Volvo->ke188 may not be the most cutting-edge company as far as automotive technology is concerned. But when it comes to safety, few car companies can hold as much as a candle wax to the Swedish automaker. This never-ending pursuit of safety is one of Volvo’s most important characteristics and now, that pursuit has extended outside the world of cars and drivers and into the realm of bicycles and cyclists.
The company is introducing a new safety product for cyclists and their bicycles that, quite frankly, is incredibly simple I’m actually surprised nobody has ever taught about it in the past. It’s not an airbag or a new electronic safety feature. Heck, it’s so discrete that you won’t even see or notice it during the day. It’s called the LifePaint, a glow-in-the-dark spray that allows cyclists to turn their bicycles->ke3798 - and their gear, for that matter - into shining spectacles at night, making them exponentially more visible to car drivers in the streets.
According to Volvo, the LifePaint is a water-based reflective spray that can be used on
the surface of any bicycle, as well as a cyclists’ clothes, backpack, or helmet. You won’t notice any difference when the sun is out, but once it turns dark, the product’s reflective particles that come together together like an adhesive, creating a vivid glow under the glare of headlights. It’s also non-sticky and can be washed off after one week, leaving behind no residue on the bicycle and has no long-term effects on the color or the texture of the material its applied on.
The product is also not limited to just bicycles and cyclists. Pedestrians, especially young children, can use LifePaint on their own backpacks so they can also be visible to drivers and commuters.
Volvo said it best: “the best way to survive a crash is to not crash.”
Hopefully, this new LifePaint spray can go a long way in helping more people avoid finding themselves in scary situations like that.
Continue reading to read more about Volvo's LifePaint spray.
Why it matters
It’s not exactly the Tron light cycle, but Volvo’s entire concept of spray painting a liquid substance on your bike that only appears under the glare of a headlamp is practical and appealing at the same time. It’s presumably cheap and low maintenance. Plus, you won’t need to add new components on your bike. All you need to do is spray it on your bicycle and let it do its magic at night.
Granted, Volvo hasn’t done anything on its end to increase distribution, by the Swedish automaker really does have something on its hands here. If it shows any kind of promise, then Volvo just might turn it into a mainstream product that’s available all over the world. Otherwise, the LifePaint is only available in select stores around London and Kent in the UK.
It’s too bad that the company hasn’t made this product available in the US. Hopefully, it shows the kind of promise Volvo envisioned when it cooked up the product in Sweden. At that point, we could see it make its way in the US where there won’t be a shortage of people who will have good use for the product.