This Bike Sonar Catches Drivers Who Drive Too Closely To Cyclists

In Ottawa–which is using the device on its police bikes–the information could also be helpful for deciding when and how to redesign roads to make them safer for cyclists.

“In 28 states, it’s illegal to drive past someone on a bike without giving them at least three feet of space. Many drivers don’t know the laws exist. And it doesn’t matter, because the laws are rarely enforced–and hard to prove unless a cyclist is actually hit by a car (and sometimes not even then, if a driver can claim that it was the bike that swerved).

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Read the full article here: https://www.fastcompany.com/3062184/this-bike-sonar-catches-drivers-who-drive-too-closely-to-cyclists

Through education and enforcement, this is the story of how one police officer significantly improved the safety of bicyclists on roadways.

Lessons from the 2016 Mississippi Bike Walk Summit: Part 2

“Officer Rob Simmons of the Chattanooga Police Department (“CPD”) is not your average policeman. For nearly a decade, he’s been patrolling by bicycle. One recent bicyclist’s death motivated Rob to become perhaps the most effective bicycle policeman ever known — pushing for reform and new safety technology that’s being adopted nationwide. After he accepted Bike Walk Mississippi’s invitation to speak at the Mississippi Get to B Bike Walk Summit, Simmons recounted his journey to a statewide audience at the Summit in Biloxi this past August.

 

Read the full article here: http://www.changelanestopass.com/lessonsfromtn

A new device could help bikers catch cars that drive too close to them

“Drivers who ride a little too close to cyclists on the road could soon be caught red-handed. A new technology adopted by law enforcement in Ottawa could help enforce legal distance between bikers and cars on the road.

The device, which is mounted on a bicycle’s handlebars like a bike bell, uses sonar technology to measure the distance between the bike and passing cars. The device will beep if the car is within one meter of the bike, the legal limit in the city of Ottawa, allowing the police rider to radio ahead to his colleagues so that the driver can be pulled over. “The safety of all road users is paramount and that includes cyclists. These cycling changes are directed at encouraging cycling, promoting road safety, and sharing the road,” said Rob Wilkinson, coordinator of the Safer Roads Ottawa Program.

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Read the full article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/06/24/a-new-device-could-help-bikers-catch-cars-that-drive-too-close-to-them/

New tech catches drivers not sharing the road

“How close is too close when passing a cyclist?

Ottawa police officers are using new technology to crack-down on drivers who aren’t sharing the road.

As of January, a new Ontario law means drivers cannot come within one-metre of a cyclist when passing. If you get too close, you could get slapped with a 110-dollar fine and three-demerit points.

Right now this is really an education campaign, a chance for police to warn drivers of the new rules. Police say it’s obvious something needs to be done because 1-2 cyclists are struck by vehicles every day in Ottawa’s downtown core.

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Read the full article here: http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/new-tech-catches-drivers-not-sharing-the-road-1.2955860

The device that measures cyclist passing distances

“It’s a device that measures one of the most contentious distances in Australian road safety – the amount of space between a bicycle and an overtaking car.

Called the C3FT, it has an ultrasonic sensor mounted on the bicycle’s handlebars to calculate how near the vehicle came to the bike.

Use of the device was pioneered a year ago by police in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a city that has a three-foot buffer law when drivers overtake cyclists – similar to the metre and 1.5-metre passing measures now found in half of Australia’s states and territories.

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Read the full article here: http://www.executivestyle.com.au/the-device-that-measures-cyclist-passing-distances-gpehki

Topeka Police Department on the road to enforcing ‘3-foot rule’ regarding bicycles

“Topeka police are gearing up to mount a public education campaign about the “3-foot rule,” which bans motorists from driving within 3 feet of a bicyclist.

The campaign will be accompanied by a grace period in which violators will be warned instead of cited, Police Chief James Brown told more than 50 cyclists who took part in a six-mile “Ride With the Chief” early Tuesday afternoon.

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Read full article here: http://cjonline.com/news-local/2016-05-24/topeka-police-department-road-enforcing-3-foot-rule-regarding-bicycles

Vulnerable User Laws & C3FT device

“Christopher Stanton, one of the inventors of the C3FT ultrasound device, discusses how it can be used to enforce the vulnerable users law and – more importantly – raise awareness of the laws intended to protect cyclists and other non-motorists on our roadways.

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1,5 m: El radar que caza al infractor

“El sistema de radar móvil encargado de cazar a estos infractores se denomina Codaxus C3FT y se compone de un sensor ultrasónico capaz de medir la distancia y una cámara para registrar las infracciones. Por el momento es el dispositivo que usa la Unidad Ciclista de la Policía de Chattanooga (Tennessee, EE.UU.), que una vez montado en sus bicicletas detecta a todo aquel conductor que los rebase e incumpla la normativa.

En España ya se han intentado llevar a cabo medidas de este tipo, en buena parte impulsadas por colectivos ciclistas. De hecho, el 30 de octubre de 2014, la Dirección General de Tráfico llegó a estudiar la posibilidad de crear una nueva unidad de la Guardia Civil. A propuesta de la Asociación de Ciclistas Profesionales, se propuso la creación de  un nuevo cuerpo policial camuflado de ciclista que usara un sensor muy parecido al que actúa en Estados Unidos. La realidad es que desde entonces no se ha vuelto a tener noticias de ello.

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Read the full article (in Spanish) here: https://www.arueda.com/15-m-el-radar-que-caza-al-infractor/

 

Auto-translation of first two paragraphs:

“The mobile radar system in charge of hunting these offenders is called Codaxus C3FT and consists of an ultrasonic sensor capable of measuring the distance  and a camera to record the infractions. At the moment it is the device that uses the Police Cyclist Unit of Chattanooga (Tennessee, USA ), that once mounted on its bikes it detects to all that driver that passes and it breaches the regulation.

In Spain already have tried to carry out measures of this type , to a large extent driven by collective cyclists. In fact, on October 30, 2014, the  General Directorate of Traffic came to study the possibility of creating a new unit of the Civil Guard. At the proposal of the Association of Professional Cyclists , it was proposed the creation of   a new police body camouflaged cyclist who used a sensor very similar to the one that operates in the United States. The reality is that since then there has been no news of it.

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ODAXUS C3FT, EL RADAR DE LA POLICÍA DE TENNESSEE PARA DETECTAR ADELANTAMIENTOS PELIGROSOS A LOS CICLISTAS

‘No respetar el metro y medio de seguridad a la hora de adelantar a los ciclistas en la carretera es uno de los comportamientos más comunes que la mayoría de usuarios de bicicletas suelen presenciar en sus salidas rodadoras. A pesar de que se trata de una grave y peligrosa infracción que puede costar la vida a un ciclista, muchos conductores imprudentes siguen sin respetar esta norma, ya sea por ¿desconocimiento? de la misma o porque, tristemente, a día de hoy resulta muy difícil ‘cazar’ a un conductor realizando un adelantamiento peligroso.

A principios de 2014, el subdirector de normativa de la DGT, Manuel Villalba, se mostró partidario de crear una nueva unidad de tráfico en la que agentes de la Guardia Civil, camuflados de ciclistas, velasen por la seguridad de los usuarios más indefensos de la vía. Esta interesante medida fue propuesta por la ACP (Asociación de Ciclistas Profesionales) a raíz de un estudio sobre adelantamientos a ciclistas realizado por el Centro de Estudios Ponle Freno-AXA de Seguridad Vial; un estudio ‘de campo’ realizado con dispositivos de medición específicos que demostró de forma tajante que uno de cada cinco conductores no respeta la distancia de seguridad en los adelantamientos a ciclistas.

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Read the full article (in Spanish) here: https://www.todomountainbike.net/art/codaxus-c3ft-radar-adelantamientos-peligrosos-ciclistas

 

Auto-translation of first two paragraphs:

“Not respecting the one and a half meters of safety when it comes to overtaking cyclists on the road is one of the most common behaviors that most bicycle users often witness at their wheeling exits. Although it is a serious and dangerous violation that can cost a cyclist life, many reckless drivers still do not respect this rule, either because of ignorance? Of the same or because, sadly, today it is very difficult to ‘hunt’ a driver making a dangerous overtaking.

At the beginning of 2014, DGT’s deputy director of regulations, Manuel Villalba , was in favor of creating a new traffic unit in which Civil Guard agents, camouflaged by cyclists, sailed for the safety of the most defenseless users of the via. This interesting measure was proposed by the ACP (Association of Professional Cyclists) following a study on overtaking to cyclists conducted by the Center for Studies Ponle Brake-AXA Road Safety ; A field study conducted with specific measuring devices that clearly showed that one in five drivers does not respect the safety distance in the overtaking to cyclists.

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The handlebar sonar unit that measures passing distance

Device has been developed to help with the enforcement of passing laws

“BikeBiz reports on a bike-mounted system that can calculate the proximity of passing vehicles. The C3FT device has been developed for the enforcement of safe passing laws by Austin-based engineering firm, Codaxus.

The C3FT uses an ultrasonic detector on an adjustable arm with the measurements immediately displayed on a numeric display. The device can also be set up to buzz when a vehicle passes inside a preset threshold.

The Chattanooga Police Department currently makes use of the system to enforce a 3ft passing law, reasoning that judging distance by eye or from video footage is difficult. Codaxus suggests that it could also be used by researchers and local authorities and there is also scope for it to be used by the public in combination with a helmet cam should a person need to prove that a car passed them dangerously closely.

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Read the full article here: http://road.cc/content/news/163891-handlebar-sonar-unit-measures-passing-distance