Cyclists are the most vulnerable people on the road, only 5.6% of accidents that involves them ends up without an injury. In Italy, every 35 hours a cyclist dies on the road, and 250 die in a year (Istat).

Continental is one of the forerunners in creating and adopting what are now indispensable safety standards in the mobility industry. Safety is their mission. With the opportunity to be sponsor of the 102nd Giro d’Italia, one of the most important cycling competitions in the world, Continental felt that it was their duty to help keep cyclists safer. The challenge was to bring attention and empathy to the issue of road safety creating a project that would have a significant contribution for cyclists and mobility in general. The final aim? To become the safety sponsor of the road.

Continental Grip Line: the first marking paint which increases road safety. We answered to the challenge with a new product concept, going straight to the root of the problem. Deep diving into road safety issues, we discovered that one of the main causes of road accidents for cyclists are due to the slipperiness of the marking paint which reduces the road grip, becoming a real problem when it rains. This is why the idea of Grip Line was created. It is an innovative marking paint with a revolutionary formula composed by mineral fillers and particulate rubber recycled from end of life tires. A certified test demonstrated that this new paint increased the grip of tires up to 35% in wet conditions, and it provides a high anti skid level of 80 SRT compared to 45 SRT of the traditional one, helping cyclists ride safer.

There are two main target audiences for this project. The first one is all people on the roads, those who Continental wants to keep safe everyday: cyclists, pedestrians, auto and moto drivers, etc. The second one is Italian public administration and municipalities, those that can really make things happen by adopting this kind of technological solution. This is the reason why Milan Design Week was chosen to launch Grip Line and to start raising awareness on safety road issues. Indeed, this event has the power to engage citizens, influence public opinion and start an effective conversation with public administration’s heads through round table discussions and talks about this issue.

To help Continental’s Grip Line come to life, our team was joined by a paint producer partner that allowed the creation of the first prototype. Then, it was submitted to studies and tests with positive results that showed the effectiveness of the idea. To present this new marking paint we created a special exhibition for a week in the heart of Milan Design Week district on April 09th. There people had the opportunity to deep dive into road safety issues through an exhibition of concerning data about cyclist accidents in a creative format; talks and round table with experts from different fields and famous cycling influencers. Above all they were able to touch with their own hands this innovative marking paint and test it on a real road. In this way, people were able to feel how it’s like to have a safer cycling experience.

The response to Continental’s Grip Line innovative marking paint was outstanding. Thousands of citizens participated in the exhibition and tested the prototype, creating hype around the topic under the #saferoads. In just two weeks, more than 150 offline and online articles were written boosting the social media conversation. Furthermore, five Italian towns, including Milan, demonstrated interest in adopting the Grip Line Paint as a marking paint. The first km of cycle lane and cross roads with Continental Grip Line are now a reality; currently, a real life test is running in Milan. This is another important step ahead for Continental’s brand mission: making all roads safer for everyone, every day.