Psychologist launches Kickstarter campaign for life-saving bike light

Brainy Bike Light uses the power of symbols to protect cyclists on the road

The red Brainy Bike Light (Crawford Hollingworth)

On busy urban roads, cyclists depend for their safety on drivers' reflexes. The faster a driver can react, the safer the cyclist.

Brainy Bike Light, invented by behavioural psychologist Crawford Hollingworth, improves safety by cutting the time it takes drivers to see and comprehend the presence of cyclists. Tests show the brain recognises symbols more efficiently than objects. A brightly lit bike symbol can trigger the relevant associations – vulnerability, the recognition of the cyclist as a person – in a fraction of time it takes a driver's brain to process light, wheels, bike, human.

Hollingworth's interest in the field was driven in part by his own “terrifying” experiences of cycling in London. Most urban cycling accidents are caused by cars or taxis hitting cyclists from behind – 25 per cent of cyclist fatalities happen this way. Figures show that in the UK 19,000 cyclists are injured each year in reported road accidents, including 3,000 seriously injured or killed. These figures don’t include the countless unreported near misses.

Brainy Bike Light's triangular design efficiently communicates the need for drivers to exercise caution

The first Brainy Bike Light, launched in 2014, was mounted on a plastic square that attached to the bike frame. Now it's triangular, the triangle being a recognisable warning shape to which drivers instinctively respond. The new version can be clipped to clothing, helmets and bags.

Today, on day one of the Cycle Show at Birmingham’s NEC, Hollingworth launches his first Kickstarter campaign in support of the project. It seeks to raise £15,000 to finance a small run of both red and white versions of the triangular light. The campaign will run from 22 September until 30 October.

Hollingworth says: “We loved the response we got to the original Brainy Bike Lights but quickly saw a need for a smaller, rechargeable version. A more versatile light that could fix to helmets and backpacks as well as all bikes - including folding ones.”

Professor Charles Spence at the Experimental Psychology Lab at the University of Oxford said of the lights, “This bike symbol light could make a major contribution to cyclist road safety.“

To invest, visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1253292021/triangular-symbol-bike-lights-that-make-you-stand