Delft startup's lamp targets side-on crashes that make up to 71% of bike accidents

Tens of thousands of Dutch cyclists end up in emergency rooms after crashes in the dark each year. Cyclists usually rely on front and rear lights to stay visible, but, according to earlier research from SWOV, the national road-safety research institute, 71 percent of bicycle accidents happen from the side. A Delft startup, Ziemi, reports that it is now selling a small lamp that lights a rider’s moving legs instead of the road.

According to the latest figures from KiM, more than 20,000 cyclists last year ended up in the emergency room after a crash in the dark. This adds up to 57 people a day.

A Delft startup is now selling a small lamp that lights a rider’s legs instead of the roas. The company, Ziemi, says more than 100,000 people now use the device. Independent tests by the Dutch research organization TNO reportedly found that the cyclists with the extra lamp were detected earlier than riders using the standard lights.

Luci Santema designed the first version while studying industrial design engineering at Delft University of Technology. Her class had an assignment to make bikes safer for couriers. “How does Beyoncé make herself more noticeable? By standing in the spotlight,” Santema told NU.nl. “That is what I wanted to do for cyclists.”

Bicycle injuries remain a major public-health issue in the Netherlands. According to VeiligheidNL, the Dutch consumer safety institute, tens of thousands of cyclists are treated in emergency departments each year. SWOV has also noticed that cyclists account for a large share of serious trafficinjuries.