The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) aims to prove that wireless technology between cars, cyclists and the road itself can make a real contribution to road safety. Cyclists will become visible to motorists, even if they are outside the latter’s direct line of vision. TNO will register the number of critical situations and the effectiveness of the system’s response in practice.
TNO expects that the system will help prevent many accidents. For a cyclist unexpectedly crossing the road, time may be too short to prevent a collision. But if an intelligent system (In the car, on the bike or by the side of the road) picks up a cyclist’s position, speed and direction and bases a prediction on these variables, the motorist will be able to react seconds earlier. The number of potentially dangerous situations can be reduced, as well as the number of accidents, according to TNO Road Safety expert Olaf Op den Camp.
TNO has high expectations. “This is an important step in the right direction for cyclists, who are among the more vulnerable traffic participants. If the experiment is successful, Holland will also have a good export product”.