The "SofAlert" system, which alerts cyclists and truck drivers via an audible warning of a risk of blind spots, will be tested over the next four weeks in Brussels.
The launch, initially planned for before the summer but postponed due to production delays, happened on Tuesday.
The device is installed on the handlebars of the bicycle and uses a sound and distance sensor to detects vehicles less than one and a half metres away. The alarm beeps when this limit is exceeded. A device for trucks is also in the development phase.
About 100 cyclists registered with the developer to participate in the pilot project.
"With the right technology and innovation, both a sense of safety and road safety can be enhanced. Together with the Brussels government, we obviously support these kinds of initiatives," said Brussels Minister for Mobility and Road Safety, Elke Van den Brandt.
SofAlert was developed over two years and is now being tested for the first time on a large scale in Brussels traffic. If the four weeks of tests go well and new investors are found, the project could officially be launched on the market in September 2020.
The Brussels Times
