Going for walks in hi vis jackets

07Lapierre

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

I've found that since many towns moved over to LCD lighting, the streets aren't as brightly lit as they were before. Sometimes I don't spot pedestrians/cyclists with no lights crossing the road until I'm nearly on top of them.

Slow down

freshpopcorn

07Lapierre wrote: »

Jesus! If my lights fail, AND if my backup lights fail, I'd question why my lights failed! I couldn't care less what colour vest (or socks or any other piece of clothing) I was wearing!

Well we are different people then. If anything happened to me on the roads and if I was cycling. I'd know I would have taken taken all the advice off the Gardai/RSA regarding light/high visibility jackets and I did my best.
If I left that night with only my lights. I'd believe I would always wonder would the jacket have made a difference.

Ursus Horribilis

07Lapierre wrote: »

Slow down

The cyclists who don't bother with lights are lucky I'm not speeding

07Lapierre

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Well we are different people then. If anything happened to me on the roads and if I was cycling. I'd know I would have taken taken all the advice off the Gardai/RSA regarding light/high visibility jackets and I did my best.
If I left that night with only my lights. I'd believe I would always wonder would the jacket have made a difference.

Wonder no more. If you have lights and your involved in a RTA, a yellow jacket makes as much difference as red polka dot Y fronts!

Use lights, obey the rules of the road and ride defensively and you have done your best! What happens after that is totally beyond your control!

07Lapierre

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

The cyclists who don't bother with lights are lucky I'm not speeding

Agree .... 100%!

freshpopcorn

07Lapierre wrote: »

Wonder no more. If you have lights and your involved in a RTA, a yellow jacket makes as much difference as red polka dot Y fronts!

Use lights, obey the rules of the road and ride defensively and you have done your best! What happens after that is totally beyond your control!

Well to me doing your best is listening to the advice off the Gardai and RSA and wearing a high visibility jacket is a very simple thing to do.
I will listen to the authorities on this matter.

allthedoyles

This could end up with zero tolerance like L-drivers and DUI laws where it could become compulsory to wear hi-vis at certain times .

CalamariFritti

allthedoyles wrote: »

This could end up with zero tolerance like L-drivers and DUI laws where it could become compulsory to wear hi-vis at certain times .

I dont think so. It would be absurd.

And what you compare it with isn't just in the same league but its not the same sports even.

L drivers is a very lenient system to begin with and on top of that its being abused. They're just clamping down on the abuse bit. And not being allowed to drive drunk, come on, that should be an no brainer. Hardly the same as choosing or choosing not to use extra safety measures if you're the extra safety type.

odyssey06

allthedoyles wrote: »

This could end up with zero tolerance like L-drivers and DUI laws where it could become compulsory to wear hi-vis at certain times .

Not necessarily. In some EU countries drivers have to have reflective jackets or warning triangle in their car. In other countries it is just recommended.

Doesn't mean someone who does have them in a car in a country where it is not legally required is asking for it to be made compulsory, or that the recommendation will become law.

AndrewJRenko

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

I've found that since many towns moved over to LCD lighting, the streets aren't as brightly lit as they were before. Sometimes I don't spot pedestrians/cyclists with no lights crossing the road until I'm nearly on top of them.

Sounds like you need to slow down

The Rape of Lucretia

allthedoyles wrote: »

This could end up with zero tolerance like L-drivers and DUI laws where it could become compulsory to wear hi-vis at certain times .

Surely at all times. Not inside your own house, but if leaving it, then everyone should be wearing them at all times, day or night. Higher visibility reduces risk. Its not just for people 'going for walks' - pretty much every one does some walking when they go out.

meeeeh

I don't get what's this obsession with slowing down. If it's 50 zone it's 50 and people should behave accordingly. If it's 100 it's 100. Why should it be necessary to drive slower if the conditions are fine and you are not speeding.

CalamariFritti

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

I've found that since many towns moved over to LCD lighting, the streets aren't as brightly lit as they were before. Sometimes I don't spot pedestrians/cyclists with no lights crossing the road until I'm nearly on top of them.

Lighting or not give them a beep then. Feckers should be looking right and left and only cross the road when its safe to do so.

Ursus Horribilis

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Sounds like you need to slow down

Nope. I keep within the speed limit. There are some badly lit towns out there.

lbc2019

I got a free Hi viz from the RSA- and it fits over my jacket!

lbc2019

meeeeh wrote: »

I don't get what's this obsession with slowing down. If it's 50 zone it's 50 and people should behave accordingly. If it's 100 it's 100. Why should it be necessary to drive slower if the conditions are fine and you are not speeding.

If lighting is poor then conditions are not fine, are they?

odyssey06

CalamariFritti wrote: »

Lighting or not give them a beep then. Feckers should be looking right and left and only cross the road when its safe to do so.

Feckers should be yielding to pedestrians already crossing at a junction who have right of way!

BuboBubo

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

Dogs wearing hi-viz jackets are the best.

We have one for our dog. He's black so it's necessary imo. Wouldn't dream of stepping onto the road without my hi viz on. I live on a narrow road in the sticks. Essential kit.

Edit to add, he's walked on a lead

allthedoyles

BuboBubo wrote: »

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

Dogs wearing hi-viz jackets are the best.

We have one for our dog. He's black so it's necessary imo. Wouldn't dream of stepping onto the road without my hi viz on. I live on a narrow road in the sticks. Essential kit.

All dogs should be on a lead ,then hi vis not necessary.

allthedoyles

BuboBubo wrote: »

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

Dogs wearing hi-viz jackets are the best.

We have one for our dog. He's black so it's necessary imo. Wouldn't dream of stepping onto the road without my hi viz on. I live on a narrow road in the sticks. Essential kit.

All dogs should be on a lead ,then hi vis not necessary.

07Lapierre

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Well to me doing your best is listening to the advice off the Gardai and RSA and wearing a high visibility jacket is a very simple thing to do.
I will listen to the authorities on this matter.

The RSA are not "experts". They have revealed themselves to be very anti-cyclists.....

https://irishcycle.com/2018/12/09/rsa-needs-to-apologise-and-retract-their-article-on-busy-bees-cyclists/

meeeeh

lbc2019 wrote: »

If lighting is poor then conditions are not fine, are they?

Yes they are. If it's fog or similar then no but if it's just dark then they are fine. If you are doing 30 in a 50 zone just because it's dark then you should not be driving because you are danger to others.

In fact where I come you would fail your driving test if you drove like that.

meeeeh

07Lapierre wrote: »

The RSA are not "experts". They have revealed themselves to be very anti-cyclists.....

https://irishcycle.com/2018/12/09/rsa-needs-to-apologise-and-retract-their-article-on-busy-bees-cyclists/

So Road Safety Organization knows nothing about road safety. And we should all do as you say.

Yes I can see how that's sensible...

CalamariFritti

odyssey06 wrote: »

Feckers should be yielding to pedestrians already crossing at a junction who have right of way!

Well thats a whole other story. One I have to admit I never got to the bottom of.

I'm from continental Europe - and I've seen the exact same in the US - where pedestrians have right of way at junctions over vehicles that are turning, but not over vehicles driving straight through. I assume thats what you mean.

Which goes along with pedestrian lights usually being in sync with the road traffic lights. So if a car has a green light and is turning it will drive across a pedestrian crossing that is also having green light at that moment and the turning car now has to yield to the pedestrians. Which then is extended to junctions that have no lights at all.
And it's pretty much observed both by drivers and pedestrians. You want to be watchful just in case, like you always should be on the road, but as a pedestrian you can be confident cars will yield, you wouldn't take your life in your hands.

But when I came to Ireland I noticed all pedestrian lights seemed to have their own cycle independent from the road traffic lights. They go on green when all road traffic lights are on red. So the above situation never arises. And on junctions with no lights pedestrians seem to have no right whatsoever. And pedestrians behave like that too. I have never seen a pedestrian insisting on their right of way over a turning vehicle.

I'm ashamed to admit I'm here for a long time, but never actually looked up the the rules on that. I just do what everyone does. On busy junctions I wont yield when I turn guessing if I did anything else I'd only cause confusion with pedestrians and get beeped at from behind. But when no one is around (behind me) I will yield.

Whats the story with that actually? Anyone want to enlighten me what the law says on this?

freshpopcorn

07Lapierre wrote: »

The RSA are not "experts". They have revealed themselves to be very anti-cyclists.....

https://irishcycle.com/2018/12/09/rsa-needs-to-apologise-and-retract-their-article-on-busy-bees-cyclists/

These and the Gardai are the people who advise us about road safety.
These are the people who are dealing with these issues on the front line.
I'd generally advice people to take the advise of the relevant authorises because it's the sensible thing to do. .

italodisco

Unfortunately the hi viz won't make any difference when tosser drivers are too busy looking at their phones.

Thurs morning on the quays waiting to turn o to the new bridge that brings you over to the ferryman pub / grand canal area, lights go green and the halfwit in front of me has her phone up to the side taking a selfy whilst driving on, I blasted her out of it with the horn, cheeky cow gives me the up yours then jams on as she drove towards pedestrians and didn't notice til last second.....

Damn phones

meeeeh

CalamariFritti wrote: »

Well thats a whole other story. One I have to admit I never got to the bottom of.

I'm from continental Europe - and I've seen the exact same in the US - where pedestrians have right of way at junctions over vehicles that are turning, but not over vehicles driving straight through. I assume thats what you mean.

Which goes along with pedestrian lights usually being in sync with the road traffic lights. So if a car has a green light and is turning it will drive across a pedestrian crossing that is also having green light at that moment and the turning car now has to yield to the pedestrians. Which then is extended to junctions that have no lights at all.
And it's pretty much observed both by drivers and pedestrians. You want to be watchful just in case, like you always should be on the road, but as a pedestrian you can be confident cars will yield, you wouldn't take your life in your hands.

But when I came to Ireland I noticed all pedestrian lights seemed to have their own cycle independent from the road traffic lights. They go on green when all road traffic lights are on red. So the above situation never arises. And on junctions with no lights pedestrians seem to have no right whatsoever. And pedestrians behave like that too. I have never seen a pedestrian insisting on their right of way over a turning vehicle.

I'm ashamed to admit I'm here for a long time, but never actually looked up the the rules on that. I just do what everyone does. On busy junctions I wont yield when I turn guessing if I did anything else I'd only cause confusion with pedestrians and get beeped at from behind. But when no one is around (behind me) I will yield.

Whats the story with that actually? Anyone want to enlighten me what the law says on this?

In fairness pedestrians can't really insist on their right of way unless they want to risk their life. I would always stop and give way to pedestrians on zebra crossings without lights. If there is no zebra crossing then no unless it's safe to do so and I'm in a charitable mood.

07Lapierre

meeeeh wrote: »

So Road Safety Organization knows nothing about road safety. And we should all do as you say.

Yes I can see how that's sensible...

The RSA know a lot, but telling people what they should wear is not in their remit. The use of lights is a legal requirement. Their emphasis should be on getting people to comply with the law. Handing out free vests is a total waste and send out the wrong message.

The Gardai's role is to enforce the laws of the land. If they come across a cyclist cycling at night with no lights, they should confiscate the bike and not hand out a yellow vest and send the cyclist on their way!

07Lapierre

freshpopcorn wrote: »

These and the Gardai are the people who advise us about road safety.
These are the people who are dealing with these issues on the front line.
I'd generally advice people to take the advise of the relevant authorises because it's the sensible thing to do. .

And that's the problem. Their advise is flawed and lots of people are taking their advise.

freshpopcorn

07Lapierre wrote: »

And that's the problem. Their advise is flawed and lots of people are taking their advise.

Well there advise is be safe and be seen. By wearing some high vis and using lights. I don't see why that's a bad thing and why you'd make an issue of something that might make our roads a safer place.