A company called Darkside Scientific has teamed up with Progressive Insurance to bring to light a better and amazing way to make motorcycles more visible to other drivers at night. Darkside has done the research and come up with a paint that will light up with just the flick of a switch, and the applications are endless. However after teaming up with custom painters who had experimented with Photoluminescent paint which requires charging, be it sun or black light, they came up with a practical application.

Biking is a way of life, and the riding does not stop when the sun goes down, so safety is of the utmost concern. One customer painter, when asked to do a custom job on a friends bike, decided to go the extra mile. With the thought of having to be seen to be safe, he ended up at the door step of Darkside Scientific. The results are amazing and are showcased in the video below, and not only does the motorcycle light up, but the helmet as well. This type of application requires no special tools or hardware, just the ability to paint and to wire.

The video was made with Progressive Insurance as part of their ‘Apron Project’ which is used to highlight innovations and those that bring something new to the table in the name of safety. They get hundreds of applicants to participate in this project, and Darkside not only got promotion but a full-scale video to go with it. Safety is the name of the game with the electroluminescent paint used on the motorcycle parts shown here, and the result is not only safety but one incredible paint job.

Darkside Scientific is based in Medina Ohio, and the applications for this break-through paint is endless, from fun to functional. Many rural neighborhoods rely on little plastic people to warn of children playing, and many kids play into the evening hours in the summer. Imagine that little sign lit up, and how much more visible it would be to drivers. Bicycle riders would also benefit from this type of lit from within paint to make riding in the evening just that much more safe. Christmas trees, clothing, cars and more would add not only function but some super fun aspects to using this paint.

Many companies are jumping on the band wagon, and some are even offering training on how to paint and wire this innovative new product for the mere sum of $297.00. Darkside, however is the first to apply this technology to motorcycles, which will help to illuminate those night riders, and give them an extra layer of protection. If this helps even a small percentage of accidents to be avoided then it will be worth it. In 2012 nearly 5,000 people died in motorcycle accidents, and 93,000 were injured. With the price of gas the number of riders increases each year, and going back to 2012 there were 8.5 million riders. This was two years ago, and with the economy of late, one can only imagine what these numbers are up to today.

By Kristi Cereska

Sources:

Darkside Scientific

Progressive

Lit Coat

Insurance Information Institute

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