Hot-glue a strong magnet to a ring-pull rape alarm. Carry the device in your pocket when cycling.
When horribly cut up by a driver, catch them up at the next set of traffic lights. As they pull away, trigger the rape alarm and attach it to the bodywork of their vehicle with the magnet.
This will alert other vulnerable road users to the presence of the inconsiderate motorist, giving them a chance to take appropriate avoiding action.
A laminated swing tag of Highway Code rule 163 could be added to explain to the driver the reason why this warning was applied to their vehicle. Perhaps a tag with various misdemeanours (delete as applicable) would be handy, but I find closeness to be the biggest source of danger.-- aglet, Jul 15 2011 "give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car" http://www.direct.g...ghwaycode/DG_070314 [calum, Jul 15 2011] Better Solution http://en.wikipedia...pose_Assault_WeaponOne of these is within the weight limit of my rear rack. [MechE, Jul 15 2011] Cyclist safety buffer Cyclist_20safety_20bufferA vital accessory for all right-thinking road users. [8th of 7, Mar 20 2017] This is slightly nicer than the version I thought up (thermite <-> rape alarm), and could actually be carried out without major consequences.
(There's something so riling about the attitude of drivers that seems to say "In a collision between my car and your bike, I will not be injured, but you may be killed. Therefore, I shall ignore the road rules and threaten to crush you, and there's nothing you can do about it, so get out of my way" that a thermite limpet grenade over the engine, for mild cases, and over the driver, for slightly worse ones, seems perfectly appropriate).-- spidermother, Jul 15 2011 attach it? with some kind of bow and arrow device or leap out of your car and apply manually? (and risk a punchup).-- po, Jul 15 2011 I propose carrying a few of these in the back pocket of a cycling jersey.
Attach by placing the magnet on a steel bit of the vehicle. I'm thinking of neodymium magnets here, so easily capable of a strong hold, and could probably be tossed short distances in the manner of LED throwies.
Car drivers have no need of such devices, they are protected inside a big steel cage with seatbelts, airbags and so forth.-- aglet, Jul 15 2011 [po] //when cycling// is the clue.-- spidermother, Jul 15 2011 Slightly disappointed that this isn't a game. Anyway, perhaps a lower-speeds version of deer whistles might be the thing here, rather than a rape alarm: the driver remains oblivious but at higher speeds cyclists, pedestrians and deer all know there's a dangerous driver coming.-- calum, Jul 15 2011 oops!-- po, Jul 15 2011 How about a trained blackbird, that you feed a diet of dark-coloured hedgerow fruits ?
When offended, release blackbird, which flies to relevant vehicle, anoints windscreen or bodywork (or pray for a soft-top on a hot day) and returns to its perch on your handlebars.-- 8th of 7, Jul 15 2011 It's fine by me, as long as a similar device can be developed for idiot cyclists who have not the remotest conception of the rules of the road. (Note: I cycle and I drive, and there are idiots in both camps.)-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 15 2011 Paint and a wet paint sign to avoid legal problems. Yes.-- DenholmRicshaw, Jul 16 2011 //"In a collision between my car and your bike, I will not be injured, but you may be killed...."// Defacing this person's car is probably best done surreptitiously, or when armed with a weapon at least as lethal as an automobile. Is there some way to disguise a decommissioned tank as a bicycle?-- mouseposture, Jul 16 2011 We're working on it- we'll get back to you.-- 8th of 7, Jul 16 2011 This would be really popular in the US. So popular, in fact, that it might provoke people to get out of thier cars and demolish your bicycle for no good reason at all.
Oh, and shouldn't it be a 'dangerous driver tag?'-- Alterother, Jul 17 2011 Instead of a magnet that has to be manually deployed, I was thinking of having a thin wires or rods that extend sideways 1 meter (or 3 feet) from the center of the bicycle and are tipped with magnetic tungsten carbide tassels to scratch the paint of any passing vehicle.-- evildork, Mar 20 2017 Very good. An ideal complement to our innovative "Cyclist safety buffer" <link>-- 8th of 7, Mar 20 2017 random, halfbakery