An experiment in Birmingham, England, has revealed the most dangerous places in the city for cyclists. Over several months, riders equipped with smart bike lights were able to collect enough data to determine the areas where the risk of collision is greatest.

Funded by the UK’s Department for Transport, the “Cycle Smart Brum” study was conducted by the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) over a six-month period. During this time, 200 cyclists rode nearly 42,000 kilometers, collecting a phenomenal amount of data.

Their bikes were all equipped with connected lights from the See.Sense company. These were able to collect valuable data on accidents, near misses, sudden acceleration and deceleration, swerving, etc. Other data was also taken into account, such as road conditions, average speeds and dwell times.

Rather than accident data, the most helpful data collected was information relating to emergency braking or sudden swerving. These kinds of situations are, by definition, never reported to the authorities because they do not result in an accident. However, such data has made it possible to identify new, relatively dangerous locations.

All of these results were shared with Birmingham City Council and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) to identify potential accident black spots. The idea is to help the city prioritise its safety interventions in the future.

Based on the study’s success, a similar experiment is now expected to take place in Coventry, not far from Birmingham.

 - AFP Relaxnews