Reflective Clothing Psychology - Your Thoughts...

[tinywheels]

I speak from experience as a driver. The thing that catches my attention and identifies a cyclist most easily, is a set of pedal reflectors. Bright lights dazzle and also get lost in the night time sea of traffic and city light. I find reflectors much more dynamic.

I too own and drive a car. Therefore I am able to appreciate how drivers perceive us.
Unfortunately a lot of motorists are just twats, as are many cyclists.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I speak from experience as a driver. The thing that catches my attention and identifies a cyclist most easily, is a set of pedal reflectors. Bright lights dazzle and also get lost in the night time sea of traffic and city light. I find reflectors much more dynamic.

Badly aimed lights if of any brightness have more of an effect for everyone elses eyes imo. Something I have brought up every single year multiple times regarding clubmates.

 

[mickle]

It's all about communicating what you are, where you are plus your direction of travel and speed. Flashing lights are great in this respect because they are so inextricably associated with cyclists. Reflectors or reflective tape is most effective when attached to moving parts - legs, pedals, cranks, wheels - because they allow you to paint a 3D picture of a moving cyclist in a way that a solitary flashing light cannot. Squares of retro reflective tape stuck to the rims between every spoke hole brings your wheels to life. Just stickering half of the rim introduces a 'flash' / on-off effect which catches the eye. It's worth bearing in mind that drivers attention, like their headlights, is mostly focused on an area between the road in front of them and the horizon. It follows that lights and reflectors should be concentrated lower down for maximum visual impact. And in human perception something low down registers as 'near to' whilst something higher up registers as 'far away'. Hi-viz yellow serves no useful purpose at night.

 

[Xipe Totec]

I don't disagree with you. My background & experience sounds similar to yours (decades of motorcycling & cycling) & the dayglo-clownsuit approach is as likely to mark you as a target for some of the furious car-driving psychopaths out there as it is to motivate them to demonstrate consideration. As has been mentioned dayglo's useless in the dark, and the unpleasant reality is that when a driver can't be arsed looking, you could be riding around on fire and they'd still mow you down.

Lights, moving reflectors, lights, confident road-positioning & manoeuvering, lights, and bold colours in daytime - I like red, as it's the fastest (in my case substituting a 't' for the first 's') colour and I need all the help I can get.

 

[tinywheels]

I was taught to ride a motorcycle in 1976 by an ex police motorcyclist. Defensive driving/motorcycling or cycling. call it what you want, his advice has stood the test of time.
That style of road craft will save your bacon. However I'm taking no chances, so it's Day-Glo,lights and whistle for me.

 

[winjim]

I have an issue with this, maybe as a result of riding in a rural rather than an urban environment.
I don't want to be identified as a cyclist, I want to be identified as a road user, flashing front lights and the like immediately say cyclist, and cyclists are slow and hold up motorists. My experience was that I got pulled out on far more often when I ran flashing front lights and was bedecked in typical cyclist PPE, rather than just running a steady front light.

I'm talking generally BTW, I do understand you're talking about reflectors

I'm also coming at it from the point of view of a driver who is sympathetic to cyclists so wants them to be identified as such. I find the modern bright lights, both on motor vehicles and bicycles, really unpleasant. Flashing lights, chase pattern indicators, DRLs, those weird ones that switch on and off when you go round corners, they're dazzling and aggressive, and don't properly convey to me the information I need. It's noise but it's confusing noise, like being constantly yelled at in a language I don't understand.

Reflectors are nice and peaceful and calming amd friendly...

 

[winjim]

It follows that lights and reflectors should be concentrated lower down for maximum visual impact. And in human perception something low down registers as 'near to' whilst something higher up registers as 'far away'.

Mudguard reflectors, now you're talking my language.

 

[MichaelW2]

Hi viz reflective clothing is especially good at protecting hit cyclists from lawyers.

 

[tinywheels]

I find when driving hi viz alerts me to something that requires attention. As do strobe lights. Never been hit yet,we'll only by an irate pedestrian. They took offence to my whistle as I approached from behind.

 

[newfhouse]

Hi viz reflective clothing is especially good at protecting hit cyclists from lawyers.

Looks crap though.

 

[tinywheels]

my showers pass gear is quite sexy,and keeps me dry and toasty.
not all hi viz gear is utilitarian.

 

[stoatsngroats]

I like lights, 2 front, 2 rear plus flashing bar ends if needed too. And additional reflective tape on both mud flaps.
I do like the fully reflective jackets too, can’t remember the name of the one Mrs SnG has….
I think the more the better, especially on dark country lanes….
After, anything that can attract attention raises the possibility that a driver might see you.
Lights don’t have to be dazzling… just there….

 

[tinywheels]

you may like this company's products
guardian angel
I got mine via chum in the USA,but they do ship here. If a driver fails to see this they should not be driving.

 

[Drago]

Remember that over bright daytime lights actjally increase the chance of Mavis Cager scooping you off your bike (please, for the love of God, don't ask me again to explain the mechanism behind this).

Things that intuitively seem a good idea in the name of safety rarely are.

 

[tinywheels]

Remember that over bright daytime lights actjally increase the chance of Mavis Cager scooping you off your bike (please, for the love of God, don't ask me again to explain the mechanism behind this).

Things that intuitively seem a good idea in the name of safety rarely are.

do you have link to a study please