Concept bike helmet with built-in turn signals.

[dasgeh]

The idea is cool, but the helmet is too race-y. If the helmet were more commuter-y, I’d vote super cool.

Or click the like button.

[PotomacCyclist]

I think many car drivers and other cyclists might be confused when they see half of someone’s head start blinking. Interesting idea but I don’t know if it would work in real life. Maybe. Maybe not.

[Amalitza]

@Tim Kelley 46035 wrote:

Super cool or extra dorky?

You say that as if cool and dorky are different things? :p

Seriously, I would love turn signals for bikes, I really like that concept, but I don’t know that they’ve quite gotten the implementation correct. I agree with PotomacCyclist that it may not be obvious to others on the road what is intended. The arrows are actually pointing forward, and probably only visible from the side, so I’m not sure how helpful that would be, and it looks questionable if the lights would be visible at all from the front? I can see a big problem if a cyclist “turns their blinker on” to turn left and oncoming traffic can’t see it, for example.

Maybe left and right arrows on the handlebars (for front visibility) and behind the seat (for rear) would be better than a helmet? Then you have the problem of them getting in the way of other stuff mounted on the bike…

[acc]

I’d be happy with just lights integrated into helmets. Seems simple enough.

[vvill]

Lights in/on helmets has always been a good idea, but I agree it’d be better if they just made them look more like car indicator lights.

[fuzzy]

Only good for being predictable to the driver/cyclist behind you, which is a good thing.

[jrenaut]

It’s great that people are thinking about this sort of stuff, and I would love to be able to let people behind me know I’m turning (I have little confidence that anyone behind me will understand hand signals), but I’m skeptical of the real world effectiveness.

Turn signals are great, but it gets really dangerous if the cyclist thinks he/she has signaled a turn, and the person behind him/her doesn’t get the message. That’s even worse than not signaling.

[Riley Casey]

Too clever by half. Sticking one’s arm out and pointing with an open hand is a very symbolic gesture on many levels.
” I’m a person on a machine, not a person IN a machine”
” If you run me over it’s not just a fender-bender, this arm is part of what you’ll hit”
” Yes driver, you don’t see people making a turn signal with their hand very often, quaint ain’t it?”

Yes I realize there are plenty of instances where you really need both hands on the grips when turning or even approaching a turn but it’s my firm belief that a hand signal is very literally disarming to all but the most aggressive drivers. It will certainly mean thinking ahead to your turns to make the signal before you arrive at the life and death moment of turning in a busy downtown intersection with buses, SUVs, pedestrians and bad pavement all conspiring to fling you to the asphalt. The world is full of flashing lights competing for drivers attention, less so the extended yellow sleeved arm.

Besides I just thought the dummy head was creepy.

[Author]

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