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Video: Airbag helmet firm launches safety app for London cyclists

'Give a Beep' digital button logs dangerous areas and emails city's mayor; initiative backed by LCC...

Hövding, the Sweden-based company that makes airbag cycle helmets, has developed an app for London cyclists that enables bike riders to log unsafe locations for cycling and automatically sends an email to mayor Sadiq Khan.

Pressing a button that connects to the handlebars or the rider’s clothing sends information via Bluetooth to an app called Flic on their phone, which then marks the location on a map as well as emailing City Hall.

Give a Beep (source Hovding).jpg

The campaign, called Give a Beep, is aimed not only at collating information about locations where cyclists feel particularly unsafe, but also at encouraging the mayor to keep to his pledge to “Make London a byword for cycling.”

Hövding’s marketing director, Anna Katarina Skogh , said: "London is a world metropolis and has every possibility to be a safe cycle-city. More people should be able to cycle and feel safe while doing so, but today’s infrastructure doesn’t allow it.

“Therefore, would we like to highlight the issue and push forward the campaign for safer cycling, letting cyclists themselves to report about the places that need improving.

“It’s important for us to contribute to a safe cycle-environment – with the perspective of the cyclists as a focus."

Initially, 500 buttons have been distributed to members of London Cycling Campaign (LCC).

Amy Summers, campaign co-ordinator at LCC, said: "By committing to the London Cycling Campaign’s Sign for Cycling pledges, the new Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has promised to make cycling in London safe and enjoyable for everyone.

“The 500 Londoners giving him a beep will hopefully remind him to get on with fulfilling those pledges, as a matter of urgency.”

A map on the Give a Beep website enables you to see where cyclists are pressing those buttons when they experience fear of frustration as they ride around the city.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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5 comments

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txortena | 8 years ago
2 likes

Could some investigative journalist one day maybe have a look at the funding of this company? I suspect the car mafia is behind it, because the main message of this company seems to be "cycling is dangerous".

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burtthebike | 8 years ago
0 likes

Well, the app is going to be several million times more useful than the Hovding.  Do they still have warehouses full of the things that they just can't shift?

Avatar
Ush | 8 years ago
1 like

Clever of Hovding to have the featured child wearing an improperly fitted helmet.

Avatar
LegalFun | 8 years ago
0 likes

I wonder whether the influx of emails will get noticed, or will they flag them as junk mail and ignore them?

I can see what they are trying to do, but perhaps they should have looked at what they would do if there was a similar system set up to e-mail them?

Avatar
RMurphy195 replied to LegalFun | 8 years ago
0 likes

LegalFun wrote:

I wonder whether the influx of emails will get noticed, or will they flag them as junk mail and ignore them?

I can see what they are trying to do, but perhaps they should have looked at what they would do if there was a similar system set up to e-mail them?

I suspect a bit of automatedprocessingofthe data would be done

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