The Lumos bicycle helmet could be the most innovative and effective product designed to increase road safety for cyclists. The helmet has a built-in set of LED lights that act as both automatic brake lights and left and right indicators. A string of lights built into the back and front of the helmet flashes while the cyclist is in motion, but automatically turns solid red to alert motorists when a cyclist is braking.
The indictors light up as arrows on the left or right of the back of the head, and strips simultaneously brighten along the relevant side. They are triggered using a wireless flicker remote that is attached to the bike’s handlebars. The button is flicked once to activate and once again to switch off, so concentration is not lost while riding. The battery life of the helmet lasts for approximately three hours, so can’t be used for particularly lengthy rides. When necessary, it is simply recharged using a USB connector.
Cyclers' lights are usually placed near the seat of a bike, but the helmet lights are much brighter and more directly in a motorist’s line of vision, which makes the rider far more noticeable and hopefully will therefore make drivers a lot more cautious. The Lumos doesn’t compromise on style or protection: the design is sleek and comes in either charcoal black or pearl white and is made by a company that has been manufacturing helmets for over a decade. The helmet is also water resistant so it can be used in the rain.
The Lumos was only recently launched on Kickstarter and has already almost tripled its target of $125 000, which highlights the desperate need for better safety on the roads for cyclists.
