Cyclists - use your lights!

London_Nick

Cycling into work this morning at 6.30am, drizzle, overcast, generally miserable, and I passed about a dozen cyclists. Only 1 (apart from myself) had lights on! All the cars had their lights on, yet the other cyclists seem to think they are more visible in the dark with no illumination??

Am I alone in thinking we are surrounded by stupid people?

UndercoverElephant

Meh, wait 'til winter. Last year I lost count of the number of people I saw without lights in the pitch dark, on unlit national speed limit roads. One of them was texting too.

roger_merriman

Yes I've never got that either I tend to switch on early, and with good powerful lights.

Harveytile

+1 on lighting up early. A bit saddening 'cos it spells the end of summer but better seen than flattened... :shock:

hambones

I presume you mean rear lights - yes, they are a good idea in rain or a murky morning.

Dav3m

Got caught short the other evening, it was only around 8pm but really dark because of heavy rain clouds. Was turning right around a roundabout - woman infront didn't see and emergency stopped just inches away. A big wake up call and made me feel a bit guilty so fitted my lights back onto bike that very evening!

Radioactiveman

London_Nick wrote:

Cycling into work this morning at 6.30am, drizzle, overcast, generally miserable, and I passed about a dozen cyclists. Only 1 (apart from myself) had lights on! All the cars had their lights on, yet the other cyclists seem to think they are more visible in the dark with no illumination??

Am I alone in thinking we are surrounded by stupid people?

Always irritates me when people have one light that is barely visible to the naked eye and seem to think it is acceptable because the area has streetlights. What happens when the lights are out and your piddly candle allows you to get swallowed up by a pothole.

Really worries me that people also think a car driver will be aided sufficiently by streelights and a puny light. If people vaue their life cycling in the dark they should buy something surpassing the bare legal minimum. Here endeth my rant ( PS i see plenty the same when I am on nights cycling in)

Peyote

Once upon a time the CTC campaigned against the legal requirement for cyclists to be forced to use lights at all. The thinking being that drivers should be able to see cyclists on the road with plenty of time to slow down and overtake, i.e. they should be driving to the road/environmental conditions. I can kind of see their point, especially on unlit rural roads without pavements where there is increased potential for other vulnerable road users to be (i.e. pedestrians).

However, times change I suppose...

mikey_748

Reminds me of the thought I had the other day that I should be using small flashing leds front and back at all times, not just when it's murky or dark.

Not certain why cyclists, me included, never do this. Always had the lights on when I had a motorbike and any little help getting the attention of myopic car drivers must be a bonus?

Peyote

The trouble is, if roadusers all start to use lights all the time (DRLs), then roadusers become desensitised to it, and further measures are required to make yourself more visible. A kind of "arms race" develops as users become more and more extravagant in their bids to be seen!

This is why Flouro. clothing has earned the moniker "urban camoflage", it's become so ubiquitous in some locations that it ceases to maintain it's eyecatching raison d'etre.

Not sure what the answer is, but it probably revolves around getting all road users to appreciate others a bit more and learn how to drive and ride more appropriately. I.e. rather than wearing hi-viz to draw motorists eyes towards you, cycle within their line of sight so they don't have to notice you in their periferal vision.

iPete

Peyote wrote:

The trouble is, if roadusers all start to use lights all the time (DRLs), then roadusers become desensitised to it, and further measures are required to make yourself more visible. A kind of "arms race" develops as users become more and more extravagant in their bids to be seen!
.

Reminds me, the arms race is back on with the grey weather,so I've just ordered some of these and need a new rear lights... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sekuclip-Bicycl ... B002Q9N3AM :twisted:

As said, London_Nick wait till its really dark and the ninjas are out..

spotteddolphin

London_Nick wrote:

Cycling into work this morning at 6.30am, drizzle, overcast, generally miserable, and I passed about a dozen cyclists. Only 1 (apart from myself) had lights on! All the cars had their lights on, yet the other cyclists seem to think they are more visible in the dark with no illumination??

Am I alone in thinking we are surrounded by stupid people?

I hear you. Nearly hit a cyclist the other day at night, no lights, no reflective bits. Seriously, it's either ignorance of their lack of visibility to other road users, or a desire to get hit, it's so dangerous.

nickthetrick

Or perhaps you were driving/cycling too fast?

I believe motorway's are the only roads in Britain on which bikes and pedestrains are banned. Maybe fast road users should respect slower road users on other roads.

If we all wear lights it only encourages everyone to go faster.

The CTC's idea to remove the requirement for bikes to have lights would have led to safer roads for everyone... oh well.

DonDaddyD

nickthetrick wrote:

If we all wear lights it only encourages everyone to go faster.

The CTC's idea to remove the requirement for bikes to have lights would have led to safer roads for everyone... oh well.

Come again? How do you come to that conclusion for both points?

tailwindhome

nickthetrick wrote:

Maybe fast road users should respect slower road users on other roads.

Most do

Helps if we meet them halfway and take steps to be visible.

tailwindhome

DonDaddyD wrote:

nickthetrick wrote:

If we all wear lights it only encourages everyone to go faster.

The CTC's idea to remove the requirement for bikes to have lights would have led to safer roads for everyone... oh well.

Come again? How do you come to that conclusion for both points?

DDD it's obvious

If bikes have no lights they become less visible, therefore drivers have to drive slower just in case.

The next logical step is to remove headlights from cars

Simples

garryc

This time last year I bought a small very bright rear light (Blackburn Mars 3). I don't commute (I know this is the commuting forum) and only cycle in daylight. I switched it to flashing mode and was quite surprised at how much more space drivers were giving me. Even on bright sunny days.

Ever since then I always ride with the flashing light.

DonDaddyD

TailWindHome wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

nickthetrick wrote:

If we all wear lights it only encourages everyone to go faster.

The CTC's idea to remove the requirement for bikes to have lights would have led to safer roads for everyone... oh well.

Come again? How do you come to that conclusion for both points?

DDD it's obvious

If bikes have no lights they become less visible, therefore drivers have to drive slower just in case.

The next logical step is to remove headlights from cars

Simples

Ahh! Dailymail logic...

outofbreath2

So maybe everyone should go round with candles. If the candle goes out you're going too fast.

DonDaddyD

garryc wrote:

This time last year I bought a small very bright rear light (Blackburn Mars 3). I don't commute (I know this is the commuting forum) and only cycle in daylight. I switched it to flashing mode and was quite surprised at how much more space drivers were giving me. Even on bright sunny days.

Ever since then I always ride with the flashing light.

In the gloomy winter or generally 'grey days' I tend to use my rear light in the day. If it is particularly dull I will also use my front light.

London_Nick

I think all cyclists should have front and rear lights on, I even do on my commute home if it's cloudy, and quite often just have my front light on flashing in the day, literally just to get some attention and to stop people pulling out in front of me. It DOES make a difference. DRL's will become law next year for all new cars and light vans, so cyclists really will be even harder to spot than we currently are!

ride_whenever

just set yourself on fire...

Agent57

Random stupidity:

redvee

I've got a small led light on my helmet for days like this morning. Grey and drizzly, put a Topeak led on the front for one particular roundabout but I went the other way today so it wasn't needed.

Tonymufc

London_Nick wrote:

Cycling into work this morning at 6.30am, drizzle, overcast, generally miserable, and I passed about a dozen cyclists. Only 1 (apart from myself) had lights on! All the cars had their lights on, yet the other cyclists seem to think they are more visible in the dark with no illumination??

Am I alone in thinking we are surrounded by stupid people?

Already there mate. Leave the house at 05.45 and its bloody dark. How depressed was I when I had to put the lights back on the bike. +1 about seeing others on the road with no lights. A bit counter productive me thinks. Anyway soon be Christmas.

prawny

hambones wrote:

I presume you mean rear lights - yes, they are a good idea in rain or a murky morning.

Front lights are just as important to stop people pulling out on you. Last winter I learnt this when I got a proper front light and suddenly has a lot fewer near misses.

dav1

almost got caught out a couple of days ago. Was commuting home around 7:45 with dark cloud and rain and we aorried i couldn't be seen. Thankfully I got home before the light dropped off too much. I now keep my lights in my bag to be sure.

hambones

prawny wrote:

hambones wrote:

I presume you mean rear lights - yes, they are a good idea in rain or a murky morning.

Front lights are just as important to stop people pulling out on you. Last winter I learnt this when I got a proper front light and suddenly has a lot fewer near misses.

I know what you are saying about front lights but I would disagree in this instance. Things happening ahead of you should be within your control . Then again I have never had someone pull out on me but I put that down to good road positioning, roadsense(TM) (next level up from CycleCraft!), observation and no doubt some luck!




(Tongue-in-cheek elements maybe contained within the above post!)

essex-commuter

hambones wrote:

observation and MOSTLY luck

Edited that for you.

gbsahne001

just taken delivery of a battery mudguard light, with reflector; £8.

Should overcome the problem of being seen on the BSO, now that a saddlepack obscures the seatpost.

Zombie_donkey

A kid went past me with yellow tyre-flys on. They really stood out.

I assume they are as chav as LED washer jets on cars but they were damn effective.