Light Insights Trial
Information updated 14 March 2024
Surf Coast Shire Council is proud to partner with See.Sense and the TAC on a smart bike light technology trial.
Participating cyclists will use the See.Sense lights to collect real-time local data, which will help Council understand cyclists’ experiences across different roads, paths and infrastructure within Surf Coast Shire. The information collected will help inform future decision making around cyclist infrastructure.
Thanks to those who registered their interest
Council is preparing to inform applicants via email whether or not they were successful.
About the trial
The Light Insights Trial (LIT) will invite 50 Surf Coast Shire cyclists to participate over 12 months. Each participant will receive one See.Sense ICON3 smart bike light, which is daylight visible so can be used for all rides, both day and night.
When participating cyclists are riding locally, the light will enable them to share anonymised data that will provide valuable insights to a research team. Data that will be collected:
- Route popularity
- Braking patterns
- Crash incidents
- Swerving patterns
- Road surface roughness
- Journey speeds and averages
- Dwell time
- Cyclist feedback on trips (e.g close passes)
- Infrastructure reports
The data is aggregated, which means See.Sense looks at combined data and not individual ride data, to protect privacy. Participants can also set privacy zones, e.g. around their home, so that no data is recorded there.
About the technology
The technology is a smart bike light developed by See.Sense. This light is a world-leading technology for cyclists that has been trialled in multiple cities including Melbourne, Geelong, Dublin, Birmingham, Manchester, Oxford and Antwerp. As well as capturing ride data, the lights provide an added layer of safety by reacting to its environment, flashing brighter and faster at riskier moments such as roundabouts, road junctions, filtering through traffic or approaching car headlights.
Shaping of cycling infrastructure improvements through data collection
We have a number of cyclist-related projects coming up on our road network which will consider the data collected through this trial:
- Central to north Torquay Safe Cycling Connection Options Analysis
- Blackspot project on Fischer Street including installation of cyclist friendly upgrade to roundabout at Inshore Drive
- Safety Review of cyclist connection Anglesea to Torquay in collaboration with Department of Transport and Planning
- Cyclist safety improvements along The Esplanade at Taylor Park
Data will also be retained to help inform future cyclist safety projects.
Council’s safer cycling vision: Connecting people with places through an integrated, safe cycling network
As the Surf Coast Shire population grows and our region moves towards a more healthy connected community, an integrated and safe cycling network is important. Council wants to increase cycling participation and improve cycling safety and connections — the Light Insights Trial supports these goals.
The trial also supports Council’s commitment to make it easier for residents and visitors to travel around and in between towns and in nature, without having to rely on cars. The benefits of active transport are wide-ranging, from environmental to social to health and wellbeing.