As a cyclist, I can relate to the problem being tackled here, but am somewhat bemused that public money is being spent on it.
There are few things more frustrating for cyclists than red lights, especially when riders have built up a good speed only to have to apply the brakes and lose all that momentum. To make things easier Dutch operation Springlab has designed a new system called “Flo”, which is being tested out in the city of Utrecht and has been set up to work alongside the city’s cycling lanes.
It works by using speed cameras placed 100 metres before each set of traffic lights, and calculates whether or not the cyclist should change speed to hit the green light. It uses animal pictures to inform a cyclist if they should change speed, so a rabbit means speed up, a turtle means slow down, a cow means cyclists are hitting the red light no matter what, and a simple thumbs up indicates the cyclist is doing the right speed.
I can’t see this coming to a UK road anytime soon but it is evidence of the growth in popularity of cycling and how seriously it’s being taken. There’s little doubt that there’s serious money to be made for anyone who can come up with products or services to make cycling more fun, less hassle, or safer.