PaulCumbria wrote:Si wrote:As for blinking being annoying - isn't tht what you want - for others to have a reason to take notice of you?
No, it's not what I want. People already have the best reason in the world to take notice of me - that if they don't take notice they might kill me.
Slowroad wrote:One flashing, one steady, front and rear. Belt & braces?
meic wrote:One of those issues with front lights (and the requirements of BS) is that some only point light forwards and offer nothing to the sides to help you be seen.
Si wrote:As for blinking being annoying - isn't tht what you want - for others to have a reason to take notice of you?
MikeF wrote:Si wrote:As for blinking being annoying - isn't tht what you want - for others to have a reason to take notice of you?
Absolutely not. Are you expecting to distract and enrage motorists and then expect them treat you favourably? Also a blinking light does not allow your position and speed to be defined easily, and multiple blinking lights from several cycles makes the situation worse.
PaulCumbria wrote:Si - have you read Dave McGraw's piece on this?
http://mccraw.co.uk/blinding-lights-reduce-road-safety/
, I would point out that Dave is just another cyclist and the fact that he writes a lot of stuff on the interweb does not make his views any more or any less true than anyone else's. Indeed, he has somewhat fewer years experience of cycling than quite a few people on this forum, thus, although he's a jolly sensible and thoroughly decent chap, I don't see that him having written something (about a different subject) should get me to change my mind about setting one of my lights to flashing. [XAP]Bob wrote:I think the general wisdom is that a flashing light:
a) attracts the eye (our brains are wired to detect motion - which is what flashing is)
b) identifies a cyclist (we're the largest road users permitted flashing lights)
However, a steady light:
a) is easier to keep track of
b) is easier to estimate distance and speed
Mark1978 wrote:I was cycling along here http://goo.gl/maps/T4ASm this morning. Sun was coming up but it was still dark.
Ahead of me I could see a flashing white light, couldn't see anything else, strangely it appeared to be on the right hand size of the road (my left), but really couldn't judge the distance at all, first it looked really close, then it looked like it was a long way off, in the middle of the trees, as I got closer I thought it was a cyclist, on the wrong side of the road, I was about to remonstrate with the rider for being on the wrong side - then I saw it was someone out walking a dog with a flashing light on their head.
The flashing light got my attention right enough, but it was mighty confusing for a while as I just couldn't properly tell where it was coming from.
PaulCumbria wrote:I wasn't presenting Mr McGraw's opinion piece as conclusive. I just think he explains well the potential for motorists to press on past irritating rear lights (whether too bright and/or flashing), even if that might involve increased danger to the cyclist. As a motorist I've certainly been irritated and distracted by other drivers with their fog lights on unnecessarily, to the point of wanting to get past them for no other reason.
And I wouldn't for a moment expect you to change your mind after reading something either DMcG or I had written - but that's not the point, is it?
drossall wrote:[XAP]Bob wrote:I think the general wisdom is that a flashing light:
a) attracts the eye (our brains are wired to detect motion - which is what flashing is)
b) identifies a cyclist (we're the largest road users permitted flashing lights)
However, a steady light:
a) is easier to keep track of
b) is easier to estimate distance and speed
+1. I never use flashing lights alone. I currently have one steady and one flashing rear. I may do the same on the front more often, though normally it's just a steady one.
