The City of York in the UK has fitted its buses in the inner city with a bicycle detection system, Cycle Alert, becoming the first city in the world to try and directly cut down injuries and deaths to cyclists by buses, writes Brian Byrne.
The scheme is in conjunction with the University of York, which has made available to its students the bicycle side of the system, a small transponder which alerts the buses to the proximity of a bicycle which may not be visible in the vehicle's blind spots. The system tracks only bicycles within two metres of the bus or truck fitted with Cycle Alert.
The transponder tag can be fitted to the bike, or worn by the cyclist on their jacket or helmet. The tag uses active radio frequency identification (RFID) pulses to broadcast its position, and a sensor and display in the large vehicle cab alerts the operator.
Globally, there is a disproportionate amount of accidents and deaths to cyclists in collision with HGVs.
