Mike Hedges AM welcomes Funding for projects to
reduce motorcyclist casualties
Two projects which aim to improve road safety and reduce the number of motorcyclist
casualties will share up to £450,000 of research funding from the Welsh Labour
Government to develop their products, Economy and Transport Minister, Edwina
Hart has announced.
Mike Hedges AM said…. ‘I welcome this news that funding is to be made
available to provide research aimed at reducing Motor Cycle accidents. I am
aware of the statistics relating to motor bike accidents and anything that can
be done to reduce these figures is to be welcomed.’
In July of last year the Minister announced the four successful projects
under the first stage of the Welsh Government’s Small Business Research
Initiative (SBRI), which required companies to identify pioneering approaches
to reduce motorcyclist casualties in Wales – a priority road safety target for
the Welsh Government.
The funding they received helped them to run feasibility studies as part of
the first phase of the challenge. The four projects were then invited to bid
for funding for phase 2 of the initiative, which will help develop the products
to point where they can be marketed.
The successful projects are:
- An advanced helmet liner from Armourgel Ltd, which will incorporate Armourgel material into motorcycle helmets with the aim of protecting motorcyclists from rotational acceleration brain injuries.
- A junction alert system from Fusion Processing Ltd which will use a combination of radar and cameras to identify when a motorcyclist is approaching.
