Reflective 360 jackets, verdict?

[thirdcrank]

I just purchase one these jackets. Any view on their role in improving road safety?


https://provizsports.com/products/refle ... lsrc=aw.ds

You seem to have triggered some controversy. As you have bought one of these, your own review might be of interest

[mjr]

"I thought the cyclist was a road sign" is the kind of excuse some motorists use, like "the sun was in my eyes" but less believable. People don't drive into road signs because they're reflective, they hit them because they're going too fast, drunk, not paying attention, etc. Nevertheless, I do agree that reflective stripes or patches, on legs, arms, back, are more distinctive than all-over reflectivity.

Oh, for sure, I'm not saying it'll happen if there's any thinking by the motorists, but if a driver isn't paying attention, it's easy to see how a big reflective area could be subconsciously dismissed as "not moving, not on road, no threat, so no action needed" in a way that a more human shape wouldn't.

[pjclinch]

"I thought the cyclist was a road sign" is the kind of excuse some motorists use, like "the sun was in my eyes" but less believable. People don't drive into road signs because they're reflective, they hit them because they're going too fast, drunk, not paying attention, etc. Nevertheless, I do agree that reflective stripes or patches, on legs, arms, back, are more distinctive than all-over reflectivity.

I got some of the Proviz overshoes, not because of their high reflectivity (though that really is quite impressive) but because they were £12.50 in their bargain bin down from £50 and looked generally decent.
Which, so far, they are, and highly reflective too. Being overshoes one can think of them as oversize, multidirectional pedal reflectors which will have the characteristic up/down motion that (hopefully) is associated with bikes!

With the weather recently (typically cold and/or wet) it's no great hardship to be wearing overshoes over any sort of distance, and these go on and off more easily than my old neoprene pair, but I wouldn't be too pleased if I felt I had to wear them to be safe because that's a lot of faffing I'd prefer not to do. It's not a biggie in overshoes that it doesn't seem to be the most breathable fabric going, but in a jacket I'd only be looking to wear it if I was going fairly gently and/or it was chucking it down (the overshoes are waterproof, looks like Proviz do make jackets in a non-waterproof (and presumably more breathable) fabric as well as waterproof).

Pete.

[Jdsk]

Yes. A recent long thread:
viewtopic.php?t=158558

And previous discussion of a relevant randomised controlled trial here:
viewtopic.php?p=1707828#p1707828

Jonathan

[Bmblbzzz]

"I thought the cyclist was a road sign" is the kind of excuse some motorists use, like "the sun was in my eyes" but less believable. People don't drive into road signs because they're reflective, they hit them because they're going too fast, drunk, not paying attention, etc. Nevertheless, I do agree that reflective stripes or patches, on legs, arms, back, are more distinctive than all-over reflectivity.

I got some of the Proviz overshoes, not because of their high reflectivity (though that really is quite impressive) but because they were £12.50 in their bargain bin down from £50 and looked generally decent.
Which, so far, they are, and highly reflective too. Being overshoes one can think of them as oversize, multidirectional pedal reflectors which will have the characteristic up/down motion that (hopefully) is associated with bikes!

With the weather recently (typically cold and/or wet) it's no great hardship to be wearing overshoes over any sort of distance, and these go on and off more easily than my old neoprene pair, but I wouldn't be too pleased if I felt I had to wear them to be safe because that's a lot of faffing I'd prefer not to do. It's not a biggie in overshoes that it doesn't seem to be the most breathable fabric going, but in a jacket I'd only be looking to wear it if I was going fairly gently and/or it was chucking it down (the overshoes are waterproof, looks like Proviz do make jackets in a non-waterproof (and presumably more breathable) fabric as well as waterproof).

Pete.

I would certainly object to compulsory overshoes!

[Airsporter1st]

Please stop correcting mistakes in the English Language that do not exist. Just because the youth culture have wrongly adopted CAPITAL letters as shouting and many falsely believe it does not make it right !

Language evolves, ever more rapidly in these connected times.

The Wired article to which you have linked is already almost 5 years old - a lifetime in IT terms.

I would expect the mainstream dictionaries to catch up with the trends in due course.

[Philip Benstead]

I went on a ride yesterday. It was an overcast day with rain at the end when dark. I rode from Rochester to Aylesford and returned.

With my twin front lights and four rear flashing lights, I was truly like a Christmas tree.

I was also wearing my reflective jacket, and the motor vehicle gave me a wide berth from the rear whilst some drivers from the front stopped for me to let me pass when there was no need to. Signs that the jacket looks good

This is not a typical day for me, so I will see what happens in London when I have fewer lights on my Brompton.