TUZA LED Vest to reduce cyclists’ traffic fatalities

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Thousands of fatal cycling accidents occur every year because car drivers do not notice the presence of a bicycle on the roadway. One of the best ways to increase your conspicuity or presence on the road is to wear specially designed high-visibility clothing. According to research, cyclists are 37% less likely to be involved in a cycling crash when they are wearing high-visibility or fluorescent clothing. You have probably seen bicycle riders on the road wearing neon vests, shirts, or helmets. While it may sound like a goofy fashion statement to young riders, a little dash of color can go a long way in preventing a deadly crash with a car. BENO Holding is one of the companies that offer solutions contributing to reducing related incidents. They invented a product solution called “TUZA LED Vest” which is a light-weight vest paired with a portable remote control device that allows the cyclist to signal that he/she is about to make a road change of direction. The remote is then installed in front of the bicycle for easy access and once the remote is clicked, the LED lights at the back of the vest switch on and indicate each and every turn and stop the cyclist is about to make. TUZA LED vests to have pure wireless remotes that have two power energy options; • Rechargeable with a power-saving capacity of 8-14 hours. • Powered by Solar energy. The invention is high-visibility safety apparel that improves other’s ability to see cyclists in any situation. From cars on the road to equipment operators on a job site, the more visible a cyclist is, the less risk there is of a serious accident taking place. The TUZA LED vest is an important component of road and works safety for many jobs: transportation or construction workers, road maintenance crews, railway workers, accident site inspectors, first responders, warehouse or factory workers – virtually any cyclist who rides or works in proximity to vehicles or machinery that move under their own power. According to Irene Iradukunda, the Project Manager at BENO Holding, the company has environment-friendly technology solutions limiting drivers’ over speeding among others. The main idea was to create solutions contributing to the development of the transport sector with no threat to the environment. For instance, the company has solutions enabling vehicles to consume less fuel and thus reducing the emission of toxic gases in the air. This technology is dubbed ‘Up Power technology’ and started going into implementation in 2019. It has also developed other solutions including the introduction of speed governors GPS technology in cars among others. Iradukunda explained that it is the company’s belief that sustainable urban mobility can only be attained if we embrace green transport technologies, for instance, using bicycles in some instances. “Cyclists seem to be restricted in some areas lest they are exposed to collisions emanating from less attention of drivers. Some drivers may not notice the cyclist’s presence during night hours may not be noticed in some cases. if it is night, you will not even know that a bicycle is ahead leaving a negative impression and always relating bicycle ride to accidents,” she said. According to Iradukunda, BENO Holding assessed the situation and committed to driving penetration into a green city with the introduction of environment-friendly smart mobility solutions. The visibility is therefore seen as an alarm to other road users to pay attention to cyclists, enabling people to increasingly use bicycles hence classifying TUZA LED Vest” under green technology. “Our transport technology solutions align with the green city concept. This vest made in Rwanda was developed by our technicians and took two years of preparations to bring it on board after discussions with partners,” revealed Iradukunda. "We talked to Rwanda National Police and took through figures of cyclists accidents. Commercial cyclists don’t work overnight but TUZA LED Vest removes these barriers because they will be noticed by all road users any time,” she added. There are two kinds of such vests: The first one is powered by solar energy and the second one is powered by electricity. The latter is rechargeable and power lasts between 8 hours and 10 hours. The vest using solar energy saves power and lights your vest the whole day. The rechargeable vest costs Rwf 18.000 while the one using solar energy costs Rwf 22.000. Commercial cyclists are allowed to pay within installments.

4 Sept 2019

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