Cool Gear: Biker Gloves with Built-In Turn Signals
SignalWear aims to improve rider safety via Kickstarter campaign.
By far, the biggest safety concern motorcyclists face is simply being seen. Whether valid or not, other motorists often can’t or don’t see riders, and the results can be catastrophic. It’s a problem that SignalWear CEO and co-founder Troy De Baca is all too familiar with after getting into an accident back in 2012. It served as a wake up call and drove De Baca to develop ways to prevent these accidents moving forward.
That’s how he came up with the idea of SignalWear’s smart motorcycle gloves. The gloves have built-in turn signals that help motorcyclists signal lane changes in a way that’s much more visible to fellow motorists, allowing them to signal in a manner that is more in the line of vision of other drivers.
SignalWear’s motorcycle gloves activate at the push of a button located in the thumb area. Alternatively, they can be activated automatically when tilted one way or the other. The gloves can also be hardwired into the bike’s existing blinker system so they automatically activate when the turn signal is launched.
If SignalWear meets its $25,000 Kickstarter goal, they’ll add navigation compatibility that vibrates to alert the rider of upcoming turns.
If you’re interested in this nice piece of safety tech, SignalWear is currently holding a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds. You can pick up a pair at a discount if you donate before the campaign’s conclusion on May 19. And if SignalWear meets its $25,000 Kickstarter goal, they’ll add navigation compatibility that vibrates to alert the rider of upcoming turns.
Even with all the technological advances in recent decades, we haven’t seen much innovation surrounding motorcycle safety. So it’s nice to see at least one company working to make a difference out on our roads.
