London cabbie invents cyclist indicators after too many 'near misses'

There's loads of systems available already- bar ends, seat post mounted, pannier rack mounted, back packs, gloves, I'm sure I've seen a jacket advertised or kickstartered, bracelets, helmets, you name it. Has he done no market research before developing his product?

A lot of them are quite cheap.

Weirdly, I've almost never seen them "in the wild". I did have a set of those Tacx bar end ones but they died pretty quickly and they were a fiddle to use (have to press a button down on the very end of your drops...). Wasn't convinced they were that visible from behind with a lump my size on the bike.

As interesting as it appears, I don't think that it will make much of a difference in terms of safety for cyclists.

No matter how much Hi-Vis clothing or how many lights a cyclist wears it will not change the attitudes of the car drivers who have an innate dislike for cyclists.  These drivers would simply disregard the flashing orange lights with a "look at that bloody cyclist" and carry on doing what they do just now.

Until there is a shift in the attitudes of road users in general then these are just the equivalent of christmas decorations..... pretty to look at but serve no real purpose.

Edit - These flashing lights will also give some cyclists the illusion that they have signalled and as such have been seen and that the drivers are paying attention, which might lead to more accidents due to complacency.

@hsiaolc That product already exists although it it is not 100% satisfactory yet - I would say about 80%. The TACX light in teh link.

https://www.tacx.com/en/products/sensors/lumos-bike-lightning

I have had this for the last two years, get loads of positive comments from drivers and it does make you feel safer. It runs on AAA batteries which is a nuiscance, would be better if rechargeable.

It has a blinking yellow indicator, front and rear facing lights. The indicator could be a bit brighter. but the main gripe is the fitting, once in the bars, it's impossible to remove, the plastic is too fragile so snaps the threads somewhere inside the bars . One of them is still inside my bars after many attempts to remove it so not able to insert another and also not tranferable between bikes easily.

I have thought about this just the other day. 

Indicators would be nice but not in this format. 

I was on the drops last week and I needed to turn but I had to get up and hand signal the turn. Then I thoguht to myself that there should be some kind of indicator where I can still be on the drops but signal at the same time with a press of a button without lifting my hand at all.  Lifting hand not only let you lose balance but I alwasy don't feel too safe with one hand on the handlebar while the other is out signalling especially mute at night when no one can see you. 

This design doesn't really solve any of the problems with regards to indicating.  

I want something on the bike or back pack behind me  or on the bike either handle bar ends or seapostthat can flass light with a press of a botton(s) on the handlebar (wireless operation obviously) and that I will then be interested in. 

To wear something on the wrist is really not an option for me. 

Oh the irony...
Perhaps spend those hours waiting for fares educating your fellow cabbies on the highway code.

"Sorry I'm late for work, I couldn't find my wrist indicators".

And when did you last see a motor vehicle using its indicators before moving round a parked car?

The thinking behind this is utterly knackered.

I always thougth if you got paid for it then you were a professional, not paid, then amateur.  That seems the way it's used in sports.  Qualification, then a qualified professional.

The people who are the government are professional politicians, doesn't mean they can't be properly incompetent.

I have considered indicators over the years, the on board systems were always a bit weak.  They would have interfered with my in place light set up, and their integrated lights were awful.  The indicators were not far enough apart to be much use, especially on the rear, the brackets would of died too quickly and and they may not have been strictly legal if a crash would have occured.  Had seen a glove long ago and they indicated by pressing the thumb down, but I'm a bit picky about gloves, then they sold just the indicator bit, but of course by the time I wanted it they had stopped selling them.  Went for a wrist mounted LED that activated when I lifted my arm up, just the one, for the right, what I think is the more important one.  More trouble than it was worth, not a great light, lasted a few months, never replaced the batteries.  About as irritating as the Tireflys, but they were more fun, I don't know if drivers noticed them but drunk people loved them.

I use Ronhill slapbands, pink for the right, yellow for the left, or orange if I have one, to contast the yollow jacket.  You never know, might help.

His product might be interesting, not particularly a new idea, would have to be much, much better than anything that had come before.

Little thing about his story though: 

“He put his arm up but because it was dark and he was wearing dark clothes I didn’t see his arm go up."

If he didn't see his arm go up, how did he know his arm went up?

It's similar to all those people who manage to see all the multitudes of "invisible" cyclists.

I like the idea but there's a major flaw in the solution, no one indicates anymore, everyday I ride through the centre of London and pretty much no drivers indicate and very often those that do either do it as they're turning or turn the total opposite way.

“He put his arm up but because it was dark and he was wearing dark clothes I didn’t see his arm go up."

this is why I bought a pair of reflective gloves.

http://www.vanillabikes.com/products/chiba-pro-safety-reflector-glove

as an added benefit, helps them seeing whether you rate their driving as 1 or 2 out of 10

missed this earlier

“Because it was dark the cyclist in front of me had lights on the bike and did everything he should have done when he wanted to manoeuvre around a parked vehicle."

shouldn;t need to indicate as self evident that the cyclkist (like the taxi driver) is not going to go straight into the back of the partked vehicle, so obviously he will move laterally within his lane to go round the parked car (WTF was it parked on the mall anyway?).  UNLESS the maneouvre requires moving from lane 1 to lane 2. 

The lady said 'tur' instead of 'to.' I'm out

"Didn't see them (signal) because they were wearing dark clothing" Well put your headlights on instead of your sidelights and stop victim blaming

False sense of security and confusing other road users are two of my main concerns.

You shouldn't indicate to move out past a parked vehicle.
It's misleading and can cause confusion. I followed a car [in my car] who did such a dumb thing for several miles. Then he indicated as the muppet approached yet another parked car and slammed his brake on as he was now in fact turning right. Just as well I keep my distance from the cars, if I'd ben driving as close as too many people do I'd hae gone into the back of him.

The cab driver may have an interesting idea for actual turns, but if he was taken unaware by a cyclist overtaking parked cars, maybe he shouldn't be driving a couple of tonnes of metal.

Also of note I teach bikeability - road position and control of bike has more priority than signaling with one hand off the bars. How many drivers would ever indicate if doing so disabled front or rear brake and also made steering less able?

Why didn't a professional driver leave sufficient time/space to respond to a sudden change in direction by the cyclist?

Why didn't a professional driver anticipate a cyclist pulling out to go around a parked vehicle?

I actually think this guy is onto something.

I've noticed recently that as bike lights have got brighter and brighter I often struggle to see the actual cyclist behind them.

This obviously makes any signalling from the cyclist redundant, any technology that makes it easier to see signals would help.

"For the first time ever, I'll be able to indicate proply (sic) with a light that drivers are used to and expect!"

Now therein lies the reason I suspect many cyclists (maybe it's just me...) will/may not back this campaign...an expectation that we should conform to the 'drivers point of view'...and it looks a tad bulky to have a pair of these attached to your wrists for any lengthy period.

Although I welcome anyone's desire (even black hackney drivers) to design/produce whatever gizmo they feel may aid to cycling safety...

However, I use my hands/arms/head to 'indicate properly' and I'd expect drivers to know what these indications mean and for them to give me the sufficient time and space to manoeuvre as indicated...or is that me just being pedantic?

We'll be getting pulled over by the fuzz next, for not having the flashers blinking at the correct rate...or done for a busted turn signal....