London cyclists use digital button to mark hazards in traffic - while simultaneously sending emails to the Mayor of London in real-time

With their unique airbags for urban cyclists, the Swedish company Hövding has revolutionized the cycling world. Now, the company wants to help turn London into a cycle-friendly city. By using a digital button, cyclists will be giving a beep to show the Mayor of London that dangerous streets are in great need of improvement.

London is in many ways a great city. It’s also one of the world’s busiest cities, but lack of high quality cycle lanes and dangerous road layouts and junctions can make London feel like a very unsafe city to travel in by bike. Surveys show that hundreds of thousands of people want to cycle, but are too scared. This is something that Hövding, with the support of Mynewsdesk, wants to change with their initiative ‘Give a Beep’. The initiative will collect data about hazardous streets and junctions for cycling in London, by providing cyclists with a digital button to put on their handlebars or directly on their clothes.

- London is a world metropolis and has every possibility to be a safe cycle-city. More people should be able to cycle and feel safe while doing so, but today’s infrastructure doesn’t allow it. Therefore, would we like to highlight the issue and push forward the campaign for safer cycling, letting cyclists themselves to report about the places that need improving. It’s important for us to contribute to a safe cycle-environment – with the perspective of the cyclists as a focus, says Anna Katarina Skogh, Marketing Director at Hövding.

The button is connected via Bluetooth to the cyclist’s phone through the app ‘Flic’. When the cyclist presses the button, data is generated from that particular place to a map on the campaign site, which is updated in real-time. The purpose is to mark and draw attention to all unsafe streets and junctions in London. Beyond this, cyclists will give a beep about the unsafe cycle environments. Every time they press the button an email is sent to the Mayor to make him aware and encourage him to keep his promise to ‘make London a byword for cycling’ by making it safe and enjoyable for everyone to cycle.

As a first step, 500 digital buttons will be distributed to members and supporters of the London Cycling Campaign, the world’s largest urban cycling campaign, who, with 12 000 members, and 30 000 supporters, lobby for better conditions for cycling in the capital.

- By committing to the London Cycling Campaign’s Sign for Cycling pledges, the new Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has promised to make cycling in London safe and enjoyable for everyone. The 500 Londoners giving him a beep will hopefully remind him to get on with fulfilling those pledges, as a matter of urgency, says Amy Summers, Campaign Coordinator, London Cycling Campaign.

Learn more about the initiative here: www.giveabeep.org

For more information, please contact:

Anna Katarina Skogh
Email: anna-katarina.skogh@hovding.com
Phone: + 46 (0)76-046 44 32

Amy Summers
Email: amy@lcc.org.uk
Phone: +44 0)797 9757 100

About Hövding

During the last three years, Hövding’s airbag helmet for cyclists has been launched internationally and is now on 15 markets in Europe and Japan. Hövding is sold in över 600 stores and on hovding.com. Just in Sweden, Hövding is available in more than 100 stores. The company has 22 employees in Malmö, Sweden. Hövding was noted on Nasdaq First North on June 16^th 2015.

About London Cycling Campaign

London Cycling Campaign is a 12 000-strong membership charity, who campaigns to make sure that everyone who cycles, or wants to cycle, has a voice in Greater London. London Cycling Campaign strives for a city that encourages Londoners to cycle, creating a healthier and happier place for everyone.

About Mynewsdesk

Mynewsdesk is the world's leading all-in-one brand newsroom and multimedia PR (public relations) platform. Over 5,000 brands as diverse as Post Office, Vision Express, Dreams, Costa Coffee, Panasonic, Sony, Axa PPP Healthcare, Visit Scotland, Neopost, Stroke Association and Virgin Trains use their Mynewsdesk newsrooms to publish and distribute their content, achieve greater visibility across search and social media, connect with key influencers, and tell their stories.