Every year in the UK over 19,000 cyclists are involved in accidents. That’s maybe not the normal way to start a promotional video for your latest product, but it is a shocking stat that certainly makes you sit up and take notice, and is a figure that will be drastically reduced if car manufacturer Volvo have a say in it.
But how much can a car company do to improve bicycle safety? This year, Volvo seems to be on a mission to find out. Long known for its commitment to safety features, the Swedish auto manufacturer is doing what it can to carry over that reputation into two-wheeled safety. Earlier this year we told you about the launch of a partnership with POC to create a bike helmet with two-wave connectivity that can receive proximity alerts from nearby cars.
Now Volvo has a new project: Life Paint, a reflective paint that can be used to cover a cyclist’s clothing, bike frame, helmet, and virtually any other surface.
After all, Volvo has a pretty ambitious vision for the future: That by 2020, no person will be killed, or seriously injured, by a new Volvo. It’s a lofty mission but one that Volvo seems committed to seeing through, and something that will be helped greatly by this latest release.
The spray paint itself is transparent during daylight and lasts about a week once applied. Shine headlights on it at night, and it becomes reflective to enhance visibility in traffic.
Volvo is targeting cyclists with the Life Paint project, but says it can also be used to light up pedestrians' clothing, children’s backpacks, dogs' leashes etc
It is currently only being sold at 6 locations in London so far, but if the paint catches on, Volvo says it will make it available countrywide, and internationally.
Watch the video below for more on how Life Paint can make bike commuters more visible, and check out Volvo’s webpage dedicated to it here.