Our Message
Illinois is fifth in the nation for bicyclist deaths...
More than 100 adults are killed in cycling accidents every year, although it is a small number of fatalities, there are approximately 20,000 people that are seriously or slightly injured. Many of these accidents could be avoided if cyclists were more careful and aware of their surroundings. The main reason why most cyclists go at fast speeds is due to the idea of velocitization. Velocitization is either when cyclists become unaware of the true speed they are going or become drowsy after prolonged travelling at a high speed. The map below shows the amount of bike crashes from 2007-2009, as reported to the Illinois Department of Transportation. The example proves that, in an urban city environment, there are many residents who use bikes as a source of transportation The purple dots on the map represent the amount of people who were injured in some way. This is an issue because there should not be hundreds of people getting hurt every year due to bike accidents. In a busy city setting, it is our goal as future engineers to encourage the safety of civilians. We created WatchIt to help bikers monitor the speed they are travelling at. Our goal is to lower the numbers on the map above by making cyclists more aware of their speed and surroundings. It is important for bikers to travel at a slower speed, taking in consideration the fact that they are travelling with limited amount of protection. Using WatchIt, bikers are more prone to go at a speed that allows them to be more cautious of their surroundings. Bikers that go at a slower speed will help reduce the number of possible collisions that lead to severe injuries or even death.
