Ford harmonises the relationship between cars and bicycles with new technologies and virtual experiences

Ford has equipped the new Focus with advanced technologies capable of detecting cyclists on the road, whether they are nearby or about to cross in front of the vehicle. Through the pre-collision assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection, the new Focus automatically activates its braking system if it detects a possible collision with a cyclist and the driver does not respond to the warnings issued beforehand.

Together with the launch of this technology in the new Focus, Ford is running a major awareness campaign aimed at harmonising the use of streets and roads by vehicles as different as cars and bicycles. This harmonisation undoubtedly requires convincing their respective drivers to develop the necessary empathy between them and eliminate their traditional antagonism.

This is a task that is entirely necessary given that every day more than 250 million cyclists ride through city streets and European roads regularly, and that cyclists now account for one in every twelve road traffic fatalities, figures that have been rising in recent years and will continue to grow in the coming ones.

Many cities — Madrid and Barcelona among them — actively promote the use of bicycles on their streets, since in addition to the important benefits for health and air quality in cities, they also contribute — despite what some may think — to improving traffic flow in cities.

According to Ford, sadly, friction points between motorists and cyclists are becoming increasingly common, hence, in addition to equipping its vehicles with safety systems that prevent possible incidents between them, the brand with the oval has also launched a major road safety campaign to make drivers and cyclists aware of the need to understand each other and to build mutual empathy.

“Share the Road” is the name of the campaign that seeks to enable more people to ride a bicycle safely on roads and in cities, especially on short journeys, with the greatest possible safety for them and for other road users. Ford has created a virtual experience, called “WheelShap”, which uses 3D technology to show drivers and cyclists the dangers created by certain behaviours on both sides. Deadly dangers which, for the most part, the participants in the experience committed to avoid by changing their behaviour when on the road.

“WheelShap” allows drivers to see from the cyclist’s point of view how terrifying it can be when drivers overtake them without leaving the proper safety distance, turn without using indicators, or open car doors without first checking whether a cyclist is approaching. But it also allows cyclists to see what it means for a driver when cyclists run a red light, ride against the flow on one-way streets, or brake and swerve unexpectedly without signalling their intentions”.

More than 1,200 people have already taken part in the “WheelShap” experience. Of these, 70 percent of those who did it show greater empathy towards — depending on the case — drivers or cyclists compared with those who have not taken part in the experience. In addition, 91 percent of participants in the Ford virtual experience said they would change their driving habits to adapt to the presence of cyclists on the road. In fact, 60 percent of respondents, recontacted just two weeks after the experience, admitted they had completely changed their habits on their daily journeys.

“There is no more effective way to appreciate another person’s point of view than by putting yourself in their shoes or, in this case, on their pedals. Empathy is an intensely powerful emotion,” says Dan Berry, a scientist specialising in the analysis of human behaviour who helped design the experiment and the road safety campaign promoted by Ford.

“The safe integration of increasingly diverse means of transport is key to making our cities safer and easier to get around for everyone, now and in the future,” said Steven Armstrong, president and chief executive officer of Ford Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xic8W48LxUc

“Europe is home to some of the largest cycling communities in the world, and increasing pressure on road space is making road safety an ever more important issue,” says David Brailsford, head of Team Sky, the cycling team that won the Tour de France. “His campaign — he continues — is not only about introducing new technologies, but also highlighting the need for respect and responsibility. If both cyclists and drivers spent a little more time understanding each other’s needs, we would quickly see a change in attitudes and behaviour that would ultimately improve road safety for everyone.”