Hi-Viz / reflective - pros & cons.

[Drago]

Technically black is not a colour.

 

[mjr]

In Autumn , or if you have Rape fields locally, yellows fade in, but darker colours can stand out

The daffodils are coming out now. There are fields of yellow most of the year. Whoever promotes hi viz yellow must be a townie. And then it makes our historic townscapes fugly, so they must be from a brutalist town somewhere. Cyclists for the Prevention of Cruelty to Views, anyone?

Could it be that motorists realise the days of their ugly cars mucking up nice scenery are numbered so they want to make cycling uglier to get it banned from conservation areas and listed landscapes too?

 

[SeanM]

I bought some reflective tape a few years ago that i cut into strips and have stapled onto the dangly bits of my rucksack. Never been knocked over from behind, so i can claim with absolutely no certainty at all, it may have helped.

 

[Hacienda71]

If it is overcast I just put my rear light on.

 

[winjim]

It's also the highest contrast choice under modern blue-white LED streetlights. "Hi viz" appears a dull grey as the fluorescence doesn't happen.

It seems to work fine and dandy under the newfangled streetlights round here. Even if it doesn't fluoresce, it's still bright orange or yellow or whatever. It's the old style orange sodium lights which are the problematic ones.

 

[djmc]

Whether or not you personally favour hi-vis, one should be aware that in France it is mandatory for cyclists to wear it in the dark. This is by no means always done but one should be aware of this if riding in France. It is also obligatory to carry in in ones vehicle when driving. As a general point I think that while one may be hit even if one is lit up like a Christmas tree, nevertheless it is a good idea to be as noticeable as possible, and wearing day-glo yellow with reflective flashes helps in this. In cases of the gloomy half-light which is quite common round here in winter, but also in Britain, I find that such jackets show up much better than lights.

 

[glenn forger]

Ponder the fact that the countries where cyclists wear the least hi vis are the safest countries to cycle in.

 

[Spinney]

Ah, but which is cause and which is effect?

The country is safe to cycle in, so cyclists don't feel as much need to wear hi-vis.

Or

Not wearing hi-vis keeps you safer.

 

[mjr]

Ah, but which is cause and which is effect?

The country is safe to cycle in, so cyclists don't feel as much need to wear hi-vis.

Or

Not wearing hi-vis keeps you safer.

Cover both bases: tell people not to wear hi viz and push to make the country safer to cycle in!

 

[steveindenmark]

This is as personal as helmets and we will never agree on this between ourselves.

I wear a viz vest on my bike and on my motorbike because I want to. I think they do help and they keep me warmer.

Put someone in a viz vest 500m away and you will notice them quicker than the person on the other side of the road not wearing one. If people disagree with that they are in denial and there is no point in discussing it with them.

This is of course only a starting point in the discussion.

 

[Drago]

Put someone in a viz vest 500m away and you will notice them quicker than the person on the other side of the road not wearing one.

sorry, that is not the case. ALSAR are participating in data gathering on this very topic in order to this national policy on their use for the UKSAR member groups, and were not finding any evidence that hi vis garments make you any more conspicuous than regular clothing. Indeed, we've discovered that in good light yellow high vis makes it harder for an observer to acquire someone against a rural background, especially trees in leaf. Orange hi vis at least doesn't suffer this particular handicap, but otherwise is still not proving any more conspicuous than normal clothing. Experiments with the Northumbrian Rain Dance show that wearers of such gear become invisible at the same distance as conventional clothing.

 

[Banjo]

Not scientific but waiting for 2 other riders in light drizzle I saw the one with an orange jacket muchearlier than the one in grey.

 

[classic33]

Isn't contrast better than bright colours alone?

 

[Drago]

We're finding movement is the biggest factor in spotting our personnel, just like a T-Rex!

 

[User33236]

I find my choice of bike lighting has more affect on drivers perception that what I wear... even in the daytime. I have everything from white through to back clothing including the hi-viz and reflective stuff in-between.