This electronic jacket works to keep cyclists safe

Each week, we spotlight a cool innovation recommended by some of the industry's top tech writers. This week's pick is an electronic jacket for cyclists.

The automaker Ford has developed a jacket for cyclists with an LED display on the back, said Kris Holt at Engadget — including emojis. Not just another fashion accessory, the jacket is linked "to a wireless remote attached to the handlebars." That way, a biker can easily use it to display turn signals, or put up "a hazard symbol" if there is an issue with the bike.

(Courtesy image)

There's an option to display emojis, too, if you want to tell the motorists coming up right on your tail exactly how they make you feel. Ford created the jacket as part of its Share the Road safety campaign, though it's not clear whether it will be available in stores. Some 850 U.S. cyclists were killed by vehicles on the road in 2018.

This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, try the magazine for a month here.

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