Light Insights Trial

How data is being used

Surf Coast Shire Council has combined the data from the trial with other engineering data in developing the following projects:

• Surf Coast Shire Council are working with City of Greater Geelong to develop concept plans for a safe cycling connection between Geelong and Torquay. 
• Surf Coast Shire Council are also working with Department of Transport and Planning to address risks to cyclists identified through the data along the Great Ocean Road.
• Surf Coast Shire Council have submitted a proposal to TAC to develop a targeted countermeasures program on high use cycling routes in Torquay.  

Funding for safer cycling treatments along The Esplanade and Bells Street, Torquay, and Vickerys Road and Forest Road, Bellbrae, is being submitted to Federal Government as part of the annual blackspot program, to make these routes safer for cyclists and all road users.

Current projects using data

Recent road safety works along Fischer Street, Torquay, are making this key cycling route safer for cyclists. The changes include:

• Extensions to the roundabout centre islands to slow traffic down.
• 'Sharrows' painted on the ground at roundabouts to indicate shared cyclist and car zone.
• Raised pedestrian crossings at roundabouts and key crossing points.

Comparison of cycle route data before and after the works will be used to evaluate the success of these road safety changes.   

Further works are planned along Fischer Street using the data from the trial to improve separation for cyclists at key conflict points.

Make sure your light is turned on

Of the 50 lights that were given out as part of the trial, only 37 have been turned on. If you haven't turned your light on, please do so now.

If you are having issues turning your light on or connecting to the trial, try troubleshooting with these frequently asked questions

The Light Insights Trial (LIT) will invite 50 Surf Coast Shire cyclists to participate in the trial for 12 months. Each participant will receive one See.Sense ICON3 smart bike light, which is daylight visible so can be used for all rides, both day and night. 

When participating cyclists are riding locally, the light will enable them to share anonymised data that will provide valuable insights to a research team.

Data that will be collected includes:

• Route popularity
• Braking patterns
• Crash incidents
• Swerving patterns
• Road surface roughness
• Journey speeds and averages
• Dwell time
• Cyclist feedback on trips (eg close passes)
• Infrastructure reports

The data is aggregated, which means See.Sense looks at combined data and not individual ride data, to protect privacy. Participants can also set privacy zones, eg around their home, so that no data is recorded there. 

The technology is a smart bike light developed by See.Sense

This light is a world-leading technology for cyclists that has been trialled in multiple cities including Melbourne, Geelong, Dublin, Birmingham, Manchester, Oxford and Antwerp.

As well as capturing ride data, the lights provide an added layer of safety by reacting to its environment, flashing brighter and faster at riskier moments such as roundabouts, road junctions, filtering through traffic or approaching car headlights.

We have a number of cyclist-related projects coming up on our road network which will consider the data collected through this trial:

• Central to north Torquay Safe Cycling Connection Options Analysis
• Blackspot project on Fischer Street including installation of cyclist friendly upgrade to roundabout at Inshore Drive
• Safety Review of cyclist connection Anglesea to Torquay in collaboration with Department of Transport and Planning
• Cyclist safety improvements along The Esplanade at Taylor Park

Data will also be retained to help inform future cyclist safety projects.