Four buses are to be fitted with new pedestrian and cyclist detection software, aimed at improving drivers awareness of pedestrians and cyclists, later this month.
The new safety technology trial, which involves two competing systems – each designed to alert drivers when pedestrians and cyclists are too close to their vehicles – is being run by Transport for London (TfL).
The two systems are CycleEye, from Fusion Processing, and Cycle Safety Shield, by Safety Shield Systems. Buses on routes with known cyclist safety issues have already been selected for the trial.
The former uses radar and optical technology to detect cyclists in close proximity to vehicles, with the system audibly alerting the bus driver to their presence.
Cycle Safety Shield is similar but detects pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, providing a visual and then audible warning to the driver.
Recently published figures for 2013 show the number of cyclists and pedestrians killed or seriously injured in a collision involving a bus or coach in the capital fell by 38% and 22% respectively, compared to 2012.
"This is another great example of London leading the way by using the latest innovative technology to further improve safety for every road user," says Isabel Dedring, deputy mayor for transport.
"We've seen real improvements in reducing the number of accidents on our streets involving buses and, if this trial proves successful, we'll look to roll it out further across London's fleet.'
