Bicycle-to-car communication app helps avoid collisions

TheBikeShieldApp offers alerts to both cyclists and drivers when either comes too close or appears in a blind spot.

There's a tension between cyclists and motorists when it comes to sharing the road. Bikers consider careless drivers to be the reason for the majority of collisions that occur — and they may be right — while car owners believe cyclists don't respect the rules of the road. We've already seen products such as Fly6 — the bike light that doubles a camera to encourage drivers to check their behavior. Now TheBikeShieldApp wants to help both parties to work together, offering alerts alerts to both when either comes too close or appears in a blind spot.

The app can be used by both bicyclists, motorcyclists and drivers. When activated, it enables users' smartphones to detect the presence of other commuters with the app. By placing their device in their line of sight, drivers can receive alerts around 5 to 10 seconds before a cyclist approaches. This enables them to check the position of the cyclist before they attempt a maneuver such as lane switching or pulling out at an intersection.

Watch the teaser trailer below to learn more about the idea behind the app:

TheBikeShieldApp could save lives by making the excuse of 'I didn't see them coming' a thing of the past, but it may require a high user base in order to become truly effective. It's currently available for free on Google Play, with an iOS app in the works. How else can cars and bikes use technology to talk to each other on the road?