Compulsory Lights & Hi-viz.

[I like Skol]

People will always want to argue or defend their point of view so lets avoid any unnecessary contradiction or belittling of comments that don't align with our own.

There is, of course, no one correct answer and it is very much horses for courses when it comes to being seen when cycling at night.

Adequate lighting that can be clearly seen (without being dazzling please!) from a distance as well as close up and from an angle has got to be your number one starting point.

After that IMO comes good road craft with awareness, positioning and planning playing a huge part in increasing your safety. Avoid putting yourself into danger and use your positioning to prevent other road users from endangering you.

Once you have those two ticked off then you can possibly make some marginal gains in safety with clothing choice. Light colours and retro-reflectives can be very good on dark, unlit roads out of town where you are likely to be directly in front of approaching vehicles and they may well be using full beam. Despite my negative description of hi-viz in previous posts, if I did any significant amounts of cycling on unlit roads and out in the countryside at night I think I would adopt the hi-viz approach (in addition to the good lights and roadcraft). In an urban situation with an abundance of soft light sources I still think the oft despised solid black is the best option because the contrast it provides against the otherwise pale grey-out is a strong visual stimulant for other road users. Mentally you will be drawn to that patch of blackness because of the uncertainty of what it may contain (people, bollards, potholes etc) and the fear of colliding with something unseen. Contrast against the surroundings is what you want to achieve.

 

[classic33]

oh my here i go ..rule 60 of the highway code says amber pedal reflectors MUST be worn after the cut off of '85 ...how many bikes fresh out of the shop have these?? or the facility to fit them?? The up and down motion of pedaling can be seen from a distance with headlights even on dipped and clearly indicate a biker... i wear high viz retro reflective ankle bands to keep my pants out of the chain (also lights and retro reflective jacket)...i feel safer for doing so ...please shoot me down in flames because i would feel more visible on a night for you doing so

If the bike was sold complete, is pedals were fitted at the time of sale.

My pedals, on one cycle, are out in front of me. Any retro reflected light is going to be lost in the light from the front lights.

 

[Alex321]

If the bike was sold complete, is pedals were fitted at the time of sale.

The majority of modern bikes other than fairly entry level seem to be sold without pedals.

My pedals, on one cycle, are out in front of me. Any retro reflected light is going to be lost in the light from the front lights.

Yes, the law doesn't take account of the fact that recumbents are a different shape.

 

[Alex321]

I collect and repair older bikes, many of which were built before '85. However, if I'm going to be out after dark, I will try to have pedal reflectors.

Putting my driver's hat on, I often notice pedal reflectors before seeing anything else so feel they are a good idea. The are low enough to be picked up by dipped lamps and have motion on their side.

It helps of course that I don't use clipless pedals.

Yes. There are very few clipless pedals which even have the facility to ad reflectors, never mind having them as standard.

Based n what else has been said in this thread, I think I'll be getting myself some reflective ankle bands.

I think there are VERY few bikes on the road at the moment which are technically legal after dark, given that so few have pedal reflectors, and hardly any of the bike lights on sale meet the relevant British Standard.

 

[classic33]

How visible are pedal reflectors and retro reflectives in daylight anyway?

In an attempt to get back on the two posts that started this thread.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Some won't be happy until every possible thing drivers can hit is yellow, where again the cry will be "blended in"

As seen above, Stuttgart's trams are bright yellow, quite big and fairly predictable, but Stuttgart's drivers still manage to crash into them with startling regularity...

 

[MontyVeda]

Basically yes - as most of us know by now facts and figures have a tendency to be spun in whatever people want them to say . Common sense I think would give me more chance of survival but feel free to do whatever you feel is safest 👍

only when you read about them in the paper.

If you look at actual stats, you know, the numbers and percentages, they're just figures and haven't been spun.

Haven't you noticed that everyone seems to see the ninja cyclist with no lights, and comments on them being a bloody idiot because they're 'invisible'... yet most SMIDSY reports seem to from cyclists with double lights and full hi-viz.

 

[FishFright]

You can tell that hi viz never works because ambulances are always painted in such drab colours ....

 

[mustang1]

What we should have is compulsory lights for motor vehicles and then we can talk about bikes with lights.

Wait what? Motor vehicles already need lights by law? Ah, same is true for bikes: they need to have lights by law.

 

[classic33]

You can tell that hi viz never works because ambulances are always painted in such drab colours ....

Most are painted in a two-tone pattern on top of a light yellow, some however are still just white, with a two-tone band painted round them at a suitable height.

Counrered by the blue lights and sirens fitted which renders them invisible when they're in use.

 

[MontyVeda]

You can tell that hi viz never works because ambulances are always painted in such drab colours ....

see post #96

 

[Happy_Days]

my solicitor says it will stop the insurance company using my lack of hi vis as an excuse to say I was negligent.

That’s my hi-vis reasoning, too.

 

[Happy_Days]

I just think that the human brain is piss poor at spotting objects travelling in a straight line.
As I've said before, if you suspect a motorist entering from a junction/roundabout that could cause conflict, avoid riding in a straight line.
If you can, weave from side to side to improve the chance of being seen. It’s not much, but I swear I've avoided being hit.

Advanced motorcycling courses teach lateral movement in this circumstance, too.

https://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2008/08/z-line-introduction.html?m=1

 

[MontyVeda]

... my solicitor says it will stop the insurance company using my lack of hi vis as an excuse to say I was negligent.

and if you'd been driving a grey car when the collision happened, what would your solicitor have said about the colour of the car?

A: feck all!

 

[tyred]

and if you'd been driving a grey car when the collision happened, what would your solicitor have said about the colour of the car?

A: feck all!

I agree 100%with your point but I cannot influence a court nor an insurance company. We just have to go along with whatever criteria they apply.