Our mission is to make road use safer for all and most importantly educate the driving, cycling, walking public towards a goal of Mutual Respect between all road users.
Raising the actual and moreover the perceived level of safety for cyclists is our starting point.
Cycle Alert’s inception occurred after Founder, Robert Cooper heard a radio interview with a HGV driver, following a collision with a cyclist that resulted in his death. He spoke to Co-Founder, Peter Le Masurier and it struck us that not one but two families are left broken in the aftermath of a cycling tragedy: that of the cyclist and the driver whose trauma at hitting a cyclist is devastating and irreparable. We thought there must surely be technology issued on large vehicles to be able to detect cyclists. Further investigation only served to highlight the disproportionate correlation between heavy goods vehicles on the roads and the number of accidents they were involved in.
We set about researching for an answer, but it didn’t exist: our findings showed that there was nothing on the market that was designed and built to detect cyclists and certainly nothing cyclist–specific. Compelled to combat the issue of road safety and inspired to develop a technology that could assist in reducing the morbid statistics, they began laying the foundations of what would become Cycle Alert. We felt that our knowledge of technology as well as an understanding of the challenges HGV drivers face when sharing the road with cyclists gave us the perfect credentials to create a cycle detection system. With Cycle Alert we aim to make cyclists more visible on the roads and help to reduce serious injury and fatalities.
Cycle Alert started in a garage car park off the Old Kent Road for trials around the infamous Elephant and Castle Roundabout. The first cycle sensor was a large blue box strapped to the front of a selection of bikes with cable ties. The vehicle sensors were a similar box (but black) magnetised and gaffer taped to the vehicle. The Cab unit was a huge screen with a large dongle-like receiver sticking out of the top. This was all to prove it worked. He cycled around the Elephant and Castle, along with technology expert Steve Braithwaite for what seemed like all day and almost got knocked off by a bus. Together, they proved the concept worked! They then started making the product look pretty and the electronics smaller and cleverer and that is what you see today.
Armed with a product that has the ability to drastically reduce the number of cycle and lorry related fatalities and serious injuries on the road, Peter Le Masurier’s vision for Cycle Alert is to combat the risks of using UK roads and to educate all road users on how to practice safe transit.
The motivation for Cycle Alert has been propelled over the course of the year, as Peter has become engaged with more and more people who champion the need for additional safety resources and better education. Coming into contact with those directly affected by cycle tragedies, with those who have not allowed their loved ones to die in vain and have used such tragedies to push existing campaigns forward and create new ones have further given Cycle Alert the impetus to succeed. At this point, Peter would like to make special mention to Cynthia Barlow from Roadpeace, whose personal story, whose determined courage and SeeMeSaveMe campaign has been a source of inspiration for both him and his staff.
