every surface and lasts about a week. In the video, Volvo demonstrates the effect on the busy streets of London. It’s a simple idea that could have a big impact, and great that an automobile company is behind such an initiative.
As Volvo states: The best way to survive a crash, is not to crash!