> I haven't yet been able to find that research publication, but if that's an
> accurate summary of a credible study, I'll stop worrying about cyclists with
> only blinkies.
I think it's worth thinking about in these terms: what if motor
vehicles started using flashing lights in place of steady head lamps?
Would that have no effect on safety?
Have we ever been to a dance hall where strobes were used? Flashing
lights are used to disorient.
I think flashing lights are common in bicycle lights because they have
been historically cheaper to run that way, and people find comfort in
knowing that a blinking light can be detected, meaning they can be
"seen". However, there is no way that something can be tracked as
easily in the dark when a light is sometimes off as opposed to having
one on steady--it begs the viewer of the light to fill in an object's
motion in the absence of information.
The topic is definitely worth studying and quantifiying. I believe
thatcyclists fare best when their behaviour is consistent with that of
vehicle drivers and I think it also applies to what they look like in
the dark. I don't think bicycles are a good application for flashing
lights, as cyclists already seem to have a problem having their speed
and direction correctly assessed by motorists in daylight.
... I've seen citations of various US states' traffic laws, but here's the only allusion so far to commissioned research: http://tinyurl.com/uwghl is ...
... I think it's worth thinking about in these terms: what if motor vehicles started using flashing lights in place of steady head lamps? Would that have no...
There indeed may be inherent difficulty tracking blinking lights in the dark, but in practice, at least from the rear, this is a moot point. A motor vehicle...
Sometime in the past couple of years the law was changed in New Zealand to permit blinkies on bikes. Cyclists are much easier to notice and identify. b. ...
... Motorist must be - and are in the vast, vast majority of all cases - ready for the possibility of predictable _somethings_ on the road in front of them -...
... So, I take it that if there were lots of bicyclists in your area with blinkies that you would remove yours to reduce "system-level distraction?" Wayne...
... How atruistic of you to do your part to reduce "system-level distraction!" It's interesting how this atruism trumps your listed reasons for using a blinky....
There seems to be a dearth of peer reviewed, published research on the subject. What little there is mainly concerns reflectors and solid lighting, not...
... Motorcycle headlight modulators cycle between high and low beams, not between on and off. The modulation feature is disabled at night so there's never a...
Hi all, ... solid bicycle lighting?<< You got several excellent replies, but I have a study to add. (Executive summary: The study supports Michael Poplawski's...
Schubley@...
Jan 5, 2007 5:09 pm
... Did it include the 3" SAE amber reflector? I am confident that detection at 1341 ft and "recognition" are two measures that do not add up to useful...
very true to many blinkies can be very distracting............ ... Did it include the 3" SAE amber reflector? I am confident that detection at 1341 ft and...
... There were several replies, some concerning specific state or province laws and some discussing the merits and demerits of flashing lights. I have a ...
... Is it possible to be "directly in front" of lower beams at a distance of 600 feet? I was always under the impression lower beams were aimed so as to...
Ken Said "I am confident blinkies will also be distracting when there starts to be a whole lot of them out there on the roadway at the same time." And I would...
Hi all, ... It included reflectors. I don't remember which one(s). ... measures that do not add up to useful characteristics for good rear facing bicyclist...
Schubley@...
Jan 9, 2007 8:46 pm
... There is a significant difference between small red bicycle-specific reflectors and the 3" amber SAE. ... But they are not flashing. ... You have already...
Hi all, ... inappropriate"<<< ... something, anything, ahead which they don't immediately recognize, they SLOW DOWN. If you are the something and on a bike,...
Schubley@...
Jan 10, 2007 2:01 pm
this has gone on to long Schubley@... wrote: Hi all, ... inappropriate"<<< ... something, anything, ahead which they don't...
... I assume the dead bicyclist is a fact. The "facts" beyond that are probably not as clear as you attempt to claim. For instance, I do not accept that your...
... John, The computer problem is with the keyboard actuators. You sent but one copy, the rest were left attached to replies made by others. This can create...
Thanks all for your responses. While I appreciate all the opinions and anecdotes and discussion from principles, this conversation is exactly why I asked...
Last month, we had our annual Christmas lights ride and there were about forty cyclists with highly decorated and flashing lights. It was not distracting or...
I'll try to make a point on topic and as requested by the OP and commenting on all these 'coulds' and 'mays' and archly sophisticated arguments. There is a...
... I kept my Christmas tree and tea lights on my bicycle until the week after Christmas. It was delightfully appropriate for the commute through campus....
... I have no special issue making left turns day or night. I notice no difference in any left turns I make at night with or without a blinky being part of my...
It's not just a rear blinky that gets a cyclist left-turn space; it's being recognized as a particular cyclist who shows respect 'for' and 'to' other ...
... I'll second that. Even though motorists around here are generally polite, possibly because our commonly wide curb lanes mean we don't inconvenience them...
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