£450,000 for innovative 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 Welsh Government research funding to develop their products, the Economy and Transport Minister, Edwina Hart has announced. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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.

Announcing the successful projects, Mrs Hart said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Welsh roads are amongst the safest in the world, however we continue to strive for improvements and reducing the number of motorcyclist casualties is one of our priorities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“These projects are looking at innovative ways to protect motorcyclists and reduce accidents. Both successful products returned encouraging results at feasibility stage and I am pleased we are able to support them to develop their products further.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The projects were selected from forty-seven applications after the Minister issued a challenge to companies, other public bodies and the voluntary sector last year to submit creative ideas to help improve road safety for motorcyclists. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​