Mark Tearle (organiser of UCX) recently wrote the launch report on Team ASL360 for VeloUK.net.
Team News: ASL360 launched at the recent London Bike Show
A senior amateur racing team who were active and achieved local successes during the 2012 season has been developed to support a junior development squad of 10 riders, which includes the current Scottish Junior Pursuit Champion.
The primary sponsor of Team ASL360 is ASL Vision (a subsidiary of Continental AG), developers of the ASL360 Surround View System, a camera device system designed to overcome blind spot and visibility issues for professional drivers in control of large vehicles such as lorries and buses.
Cycling has become an ever increasing exercise activity for commuting, sport and leisure – according to the CTC website “in London cycle use in 2010 was 150% higher than in 2000 (TfL, 2010).
Sadly, there were 122 cycling related deaths in 2012; as reported in the Times ‘Cities fit for Cycling’ campaign pages “Of the 122 deaths, 106 are known to have taken place due to a collision with a motor vehicle, while a number of the remaining deaths are still being investigated. In 61 of the fatalities, a car was involved. Lorries and HGVs were involved in 25 deaths, vans in ten deaths, coaches or buses in five deaths, taxis in three deaths, and two fatalities occured after a collision with a motorbike.”
ASL Vision, with the development of the ASL 360 Surround View System, aims to achieve the long term goal of making our roads safer. ASL360 is the world’s first ever stand-alone system for industrial vehicles offering the operator a bird’s eye real-time view of the vehicle and its surroundings. The ASL360 surround view system synthesises a bird’s eye image of the vehicle using multiple ultrawide-angle cameras mounted on the front, sides and rear of the vehicle which dramatically increases the visibility for vehicle operators offering a 360 degree real time view around the vehicle.
According to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 53% of cyclists killed by HGV’s were as a result of the left turn blind spot. The ASL 360 system seeks to address those blind spot areas for collision avoidance. In addition the system will address the issues of incidents of damage to vehicle fleet and health and safety, which is a significant cost to vehicle fleet owners and insurance companies.
By supporting a cycling team, ASL Vision and co-sponsors; the Health Boutique based in Uckfield, local bike store Future Cycles in Lewes and Forest Row, APL Aero and Cycle-Clothing.co.uk, are hoping to raise the profile and create awareness around the issues of blind spots and road safety as well as “actively encouraging a sustainable and healthy future in the creation of safer roads”.
John Powell, DS for Team ASL360 said “It is great to have a sponsor such as ASL360 on board. They have a product that could change the future of safety around large vehicles for vulnerable road users. It is also fantastic to see companies wanting to be involved in grass roots cycle sport, from 4th category riders to top level juniors and everything in between”
Felix Saward, Marketing Manager for ASL Vision added “Bringing together, and supporting, an ambitious and exciting group of racing cyclists is fantastic. It gives these guys and girls a platform to not only succeed but to grow and reach their competitive potential. By promoting the ASL360 Surround View System the team is encouraging a sustainable and healthy future through the creation of safer roads and large vehicles.”
The ASL360 system was showcased at the recent London Bike Show with the public launch of Team ASL360.
Further information about the ASL360 system is available via www.asl360.co.uk and you can follow the successes of Team ASL360 via their Facebook page www.facebook.com/teamasl360
