Pothole scanner for bicycles

A new bicycle light that scans the road ahead for potholes has been developed by design students in China.

Lumigrids is a handlebar-mounted LED light for bicycles that projects a square grid onto the road ahead so the rider can spot potholes at night; any significant deformity in the road surface alters the appearance of the grid.

According to the designers of Lumigrids projector at Sichuan University’s Department of Industrial Design, "It can be difficult for night cyclists to get a good sense of the condition of the terrain ahead, even with a typical bicycle lamp. In many cases, a bicycle lamp will cast shadows on both concave and convex areas of the ground. This can hinder the rider's judgment of the road surface ahead, and increase the potential for danger."

Lumigrids features three modes with sizes of grid altered to suit a particular type of riding: normal mode (140x180mm); high-speed mode (140x260mm) and team mode (300x200mm)

Bicycles and potholes

A record-breaking year for rainfall in 2012 left roads and the ground beneath them saturated with water. As the ground dried out – eventually – tarmac across the country has had a tendency to crack to a greater extent than in previous years.

Potholes are an inconvenience to motorists because they can damage a vehicle’s wheels, tyres and suspension, but to cyclists and motorcyclists they represent a potentially dangerous risk. This threat to lives, and the responsibility in law that local authorities have to provide roads that are safe to use, means that repairs are often carried out in haste and the pothole re-appears.=

Cyclists can insure themselves against damage caused by potholes. Cycle insurance from the ETA includes cover against accidental damage (including at race events), personal accident, a breakdown service for cyclists and much more. Find out more the insurance also includes free advice from an expert legal team should you need it.

How best to tackle potholes

Over recent decades, the government at town, county and government level has failed to invest in well-engineered road surfaces. Sadly, the recession means there might be no proper investment for another ten years, but there are things you can do now.

The first thing to do when you encounter a pothole is to use one of the many reporting websites in order to alert the local authority, who are bound in law to deal with the most serious road defects within 24 hours. Three examples are fixmystreet (www.fixmystreet.com), fillthathole (www.fillthathole.org.uk/) or potholes.co.uk (www.potholes.co.uk).

In theory it is possible to claim compensation for damage or injury sustained as a result of a pothole or road defect, but in practice this can be a convoluted process and a payout is not guaranteed. A good cycle insurance policy will pay for accidental damage of this type.

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