As a responsible cyclist who does not want to die, I wear a helmet. The other night, I donned one of those reflective orange vests. (Do not laugh, please.) And I try, really I do, to hold out my arms and signal when and where I plan on turning. I do not like doing it, though, because I feel I am going to lose my balance and because I don’t think that drivers notice half the time anyway. Especially not at night.
Lifehacker has turned up a wonderful DIY solution to this problem: bright, wearable turn signals.
The beauty of these turn signals is that they use a mercury tilt switch and some electroluminescent (EL) panels that light up to show big bright arrows every time he lifts up the arm that corresponds with the direction he wants to move. Combined with some Velcro and armbands, the panels make a comfortable, wearable gadget that can make your bike ride much safer. Best of all, the tilt switch is sensitive enough that you don’t have to start waving your arm wildly in the air to turn it on—just a slight lift will do the trick, and everyone around you will know where you’re going.
I’m not an electronically-inclined person, in particular, but I checked out the instructions and they seem manageable enough. So, go to! Make these suckers. You didn’t have any great plans this weekend anyway. At least not any that end with your arms lighting up whenever you move them.
