A majority of cycling accidents in the U.K. (and most likely the U.S.) occur when drivers veer into a rider’s path–namely because they didn’t see you or know you were there. Graduate student Emily Brooke set out to find a better way to alert drivers of your presence and created the Blaze Laserlight.
Launched via Kickstarter in Europe three years ago and now finally coming to North America, the Blaze Laserlight includes not only a high-powered, 300 lumen LED bike light, but also incorporates a laser that projects a bicycle icon 20 feet ahead of you (you can chose either flashing or constant mode). This green laser projection increases your footprint on the road, making a virtual bike lane of sorts, and alerts road users ahead that you are coming or riding at the side of their car.
A study conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory in the U.K. found that the Blaze Laserlight made you more visible to buses, cars, and trucks as compared to a standalone LED bike light. With buses, the Blaze increased maximum nighttime visibility from 72.4% with just the existing LED lights to 96.2% visibility.
You have to figure that even if drivers have no clue what is going on as soon as the big green bike appears on the road in front of them, at least it will grab their attention and force them to look, where one would hope they then notice you on your bike.
The Blaze Laserlight is assembled from aircraft-grade aluminum featuring diamond-cut edges. It’s USB rechargeable via a magnetic charging cable, features a battery life of up to 13 hours, fits 99% of handlebars, and is waterproof to a depth of three feet. The LED bike light operates in three modes–100 lumen flashing, 100 lumen solid, and 300 lumen solid
The Blaze Laserlight retails for $200 and is available from the company website.