Surely you've found yourself wondering where a particular invention suddenly appears on the market came from, and why. Sometimes it involves very complex devices, and other times, it's much simpler, at least in appearance, since these can be the most difficult to develop efficiently.
This is the case of Help Flash , which, like all innovations, was born to solve a problem . If you continue reading, you'll learn from its inventor, Jorge Torre , his story of analysis, effort, technical knowledge, and sheer determination that culminated in the creation of a light that could save lives.
A problem
Although you can currently find the Help Flash for sale in many garages, gas stations, or large stores, what you may not know is that the original idea for this innovative signaling system was born as a result of a professional need related to emergency lights in the police field, and occupational safety .
Its inventor, a Civil Guard officer by profession and then assigned to specialized investigation units, discovered some problems with the conventional mobile lighting systems used in vehicles during police emergencies, known in police jargon as "pirulos." These beacons, which in emergency situations must be placed on the roof of the police vehicle, are not autonomous and are connected to the vehicle's power supply via the cigarette lighter using a flexible or curly cable.
This characteristic means that during high-speed driving, the cable can obstruct the driver's vision or interfere with arm movements. It also forces them to drive with the windows open, creating a high level of noise and vibration that interferes with telecommunications coordination. To avoid these situations, most users chose to place the "pirulo" on the right side of the vehicle, the least visible to traffic and therefore the most dangerous.
Furthermore, if this weren't enough, in many cases, due to the movements of the vehicle or the driver, it was necessary to secure the beacon plug to the cigarette lighter to ensure it wouldn't disconnect. Another problematic situation detected by Jorge Torre occurs when the device is activated by connecting it to the cigarette lighter. Inside the vehicle, its light output, when activated, temporarily blinded the user just before the emergency exit.
Deeply involved in road and workplace safety, after discovering this situation, Jorge proposed removing the cable from the mobile emergency lights and immediately unleashed his most creative side to propose an alternative.
A solution
Motivated to solve this serious problem, Jorge begins designing a new beacon that can operate autonomously, wirelessly, and intuitively, so that its activation does not depend on a plug or button , and that it cannot be activated inside the passenger compartment to avoid temporary glare.
At the same time, it must be effective once placed in its natural and most visible location: the vehicle's roof. Sound familiar? This is the basis of Help Flash... Accustomed to the technological challenges arising from the lack of resources in a police force like the Civil Guard, Jorge uses his knowledge of magnetic induction bodies, the fruit of his inventive career, to design Help Flash 's most emblematic innovation : its automatic magnetic activation , which today identifies all of the brand's devices, making them the most intuitive and safe on the market: a magnetic switch that only works on certain ferrous surfaces, activating the electronic circuit only when placed on them, and deactivating it when the device is removed.
This sensor, combined with lithium-ion technology and the latest innovations in LED lighting, led to the birth of the Help Flash professional lighting units, which, while representing a technological leap forward in this class of instruments, proved to be insufficiently competitive.
Why not one light for all drivers?
However, this was only the beginning of the race for the automatic autonomous Help Flash lights towards their most important purpose: saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of people on the roads .
Torre, a great connoisseur of the serious problems associated with the signalling of stops due to breakdowns or accidents , is fully aware of the potential of this innovative equipment to improve road safety, but faces a more complicated challenge, converting its intuitive lights into true signalling instruments in critical situations , and also achieving that society recognises this new system as an alternative to the current and inefficient signalling triangles, which force the driver to expose themselves to the danger of traffic in an emergency situation on the road and which every year cause dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries on Spanish roads .
The new challenge was expected to be more important and technically complicated than that of the police lights, as the new device would not only be a daily work tool, but would also have to be equipped with very special features to guarantee its effectiveness throughout its useful life, with manufacturing costs that would result in a low price for the public.
In addition to the automation that guaranteed its intuitive use in stressful situations , it would have to include features that matched the needs of users: reduced weight and dimensions , allowing it to be operated with one hand and suitable storage to reduce the danger in the event of an accident.
Powered by a simple commercial battery , within reach of any driver, but which also guarantees its operation at any time after a long period of inactivity, given that it would be a device that in some cases would only be used once or twice in its entire useful life.
High-quality materials that can withstand adverse weather conditions and do not deteriorate over time.
2016, a key date
After numerous tests, with the collaboration of CTAG and with the support of its partner Jorge Costas , a colleague in the Civil Guard and partner in this project, in 2016 Help Flash A Light To Save Lives was born, the first team in the world designed to offer all drivers the necessary safety in the most difficult moments .
A reference light signal, conceived and designed specifically to improve road safety and to function properly in any conditions. So, although after more than five years of experience, similar products can currently be found on the market, we are certain that none of them bear the imprint of the Help Flash spirit of protection, responsibility, and safety that we owe to its creator.
Help flash is the only signal designed to be used by the driver without thinking.
