Skip to main content

Cyclist safety system alerts HGV drivers

Developed by UK vehicle safety specialists Sentinel Systems, the Bike Hotspot is designed to reduce the number of accidents involving cyclists and commercial vehicles. The system is designed to sense when a cyclist is within the blind spot of a large vehicle and alert both driver and cyclist.
May 11, 2015 Read time: 2 mins

Developed by UK vehicle safety specialists 8094 Sentinel Systems, the Bike Hotspot is designed to reduce the number of accidents involving cyclists and commercial vehicles. The system is designed to sense when a cyclist is within the blind spot of a large vehicle and alert both driver and cyclist.

It comprises four of Sentinel’s safety aids including a front corner system, side scan system, side camera and an external sounder and can be customised to meet the needs of the vehicle and the driver. External scanning sensors are fitted along the nearside and front corner of the vehicle, linked to an internal audio warning to alert the driver when there is a potential hazard. An external alert is also sounded to warn the cyclist or pedestrian that the vehicle is turning left.

The cameras are connected to an internal monitor inside the cab so that the driver is visually aware of any cyclists, while the scanners are programmed to detect cyclists at a particular distance and height to avoid sensing cars or pedestrians that are not at risk. A controller area network bus module has also been incorporated to ensure that the system is only activated when the vehicle is manoeuvring at a speed below 10mph.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Progress of ICT transport research projects
    February 3, 2012
    Juhani Jääskeläinen, head of the ICT for Transport Unit, DG Information Society and Media, European Commission, details the results of Call 4 for research projects in ICT for transport. Since the closure of the call and evaluation process during the summer of last year the European Commission (EC) has been negotiating and signing contracts with projects which were selected from proposals submitted to Call 4 of the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) fo
  • In-vehicle fleet management system reduces losses
    May 4, 2012
    Loomis offers products and services that provide complete cash logistics solutions for financial institutions, retailers and other commercial enterprises. The company is present in twelve European countries and the USA and has just over 20,000 employees. At Loomis safety is considered good business. Presented with the opportunity to reduce both accident frequency and associated primary liability costs, the company equipped the majority of its US armoured truck and van fleet with the Driver Safety Measuremen
  • Automated enforcement tames speeders in Chicago’s Children’s Safety Zones
    November 20, 2013
    Chicago is installing automated enforcement after pilot schemes indicated that one in 10 motorists exceed the speed limits in Children’s Safety Zones. Each year in Chicago there are around 3,000 incidents of pedestrians being struck by a motor vehicle - and about 800 of those casualties are children. In an effort to improve child safety the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) has established Children’s Safety Zones around schools and other areas where children congregate. These zones allow the impos
  • Blind spot detection should be mandatory by 2015, say engineers
    April 19, 2012
    Collision-avoidance technologies which could help eliminate cyclist and pedestrian deaths caused by driver ‘blind-spots’ should be made mandatory for all UK buses and lorries by 2015, according to a new report published by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The ‘Intelligent Transport Intelligent Society’ report also calls for eCall to be integrated into all new road vehicles within the next two years. “The alarming rise in cyclist deaths on British roads needs to be addressed urgently,” says Philippa