Haiku street signs in NYC

The 'curbside haiku' initiative brings bright graphic signs and playful haikus to the streets of New York City. Photo / designboom.com

A new road safety initiative in New York combines bold colours, clever haiku wordplay and a strong message about road safety awareness to good effect. There are 12 designs accompanied by a haiku or a QR code that reveals the poem when scanned with a smartphone. One example, "Car stops near bike lane/ Cyclist entering raffle/ Unwanted door prize" shows one of the dangers for cyclists.

Bikes donated to victims of slavery and abuse
More than just a green form of transportation, the bicycle can be a tool of empowerment for victims of hardship. An organisation called 88bikes has just launched their latest project Asha 2012, which calls for people to make an $88 donation to provide bicycles to girls from Eastern Europe and South East Asia who have been victims of abuse and slavery.

Algorithm detects cars about to run red lights
Human error plays a significant part in road accidents and despite good instincts and rapid reaction times - serious accidents still occur. To decrease the chances of accidents being caused by human error, MIT researchers have been developing an algorithm that could predict whether a driver is about to run a red light or do something dangerous. This should give other drivers the opportunity to react defensively.