Bicycle and scooter riding is a fantastic way to reduce your carbon footprint and explore your city without using cars. However, even with the increase in separated (protected) bike lanes, riders always remain exposed where any bike lane crosses driveways and intersections.
In 2023 Monash University’s Sustainable Mobility and Safety Research group found 78% of Australians are interested in riding a bike, but they’re holding back because they believe there are barriers to them doing so. An earlier 2018 study by the same research group found that 99% of all bike lanes on Melbourne roads remain unprotected. Women with children described wanting to make trips by bike in their local areas, but had concerns about “missing links” between bike paths, leaving them vulnerable to motor vehicle traffic.
Slip and skid-resistant green surface treatments, such as those made from Australian 1-3mm crushed recycled glass by OmniGrip Direct, are essential where drivers and riders cross paths. But sometimes drivers are complacent, or looking for other cars and trams, and fail to see approaching bicycle and scooter riders using the green lanes.
This is where innovative technologies like Vivacity’s Smart Stud Lights come in. These in-ground LED pavement markers are no ordinary lights. Connected to sensors like induction loops, they become bicycle and scooter rider’s silent guardians when installed across gaps in separated bike lanes.
Here’s how Vivacity Smart Stud Lights work:
- Riders Detected: riders are detected passing over the sensors in the bike lane, located in advance of the driveway or intersection.
- Lights and Signs Activated: the lights along the lane flash, creating a bright and noticeable warning for approaching drivers. Connected LED warning signs, such as “Watch for Riders” also flash. The lights are visible day and night.
- Reduced Risk to Riders: Drivers turning into the driveway, side road or at the intersections received enhanced warnings and there’s less likely to be a crash.
Placing bicycle and scooter activated Vivacity Smart Stud Lights across the gaps in separate bicycle lanes bridges the gap in visibility at critical points where vehicles and riders meet. Vivacity Smart Stud Lights can significantly improve cyclist safety.
The benefits of Vivacity Smart Stud Lights:
- Improved Safety for Riders: Increased driver awareness leading to fewer crashes and injuries.
- Encouragement for New Riders: Enhanced safety makes riding less risky and more appealing for people who might otherwise be hesitant because of their concerns about safety.
With six installations on arterial and local roads in inner-Melbourne, Vivacity Smart Stud Lights are actively improving safety and reducing risks for riders at what were high-risk locations.
Making Our Streets Safer, One Light at a Time
For more information, visit the Vivacity website or Contact Us.