You don’t have to be fond of people commuting by bicycle to wish they’d be more noticeable in traffic. After all, nobody wants to go through the mess a car-bike crash involves, not to speak about the injury risk more severe accidents imply. But what if two-wheelers and even night joggers would have gloves that blink similar to how car turn LEDs do?
That’s the principle Zackees Turn Signal Gloves are chasing after, making bike transportation safer by helping riders visually stand out, especially when they take a turn. You might have noticed that two-wheel commuters use their hand to indicate the turn they’re taking.
Activating the lights is done when a set of metal rivets connect which is done with a click, giving the rider extra feedback. Once you separate them, the lights go off after a preset time, so the biker doesn’t burn through the batteries. The patent pending design allows you to signal while keeping your hands on the handlebar of the bike.
The design of the gloves was created to make sure they can be safely washed while the bright LEDs will help you get noticed quickly in traffic. With an average four minutes of blinking a day, the gloves get two months of active daily use on one battery. In terms of textiles, the company making them claims they have added comfortable leather palms, an absorbent towel around the thumb, retro-reflective trim and breathable spandex throughout.
The business started off on Kickstarter, where Zackees gloves were successfully funded in January, last year, receiving just over twice their funding goal of $70,000. The gloves are already on the market, and you can find them at $55 on their website, with that price setting you back at $65 if you go for the rechargeable batteries.
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