Cyclists divert cars with laser beams

Two cyclists got so tired of seeing cars clipping bicycles on the roads that they invented a set of laser beams to keep motorists away. The LightLane, created by Americans Evan Gant and Alex Tee, is a small unit that can attach to any bicycle and creates an instant bike lane by projecting a line of light at either side of the cyclist.

It only works at night, of course, but the principal is that it gives cyclists a definite 'buffer zone' to stop motorists from driving their cars too close. The idea is to make bikers more confident about using their bikes at night on the roads, rather than veering onto footpaths, for example.

LightLane is still under development, but the battery-powered unit should cost around £30 when it goes on sale, can be recharged with a mobile phone charger and lasts around three hours. At present its creators are deciding which colour works best, but in this video you'll see a green LightLane in action.

Mark Nichol