Volvo's invisible spray paint illuminates when caught in headlights

Swedish car maker Volvo has invented an invisible spray paint that illuminates as bright white at night when it is hit by car headlights.

Searching for a way to make cyclists more visible when they ride around cities, the manufacturer developed the LifePaint spray that reflects headlights as an eye-catching white but otherwise remains unseen.

"When you apply it to a surface the reflective particles stick together with a special adhesive making the spray invisible by day but light up at night in the glare of headlights," said Volvo's Anders Wellving in the video on YouTube.

With over 19,000 bicyclists involved in accidents each year in the UK, Volvo developed the paint to help them stick out at night.

It is hoped the spray will draw drivers' attentions to cyclists who ride at night, especially in European cities where streets are much older, smaller and more densely populated with traffic than they were intended to be when they were built.