If you are a frequent cyclist, chances are you have had a close encounter with a car that was riding a little bit too close to the bike lane. But now a new bike sonar has been developed that is helping cops catch these rude and unsafe drivers.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), as of June 24, there are 25 states that have safe-passing laws to make sure that vehicles share the road with cyclists, giving them 3 feet of space to prevent sideswiping accidents.
Florida, one of the states that enforces the 3-foot law, gave out about 500 tickets last year to drivers who failed to share the road. While these laws are enforced, it's close to impossible for police to know the exact distance between cars and bikes to hand out a ticket or win the case once the ticket is written.
After seeing that police were struggling with enforcing the law in Austin, Texas, engineers at the firm Codaxus decided to create a bicycle-mounted electronic system that could detect the proximity of passing vehicles.
"If you have a thousand cars drive by you a yard away, and one car drive by at two feet, the only thing you go home and talk about is that one person who nudged you," Codaxus co-founder Christopher Stanton says. "So we wanted to have that actual statistic about the real driver behavior profile."
The Physics Package C3FT ("see three feet") uses an ultrasonic detector that attaches to the bike handlebar and provides the distance of vehicles from the bike. The measurements display on a high-brightness numeric display that is designed to be able to read in direct sunlight. The C3FT is also equipped with a 3- and 6-foot warning buzzer and LED indicators that alert the cyclists when a vehicle is riding too close.
The bike sonar device also has an optional video camera to record traffic activity, which could inform city planners that a bike lane is needed or when roads need safety changes.
The C3FT bike sonar is currently being testing by the Chattanooga Police Department in Tennessee as part of its partnership with Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga BSMART program to enforce safe-passing laws.
Officer Robert Simmons, chief of police with Chattanooga Police Department, is currently using the device to keep cyclists safe. With another officer following in a car, Simmons (in plain clothes) calls out if he gets sideswiped or when driver's rudely ride too close for comfort.
While most drivers aren't aware of the law, those who are issued tickets are directed to take a Bicycling 101 course that has the driver experience just how dangerous it could be to cycle around the city.
Local police near Tampa, Fla., are also testing out the C3FT, with Stanton revealing that multiple municipalities across the U.S. are inquiring about the device.
The device was loaned to police after being purchased by Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga for $1,400.
Via: Fast Coexist
Photo: Chattanooga, Tenn., Police Department | Codaxus, LLC
