In the US, roughly800 bicyclists are killed in collisionswith motor vehicles every year. Sharing the road with fast-moving hunks of metal on wheels is an often daunting and dangerous task for people who commute with a bike. A number of factors attribute to the risk bicyclists face on the road, but some major ones are lack of bike lanes, distracted drivers, and both riders and drivers being under the influence of alcohol. In order to address these issues, many organizations and companies have launched campaigns aimed at sharing the road between cars and bikes. In recent years weve seen car companies vastly improve thesafety features of their vehicles, but this leaves nothing of value for the bicyclist. Fortunately, the rise of technology has caught up with the biking world, where new gadgets and downloadable content make biking and driving on the roads safer and easier.
GPS Technology for Your Bike
A lot can go wrong when riding your bike on the road. Its not entirely uncommon for bikers to go missing when riding on remote roads, or for hit and run accidents to occur, which usually leave the rider injured and unable to call for help. Today, bicyclists have the option toprotect themselves with GPS technologythat tracks their location, and notifies loved ones when you start your ride and finish it. This life-saving tech can be purchased as a device, or simply through an app on your smartphone.
Camera Technology
Whether youre cycling or driving a car, its important tobe protected legally and financially. Car dashboards and bike helmets can beequipped with camerasthat come in handy when reporting an accident. Not to mention that it provides valuable answers to what went wrong in the moments leading up to the accident, allowing riders and drivers alike to learn from their mistakes (if theyre lucky) and navigate more safely in the future. When paired with a GPS device, authorities can use the evidence to piece together an accurate depiction of how an accident occurred, and who is at fault.
As they years go on and technology continues to improve, so will the safety features of bicycles and cars on the road. And while bikers can do little to change the infrastructure of the road, they can make sure theyre prepared for accidents to happen. Using GPS tracking and camera technology together is the best way current riders/drivers can look after themselves on Americas roads.
Image Credits: GPS Technology fromLightAndShare/Shutterstock