Ridersmate could be a great safety gizmo for riders who like to ride alone or adventure riders who visit remote places.
These riders run the risk of crashing off the road into bushes and not being found for some time.
Now British telecommunications engineer David Coleman has developed the Ridersmate which automatically sends a text message to alert people that you have fallen off your bike.
The Ridersmate unit is clipped on to your jacket or belt via a carabiner with a curly cord attached to your bike. If the connection breaks, it send a text message via GPRS (general packet radio service).
That message can be sent to up to three different people of your choice. The message is repeated a minute later in case they miss the first message.
It includes GPS coordinates and altitude, along with the time of the crash and the speed at which you were traveling when it happened.
The last issue may be of concern to some people! I can also see a future scenario where insurance companies require you to wear one of these if you are considered a high crash risk.
Riders can also send a call for help manually if they break down, by pressing the device’s SOS button.
If you accidentally send a message by forgetting to unclip when you get off your bike, plugging the cord back in sends a second message that tells everyone to ignore the first message.
Ridersmate can also use GPS coordinates, altitude, heading and speed to log your travels.
The included battery should hold enough charge for a day’s ride of about eight hours.
The product is available in Australia through xenonOz.
As the video above shows, it could also be used by cyclists and horse riders.