MissLangley wrote:........... Bike lights are now emitting comparable amounts of light from a single source that is tiny. Shining that in directly in people's eyes is like expecting them to stare at the sun, they will have to look away. Thus the bike light arms races reaches its illogical conclusion.
I think you're right,only yesterday I found myself looking at cyclist's rear light asking myself if it needed to be
SO BRIGHT about the size of a 10p piece with a single LED, this thing was far brighter any car stop light and seems to be a popular model with roadies,thankfully it was on a sllooww flash mode,not the fit inducing disco dance mode.
I find it sad that it's come to this state of affairs where cyclists feel the need to 'out shine' other vehicles on the road to get some recognition,however false that sense of security may be.
But it has to be said that there are those driving motors who are so stupid as to begger belief,the antics I witness daily on our roads when cycling and driving,are only being carried out because they are allowed to be.
A good comparison is premiership football.The player knows he he can get away with an awful lot because there's only one referee and no other form of 'policing' on the pitch and that unless a player chops down another in front of that referee he'll get away with it(even if caught out he'll whine and whinge like a schoolboy).
That's because the FA/players/money run the 'show',the tail firmly wags the dog.
This of course can be stopped tomorrow by stricter enforcement of the rules and more policing in the form of cameras and a second ref viewing those cameras which could all but eliminate the 'professional' foul.
The FA and players complain that such measures would spoil the game's flow,etc,which is bunkum because the players would within a very few games realise that they will have to 'play the game' and so the game would become more skillful with less injury as a result.
It's exactly the same on our roads.If road users could be made to see that there's every chance their bad and careless driving/riding would cost them,and also didn't get them from A to B any quicker(which as a rule doesn't) by better refereeing,the roads would be a better place for all of us and the need for sun worship lessened greatly.
Sorry for the ramble but I think it's relevant.........