An initiative called Bike2CAV tested a method for the cooperative detection of collision risks and developed warning concepts for cyclists during a pilot in Salzburg that ran for nearly 3 years.
A bicyle fitted with V2X technology, two GNSS receivers have been mounted on each side and a high-precision sensor has been placed on the helmet. © Salzburg Research | Wildbild
In the Bike2CAV pilot bicycles were equipped with a V2X technology, that allowed them to communicate with various vehicles, infrastructure, and other bicycles. The results showed that the technology can be used to warn cyclists and other road users about potential high-risk collision situations with fellow cyclists. The warnings are conveyed through a range of acoustic, visual, and tactile signals using a navigation app on smartphones.
Similar technology is already being developed commercially in the United States. However, in order to improve the overall safety, all road users should be equipped with this technology, which seems unfeasible. Road users (especially cyclists) not equipped with this technology face a decrease in safety, and road users that do use the technology might develop a false sense of safety relying on the V2X technology.