CAPE TOWN, South Africa – As people start pulling gaudy Christmas jumpers from the back of a wardrobe Ford has created one some folk will actually want to be seen in.
That, in fact is the whole point…
It may look like any other over-the-top festivewear but the ‘Safe Distance’ Christmas Jumper is really for cyclists and e-scooter riders: small projectors in the reindeer’s antlers, nose, and tail illuminate the area around the wearer.
It defines a 1.5m ”safe zone” shaped like a Christmas tree to remind other road users to give two-wheelers sufficient road space as part of a ‘Share The Road’ campaign using the growing trend of novelty road-safety Christmas jumpers to highlight a key issue in cyclists and e-scooter riders’ experience.
CUTTING TENSION
About 80% of UK cyclists claim close-passing vehicles are their worst danger and almost all regular cyclists report being so passed about once a week. Mainland Europe, however, has different rules: while 1.5m is generally considered safe in slower traffic is rises to two metres at about 50km/h.
WATCH THE FLASHY jacket video here
Earlier in 2020 Ford revealed an Emoji Jacket for a campaign intended to reduce driver/cyclist tension. A cyclist wearing such a jacket cpuld display his/her feelings and their intention with large emojis flashing on the back of the jacket.
Ford’s ‘Share The Road’ campaign seeks to foster harmony between road users and underlines the company’s belief that enabling more people to cycle and scoot safely, especially for short journeys, benefits everyone.
The company has produced an award-winning virtual reality experience so that drivers and cyclists can better understand the challenges of each other’s journeys. ‘WheelSwap’ enables motorists and cyclists to see how inconsiderate driving and riding can be potentially fatal.
