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When cycling, you have two choices: Cycle right in the
middle of the road, or over to the side. The latter has the
advantage of enabling moving cars to pass, this is a good
thing. In towns and cities there are often lines of parked
cars, cars have doors, doors are sometimes opened by
people.
A sudden door opening is one of the many
interesting types of cycling accident.
Now, how about a little sensor on the inside of the door
handle? This sensor, when touched, turns on a little light
under the door mirror, or perhaps the indicator lights for
that side. This would be watched for by cyclists as it is
better than the current surveillance method, which is
based largely on desperate superstition in the absence of
actual information.
Same as this idea
Illuminated_20car_20door-handles
[hippo, Jan 04 2016]
[link]
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Unless you are proposing a time delay interlock on the door
(which has major safety implications in an accident), the
delay between someone reaching for the door handle and
opening the door is typically in fractions of a second, not
nearly enough time for the cyclist to respond. |
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Just don't ride in the door zone. |
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This is brilliant, but why not just have the blinker
turn on until the door is opened when the engine is
turned off? The blinker is the universal signal that the
car is about to put part of itself into the area to it's
left (in left hand driving countries) |
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What's the difference between being aware that a car
might turn into your path leaving it's parking space or
open a door into your path because the person is
getting out? Either way you pass with awareness and
caution and give a wide berth. |
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I think you're really onto something here. As a bike
rider and a driver, I think something along these lines
would be a really great feature to offer. |
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Bonus, driving around in a parking lot looking for a
space, left hand blinker means they're not leaving,
they're just getting out. |
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Hmm, while the amount of time between grabbing the
handle and opening the door CAN be in the milliseconds, it
usually isn't. It's often grab handle... check keys... crack the
door then push. Half a second can be sufficient avoidance
time. |
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That's why the blinker starting the minute the engine
is turned off makes more sense. Plenty of warning. |
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That effectively means you can't sit in your car with the
engine off, maybe there could be a subtle glow rather than
the full on flashing indicator? |
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We haven't engineered the optimal execution yet, but the concept is golden (+) |
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Convert all cars to welded-door General Lee style window
entry? Or top loading? |
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//Maybe have the light attached to the seatbelt
warning system.// |
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Here's the proposed solution: |
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The blinker only turns on when the following
happens: |
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1) Car turns off 2) Seatbelt gets unfastened 3) key is
removed from ignition |
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Then the blinker clicks to tell you you're warning
people you're going to get out of the car, if you're
just sitting there, put the keys back in the ignition,
very little inconvenience. And remember, when you
get into your car none of this happens. It's only after
it senses engine off, seatbelt off/key out of ignition. |
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This really is a very very good idea. |
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I think you need a seat weight sensor (already widely used)
a seat belt sensor (widely used) and an key sensor (widely
used). This is literally a software problem/opportunity in
new cars. |
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The sticking point is all those fancy cars with no keys, just a
card in the wallet or whatever. |
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Well, problem with that is the weight sensor only
works after you've already opened the door. |
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As far as keyless cars, engine off/seatbelt off is
probably good enough. Blinker goes on, if you're
going to sit in your car for a while, just turn it
off the way you would always turn your left hand
blinker off, move the blinker handle up. |
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Intuitive, simple, easy to do. |
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I'm telling you B, you've got a Halfbakery classic here.
This really should be a feature on new cars. |
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//Well, problem with that is the weight sensor only works
after you've already opened the door// |
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No it doesn't. The "stop being a rebel and put your seat
belt on" light/sound works by recognizing a weight in the
seat and no seat belt plugged in. |
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Either way, it doesn't matter, the weight sensor is there,
and providing information. What the computer does with
it is just software changes. |
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//just turn it off the way you would always turn your left
hand blinker off, move the blinker handle up// |
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So does this mean that when the car turns the indicator
on, it PHYSICALLY moves the indicator stalk? This would
require hardware, might be a little complex. It might be
easier to program the computer to turn off the indicators
if you move the stalk down and then back to the middle.
that puts it back to the software-only realm. |
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//I'm telling you B, you've got a Halfbakery classic
here.// |
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Nah, no custard, Ninjas, cat maiming, needless over-
engineering or bears. I've solved a problem without
creating a MUCH bigger one. No one is confused to the
point of rage, it doesn't have any of the hallmarks of a
real classic. But thanks! |
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//No it doesn't. The "stop being a rebel and put your
seat belt on" light/sound works by recognizing a
weight in the seat and no seat belt plugged in.// |
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Well, yea, but I think we're assuming that the person
is in the car, not sure what information we get from
the seat sensor. |
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//it PHYSICALLY moves the indicator stalk?// |
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No, it just senses that the thing has been moved the
same as you would if you're turning the left hand
signal off. |
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//No one is confused to the point of rage// |
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Give it time, the idea is still a fairly new posting. |
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I'll get the ball rolling: |
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So your idea is an indicator light allowing you to time
the door perfectly so you can hit any bike rider
coming by? Excellent. Clearly anybody who doesn't
like this idea is worse
than Hitler. |
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//allowing you to time the door perfectly so you can hit any bike rider coming by?// |
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Backup camera + recognition software + door opener - you don't even have to be in the car. |
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[+], but not the turn signals: something on the doorframe: lights up orange when the vehicle is put into Park, flashes when the doorhandle is pulled, returns to solid when weight is removed from the seat (or the door is reshut). |
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Problem is that this is a development exclusively (or
primarily) for the benefit of cyclists. It will be
difficult to get some, many or most carmakers to
implement it. And, as noted, it may not give
sufficient warning. |
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Howevertheless, there is another way which stands a
better chance of being adopted. |
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The car I hired recently (a mid-range Merc) had a
sensor to tell you if someone was about to overtake
you. As they approached, it turned on a red LED on
the wing mirror, alerting you. It was actually quite
effective (I was driving on the other side of the road,
being in Germany, so the reminder was appreciated
once or twice). |
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The same sensor and indicator could tell you if a
cyclist were approaching while you were parked. All
it would need is a little tweak to the software (to
make the system active when the car is parked). |
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Given the usefulness of the system when driving, I
can imagine that it will be widely adopted. Tweaking
it to work for cyclists would be natural - and free -
progression. |
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It could even be adapted (again, at almost no cost) to
sound an alert if the driver unlatches their door while
there's something about the pass. Cars already have
sensors that detect when the door is unlatched (ie,
before it begins to open). |
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It's much easier to sell something that stops you
inadvertently opening your door into a passing
car/bike/truck than it is to sell something seen as
benefitting only the cyclists, however deserving they
may be. |
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Just don't ride in the door zone.
— MechE, Oct 10 2014 |
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Motorcyclists may be able to avoid the door zone
most of the time. Cyclists, in general, cannot
without incurring the wrath of moving traffic. |
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// It's much easier to sell something that stops you
inadvertently opening your door into a passing
car/bike/truck than it is to sell something seen as
benefitting only the cyclists, however deserving they may
be.// |
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Great until it malfunctions because there's a squirrel giving
you stink eye that the sensor reads as a bike. (Note: for
humor purposes only, squirrel scenario is not an actual
criticism) |
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[MB] as a cyclist I never ever cycle in the door zone. I would say that in my judgement the wrath of the randomly opening door terrifies me a lot more than the wrath of the impatient motorist. |
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OK, but many cyclists do. |
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So, the most practical solution is to use existing
systems (passing-vehicle sensors) to alert a door-
opening driver to an approaching cyclist (or car,
motorbike...). |
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Allow motorcycles to mount short range surface-to-surface
missiles. Put a "EMERGENCY DOOR REMOVAL" button by the
horn. |
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This will encourage increased caution by car drivers. |
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//Allow motorcycles to mount short range surface-to-
surface missiles.// |
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Why limit it to motorcyclists? My rear rack will carry a
single use wire guided light anti-tank weapon (I've
checked). |
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//Cyclists, in general, cannot without incurring the wrath
of moving traffic.// |
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And, in general, that's fine. The probability of being hit
by someone who sees you, no matter how annoyed they
are, is much lower than the risk from someone who
doesn't. |
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If I'm in the lane, and you have to wait 15 seconds for
oncoming traffic to clear so you can pass me, deal with
it. I'm in the lane because it's not safe for me to be
elsewhere at that time. |
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Almost all the roads here in downtown Philly are one way,
and supposedly two lane. They're really not though. You
have to ride in the door zone if you want to allow cars past
you. The alternative on many streets is riding in the zone
occupied by the death-dealing trolly/tram tracks. |
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//Problem is that this is a development exclusively (or primarily) for the benefit of cyclists. It will be difficult to get some, many or most carmakers to implement it.// |
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About 20% of car-bike accidents are being "doored" . And it's anywhere from 20-100% Driver fault. Car makers think a lot about insurance premiums, hence all the automatic braking/lane departure or your blind spot warning example. |
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This one has more features now. And if we're going by idea
body only, this one optionally uses the turn signal lamps,
while yours only lights up the handle. |
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We still very much favour the "short range surface-to- surface missile" approach to the problem. |
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