Tricks for being seen on the road.

[Vorpal]

There are lots of posts here about how to light yourself up, but not too many about how to cycle more visibly, which is IMO more important. I do wear bright and reflective clothing and use lights. But moving around on the road--changing position to primary for junctions, swerving (for potholes?), introducing the occasional wobble--place a cyclist in perspective. Blinking lights and/or helmet lights probably help, as well. Otherwise, especially with modern LEDs, distance can be hard to judge.

I think the hardest direction in which to make yourself visible is the front, especially if you ride on country lanes. At night, you need a steady light to see where you're going, so a blinking light is necessarily a second or third light. I almost pulled out in front of a cyclist in my car a couple of years ago because the white light at the front, which was the only thing visible in the dark, looked like a distant farm light. It was only when I looked for the third time (how many drivers will take the time for that?) that I realized the light had to be a cyclist.

FWIW, I always use a pair of blinking frog lights at the back of the trailer, even during the day. With the trailer (especially when towed by a childback tandem) I tend to get a bit more room from drivers, anyway. But I hope the blinking red lights give them a little more warning that there is something slow-moving ahead.

[alicej]

I think I'd be inclined to go for a constant light in poor visibility, as a flashing one might just appear to bob around all over the place and not give a very accurate indication of exactly where I am.

[thirdcrank]

... Perhaps someone could ask a friendly police officer or PCSO whether they can book a cyclist who has no lights fitted during poor daylight....

The trouble is, of course, that they may think they can, when I am pretty sure they cannot. We had a thread a few months ago about PCSO's giving out leaflets about unlawful cycling to cyclists who were apparently not breaking the law. IIRC, we had another where PCSO's were dishing out tickets mob-handed for something that was not illegal. If they are issuing tickets, the recipients will often accept the situation to avoid any fuss. That's also when you can end up with one of those escalating situations when somebody stands on ceremony.

If I am right about the law on this, it seems we have seen the creation of an urban myth. Somebody - who I can only decribe as an ignoramus - at the Ministry of Transport (or whetever it is currently called) decides to publish advice about lights on pedal cycles. Somewhere along the line, they have latched onto one of the exceptions for motor vehicles - no 'obligatory' lights fitted at all and only used in good visibility - and jumped to the conclusion that it applies to pedal cycles. Once that info is published under the authority of HM Government no less, other lesser bureaucrats quite understandably recycle it. (Somebody has previously linked to at least one county council who has reproduced this on their website and there must be others.) At that point, it begins to gather speed. I've probably mentioned before that for years I assumed that the CTC advice on the desktop was correct, without checking. We now find that one of the biggest firms of solicitors in the land - and a firm specializing in personal injury cases following road collisions at that - is peddling the same stuff as a statement of the criminal law.

And if I'm wrong, I'll break a hole through the floorboards with my bare hands so it can swallow me up .

[snibgo]

You are right, of course, TC, as far as I can see.

When I worked for the fuzz (many years ago, as a civilian IT consultant), the police had a handbook of offences they could charge people with. I can't remember the name, only that it was blue, hardback, quite thick but not large. These had been computerised, and we amused ourselves finding that "treason" included having carnal knowledge of an heir to the throne. This was relevant at the time, as Princess Di was friends with a bloke she wasn't married to.

Anyhow, this list of offences had links to the appropriate Acts of Parliament or whatever. They could still be wrong, of course.

A police officer may be able to say, "Having no lamps fitted during poor daylight isn't an offence." If he/she says it is, they should be able to quote chapter and verse.

[thirdcrank]

....the police had a handbook of offences they could charge people with.....

Moving away a little from tricks for being seen on the road IIRC, dating from 1351, treason is one of the oldest bits of legislation which is still in force, at least in part. Although the penalty was fixed as the original form of suspended sentence, I don't think it's been included in the extended fixed penalty scheme (tickets) just yet.
http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.as ... esize=9176
FWIW, it was updated relatively recently in 1848 when they made all sorts of things 'treason felony:'
http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.as ... Id=1038452
Perhaps the main practical point is this: if somebody is arrested for something serious, the legal eagles can have a field day chewing it all over and considering the niceties. An example would be Roger Casement being 'hanged from a comma.'

OTOH, as you say, for anything that's going to be enforced on the streets, the police officer / traffic warden / PCSO / whatever needs a proper knowledge of the law. (Unless they are just going to distribute leaflets willy nilly.)

[snibgo]

having carnal knowledge of an heir to the throne

Sorry, I meant "of the mother of an heir to the throne".

Of course, I wouldn't trust the average Bobby to know offhand the weird ins and outs of cycle lighting regulations. They have (I hope) better things to know.

[Kell]

With regard to the lights in daytime debate, isn't that just common sense in anything other than bright and clear conditions? If it's raining, foggy or just very dull, then I put my lights on.


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels

[thirdcrank]

With regard to the lights in daytime debate, isn't that just common sense ....

If you read the intro to my admittedly long post, I did make the point that I was only concerned about the legalities. (I did once see a process report from a constable who had reported somebody for riding a bike without mudguards and it had even been signed through by a sergeant . There's a difference between a legal requirement which ought to be clear - even in reduced visibility - and common sense, which can always look different, depending on POV.)

[velocipede2288]

I think the worse time not to be seen is early morning or early evening when the sun is low and blinding.
The danger is, the car coming up behind you, can't see you because of the glare. Being a car driver as well as
a cyclist, I know how dangerous this is.
I don't know any way of avoiding this, except by not cycling at these times, wait untill the sun is higher in the sky.
Having said this, I have to admit I ride most mornings, but this glaring sun is always a great worry.

[Dr.Doo]

I want these http://www.lostateminor.com/2010/08/12/lcd-bike-tires/

[alicej]

But how good are the tyres as tyres? I like the reflective strip on the sidewall of my Schwalbe tyres, since the wheels are the bit that sticks out first e.g. when coming out of side roads.

[Dr.Doo]

To be fair alicej I have no idea if the led tyres are good tyres, I'm just shallow enough to think they're really funky and want them. To be honest I probably wouldn't put them on my bike but put them on my unicycles instead.

[cwarrior]

Not a trick for being seen, but it still works for being noticed, especially by dozy pedestrians: I commute through Leeds city centre, and find that whistling loudly (if somewhat tunelessly) means that people do notice me. I don't have to shout or sound aggressive, and I can keep it up at the speeds which are possible in slower moving traffic. You just have to perfect the art of being able to whistle on the in-breath as well as whilst breathing out...

[De Sisti]

I have a Dinotte 400L rear LED, but during the day I still have a couple of fcukwit drivers
who pass within inches of me. They can see me, otherwise they would have driven
straight into the back of me.

[foxy12]

I attach a small LED front and back light to my hubs which work very well. It's lights like these:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_530609_langId_-1_categoryId_165636

I also attach 2 to my helmet - back and front.

I also use these flashing LED armbands which can be bought in poundshops and use one pair on my arms and another pair on my ankles.

If I carry a rucksack, I put a reflective dog coat over it which attaches with the velcro straps on the coat. It can be purchased in Poundland. It has nice reflective strips on it and is very effective and a lot cheaper than the real rucksack covers.