Even with all the advancements in safety products and technology, biking is still quite dangerous – especially in large cities. Further, there is a major disconnect between technology and safety; there is not really a way to notify anyone quickly if you are in a serious accident. This situation prompted Salah Nassar to create the B-Link safety system. Nassar described the scene after a biking accident:
With all the technology and safety equipment I had on me, none of it offered any security to me or my loved ones. The accident left me asking a lot of questions. How is it that technology could connect me to anyone in the world at a moment’s notice, but none of the technology I had on me detected that I was in an accident? What if I was in a more serious accident? How long would it have been before my wife found out?1
Nassar, after thinking long and hard about his accident, came up with the idea for B-Link. The system is really ingenious, and makes use of a lot of technology that we already carry around:
B-Link is a front and back light for your bicycle that syncs with the B-Link app. The system includes bicycle lights that consist of powerful LEDs that will make the bicycle visible in day or night. The light has a blinker system that will create more awareness to other cyclists, people, and most importantly, vehicles of your turning intentions. Finally, we added safety features that directly addressed my concerns in the form of an easy-to-use and intuitive app.2
The front and back lights are easy part, the app is where the B-Link really shines. First, the app connects to the lights via BlueTooth. When you are in navigation mode, the app automatically start flashing a turn signal when you approach a turn. On to safety, the app will automatically notify an emergency contact whenever you reach your destination. Also, if you are in any sort of accident, the app will notify your emergency contact. All-in-all, the B-Link seems like the perfect safety companion for an active biker.
Here is a good look at the B-Link system and the idea behind the project:
