Community Success Stories

Pedestrians are no match for moving vehicles. They are the victims in about 20 % of global road traffic deaths and, unfortunately, zebra crossings often provide a false sense of security. 

Hungary has more pedestrian fatalities than the EU on average but all that is changing – in Hungary and, increasingly, globally – thanks to Visible Crossing Ltd and its collaboration with the Enterprise Europe Network. 

Visible Crossing Ltd is the Hungarian SME behind SafeXOne, an intelligent Wi-Fi- and IoT-based system designed to prevent pedestrian traffic accidents and deaths at zebra crossings. The company’s co-founder and CEO, László Nagy, is the creator and product developer who has been leading the company since its inception. Edit Varga joined the company in 2022. A 'jack of all trades' in this small and growing company, she supports Nagy, liaises with customers and actively participates in SafeXOne's licensing procedures. 

"The seed was sown in 2015 when our CEO passed a poorly lit zebra crosswalk in his car one grey, dawn morning, contemplating the potential consequences – only to find an ambulance and seriously injured pedestrian when returning some 15 minutes later," Varga explained. Research began immediately and by 2019, Visible Crossing’s SafeXOne system prototype was being tested in real conditions. Series production began in 2020.

SafeXOne: a pioneering pedestrian safety system slashes hit-and-run accidents in Hungary

The SafeXOne intelligent system is practically plug-and-play, with design and functionality that set it apart from its competitors. Customers easily install two columns on each side of the crossing with no need to destroy the pavement. Motion sensors detect a pedestrian’s intention to cross the road. With no false alarms, the system warns drivers with a directional flashing yellow light.

Powered with solar panels and a battery, functionality is guaranteed even in cloudy weather for up to 2 weeks. In addition, the company and its customers can remotely monitor real-time data including crossing statistics, environmental conditions and system functionality from all installations. SafeXOne is also self-monitoring, sending alerts to Visible Crossing’s servers, supporting maintenance and safety. 

Though perhaps the most important – and impactful – feature of SafeXOne when it comes to safety is its laser lighting system. "SafeXOne provides ankle-level activated laser light illumination of pedestrians as they cross the street, unparalleled in addressing the most dangerous conditions: reduced or inadequate lighting at dusk, at night, and in rain or fog as well as ‘blind driving’ caused by the headlights of oncoming traffic," explained Nagy. The facts speak for themselves. "Where the SafeXOne system was installed, the number of accidents has been reduced to zero," noted Varga.