Hi vis discussion thread (read post #1)

xckjoo · 15-11-2019 2:25pm

GreeBo wrote: »

I was contemplating this last night in the rain and traffic.

I think when people say "I didnt see you" its not that they cant see cyclists (or pedestrians) its that they cant easily distinguish them from vehicular traffic.
I actually think the big bright white lights make this problem worse.
If a driver looks in their mirror and sees a bright white light, they can be forgiven for assuming thats a car and that, like all other cars that are behind them on the road that car is in the same lane as they are.
but if its a bike its not in the same lane, and subject to the same rules as cars are.

I suggest that bikes should have a specific coloured light that isnt white.
In the same way that we use flashing blue lights to alert people to the fact that the vehicle with these lights isnt a regular vehicle and that it may not behave as they would expect (driving the wrong way down the road for example, not obeying traffic lights, etc, etc)

I think if all bike lights were yellow (for example) it would be immediately obvious to everyone that that "thing" is a bike and that it needs special consideration and extra care that is not required when its just a car behind you.

Thoughts?

I use blinking lights for this reason. It does a few different patterns. But to be honest I think the bigger factor is 1) some people just aren't looking so won't see you no matter what and 2) the people that cycle like d1cks won't be bothered with sufficient lighting no matter what.

magicbastarder · 15-11-2019 2:29pm

i use two lights on the front, partly just for redundancy. one is set to blink and one on steady.
someone once told me, or i read somewhere, that a blinking light delays the perception of depth, hence once steady light, but by the same token i don't want them both steady because i once had a quarter second of 'is that a car in the distance or a cyclists with two lights much closer' when i spotted two lights heading towards me.

Grassey · 15-11-2019 4:00pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i use two lights on the front, partly just for redundancy. one is set to blink and one on steady.
someone once told me, or i read somewhere, that a blinking light delays the perception of depth, hence once steady light, but by the same token i don't want them both steady because i once had a quarter second of 'is that a car in the distance or a cyclists with two lights much closer' when i spotted two lights heading towards me.

I've the same setup. 1 blinking, 1 solid. Have 2 rear see.sense at the rear though at different flash patterns.

GreeBo · 15-11-2019 5:24pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i use two lights on the front, partly just for redundancy. one is set to blink and one on steady.
someone once told me, or i read somewhere, that a blinking light delays the perception of depth, hence once steady light, but by the same token i don't want them both steady because i once had a quarter second of 'is that a car in the distance or a cyclists with two lights much closer' when i spotted two lights heading towards me.

blinking lights are a terrible distraction though, especially at the lumens currently available.
You dont want to dazzle someone so they hit the guy in front just because they were checking for you behind them!

xckjoo wrote: »

I use blinking lights for this reason. It does a few different patterns. But to be honest I think the bigger factor is 1) some people just aren't looking so won't see you no matter what and 2) the people that cycle like d1cks won't be bothered with sufficient lighting no matter what.

1) You cant do anything about that
2) You cant do anything about that either!

I just think that something that distinguishes a bike would mean that for the majority of drivers who glance in their mirrors before making a move, they can quickly determine that there is something there worth a second look.
today a glance that shows a bright white light can easily be dismissed as just belonging to a car behind that they dont need to worry about.

07Lapierre · 15-11-2019 5:28pm

GreeBo wrote: »

blinking lights are a terrible distraction though, especially at the lumens currently available.

I find a blinking front light is good for getting a drivers attention when filtering on the left. set your light at handlebar height and it reflects in passenger door mirrors.

GreeBo · 15-11-2019 5:56pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

I find a blinking front light is good for getting a drivers attention when filtering on the left. set your light at handlebar height and it reflects in passenger door mirrors.

on an otherwise empty road its brilliant, but on a road already busy with traffic (and the associated lights) it becomes much harder for a driver to figure out what they are looking at.

eeeee · 15-11-2019 6:23pm

GreeBo wrote: »

on an otherwise empty road its brilliant, but on a road already busy with traffic (and the associated lights) it becomes much harder for a driver to figure out what they are looking at.

In my experience, drivers don't see a steady light at all.
I have a 40k a day commute, 2 front lights, one's a dimish strobe. The difference if the strobe isn't on is huge. Drivers don't see me, close pass, drive at or into me.
The other light is very bright and on a gentle on-off.
Both pointed down.
I wouldn't cycle without a flashing light in front and behind, 100% of my experience of riding with steady lights only confirms this.

GreeBo · 15-11-2019 6:43pm

eeeee wrote: »

In my experience, drivers don't see a steady light at all.
I have a 40k a day commute, 2 front lights, one's a dimish strobe. The difference if the strobe isn't on is huge. Drivers don't see me, close pass, drive at or into me.
The other light is very bright and on a gentle on-off.
Both pointed down.
I wouldn't cycle without a flashing light in front and behind, 100% of my experience of riding with steady lights only confirms this.

Thats the entire point of my original post.
They dont "see" a bright bike light because it looks just like a car light and a driver doesnt need to worry about car lights because stay in car lanes and follow set paths, bikes dont, the could be inside you, outside you and going from one to to the other.

It's not that the bike lights aren't seen, its that in the 1s a driver might glance in the mirror, they dont realise what they are seeing is "not a car".

Warning, facetious, over-exaggerated example ahead:
If I dressed up as a tree, in broad daylight and stood on the side of the road I bet very few cyclists (or drivers) would notice me. A tree isn't something you need to worry about on a bike or in car. However if I did it at a pedestrian crossing and you hit me I'd probably be shouting at you "How did you not see me? Im dressed up as a 15 foot tree for gods sake?!"
You saw me, but you filed me under "things I dont need to worry about"

tomasrojo · 15-11-2019 7:27pm

GreeBo wrote: »

Thats the entire point of my original post.
They dont "see" a bright bike light because it looks just like a car light and a driver doesnt need to worry about car lights because stay in car lanes and follow set paths, bikes dont, the could be inside you, outside you and going from one to to the other.

It's not that the bike lights aren't seen, its that in the 1s a driver might glance in the mirror, they dont realise what they are seeing is "not a car".

Warning, facetious, over-exaggerated example ahead:
If I dressed up as a tree, in broad daylight and stood on the side of the road I bet very few cyclists (or drivers) would notice me. A tree isn't something you need to worry about on a bike or in car. However if I did it at a pedestrian crossing and you hit me I'd probably be shouting at you "How did you not see me? Im dressed up as a 15 foot tree for gods sake?!"
You saw me, but you filed me under "things I dont need to worry about"

I know people keep inventing commercial variations of these (quoted two pages back) and they never take off, but they actually do solve -- to my satisfaction anyway, by little waves or feigned face rubs or whatever you judge won't anger motorists -- most of the problems mentioned on this page, as well as helping with signalling and side-on visibility.

As I said, to _my_ satisfaction. They definitely haven't caught on, and variations have been around for decades now.

tomasrojo wrote: »

You know where that sort of thinking brings you ... It's a lonely place; current population: 1 (approx.)

07Lapierre · 15-11-2019 9:35pm

GreeBo wrote: »

on an otherwise empty road its brilliant, but on a road already busy with traffic (and the associated lights) it becomes much harder for a driver to figure out what they are looking at.

Nah they know it’s a bicycle coming towards them on the left/inside. I know this because quite a few move out to give me space to pass (or they are afraid I’ll damage their passenger side mirror)

GreeBo · 15-11-2019 9:42pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

Nah they know it’s a bicycle coming towards them on the left/inside. I know this because quite a few move out to give me space to pass (or they are afraid I’ll damage their passenger side mirror)

Some do, most don't.

So either they can't see your light, unlikely, or they don't comprehend that it's a bike.

GreeBo · 15-11-2019 9:45pm

tomasrojo wrote: »

I know people keep inventing commercial variations of these (quoted two pages back) and they never take off, but they actually do solve -- to my satisfaction anyway, by little waves or feigned face rubs or whatever you judge won't anger motorists -- most of the problems mentioned on this page, as well as helping with signalling and side-on visibility.

As I said, to _my_ satisfaction. They definitely haven't caught on, and variations have been around for decades now.

For me they suffer from the same issue, they blend.

Why do emergency vehicles have blue lights?
Why do service vehicles have orange lights?

tomasrojo · 15-11-2019 9:47pm

GreeBo wrote: »

For me they suffer from the same issue, they blend.

Why do emergency vehicles have blue lights?
Why do service vehicles have orange lights?

They don't blend if you move them around, which you can do if you think someone's about to make a move.

I have to say, this issue of cars moving into your path anywhere other than at junctions isn't a major issue for me. I mostly know when they're going to do it, and the problem is making them see you before they do it. The other option is just to stop and let them do it, which I do more often.

(I used to have yellow lights, but they're hard to get now in small sizes. It's all whites or reds now.)

07Lapierre · 15-11-2019 9:51pm

GreeBo wrote: »

Some do, most don't.

So either they can't see your light, unlikely, or they don't comprehend that it's a bike.

Either way, I find they move over to the right as I pass (I give them a thumbs up as I pass too)

tomasrojo · 15-11-2019 9:54pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

Either way, I find they move over to the right as I pass (I give them a thumbs up as I pass too)

Yeah, the only time lately I can think of a car swinging into my path that wasn't at a junction was on the wide cycle track on the south side of Stephen's Green, which motorists seem to have started using as a overtaking lane. But it wasn't a close call or anything. As you say, I also mostly find people, if they move at all when I'm passing them and we're not at a junction, move a little to the right to give me room.

tomasrojo · 15-11-2019 10:00pm

I suppose there are taxis pulling in to pick up fares too, but I can't even think of a time lately I've had any trouble with them. The person waving to the taxi gives you some warning it's about to happen, I suppose.

tomasrojo · 15-11-2019 10:07pm

Anyway, I don't want to gainsay other people's experience. I suspect some of my experience is down to the routes I frequent, which overall have a lot of cyclists, so people driving expect them passing a bit more. In fact, it's quite hard to get drivers to turn left sometimes, as they wait for you to pass on the inside, which I don't really like doing when someone has already signalled an intention to turn.

droidus · 15-11-2019 10:15pm

Had one this morning on Charlemont street heading towards the canal. Passing a row of stationary cars on the right and just in front of me a lady pulls out of the row and into a parking space with no indicator or warning. Got a no-eye-contact apology when I pointed out that she could easily have crushed me.

tomasrojo · 15-11-2019 10:19pm

Yeah, fair enough. That does happen. I don't know, I don't recall it being much of a problem for me. If I had to list the issues I have most frequently, the top one would be slip lanes, and that's people just being jerks cutting across your path (and right of way) at speed even though it's clear they've seen you.

droidus · 15-11-2019 10:26pm

Yeah, Id generally agree. People pulling into park is the main offender. Ranelagh is probably the worst for that. Had someone there try and reverse into me while parking a while ago and had to hit their boot before they saw me.

tomasrojo · 15-11-2019 10:29pm

Donnybrook on the way to and from the Stillorgan dual carriageway is really bad for that (and motorists losing their lane on the bend because they're going too quickly), but I go there very rarely, for that very reason.

CramCycle · 15-11-2019 10:38pm

tomasrojo wrote: »

Donnybrook on the way to and from the Stillorgan dual carriageway is really bad for that (and motorists losing their lane on the bend because they're going too quickly), but I go there very rarely, for that very reason.

You have to take the lane there, no other choice, drivers often can't stay in their lane through that S bend. Its only 20 seconds but the behaviours from some are insane. From people talking about not being visible to cars, you often see cars pull across buses and fire trucks to park at the row of shops after the fire station. Its not you who are invisible, it is some people do not look, simple as that.

Breezer · 15-11-2019 11:25pm

tomasrojo wrote: »

Donnybrook on the way to and from the Stillorgan dual carriageway is really bad for that (and motorists losing their lane on the bend because they're going too quickly), but I go there very rarely, for that very reason.

I was knocked down there years ago by a guy in a van who tried to squeeze by me. Don’t even think about using the cycle lane there, it’s awful.

beauf · 16-11-2019 12:03am

tomasrojo wrote: »

Anyway, I don't want to gainsay other people's experience. I suspect some of my experience is down to the routes I frequent, which overall have a lot of cyclists, so people driving expect them passing a bit more. In fact, it's quite hard to get drivers to turn left sometimes, as they wait for you to pass on the inside, which I don't really like doing when someone has already signalled an intention to turn.

Driver and cyclist behaviour is very route dependent. Different routes cause different behaviour. Which is why people's experience varies.

Lights are the same. 2 front and back different types of flashing in the city. When I hit poorly lit roads I often turn both fronts to steady and stagger where they hit in front. So I have a figure of 8 on the ground in front and a longer throw off light adjusted for my speed.

zell12 · 17-11-2019 10:58am

Letter in Sindo

tomasrojo · 17-11-2019 11:14am

He sure sees a lot of people that are invisible.

tomasrojo · 17-11-2019 11:16am

Also, he thinks there *isn't* a government initiative to give hi-vis out for free?

tomasrojo · 17-11-2019 11:24am

Also, the people he lauds for their visibility aren't wearing hi-vis, unless he thinks "bright colours" are hi-vis.

zell12 · 17-11-2019 11:31am

You should sent in a retort tomasrojo!

tomasrojo · 17-11-2019 11:44am

I might. I find it hard to work up the enthusiasm to write something that isn't just sarcastic posts though.

Hi vis discussion thread (read post #1)

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