Lights (or "You’re Doing it Wrong")

[mstone]

@rcannon100 37148 wrote:

Well this is somber data. According to this, my high viz fluorescent shell is worth jack.

At night. During the day the reflectors are useless, and the bright clothing is visible. At least there’s support in literature that ninjas have a death wish.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Can’t say I’m surprised…I’ve never felt my hi-viz yellow stuff made me significantly more visible when it’s completely dark out. My guess though, is that hi-viz stuff is more effective at dawn/dusk hours and other times of low light, but not total darkness. That’s why I covered my helmets with reflective stickers, always wear my reflective ankle bands, and run like 6 blinkies when it’s fully dark out.

[GuyContinental]

I’ve always subscribed to the lights + true reflective surfaces win over bright colors in the dark. However, I bet that your high viz has a lot of value during shoulder-season twilight.

The other morning I had a great visual- three runners abreast near Vienna, inside was wearing all white and was essentially invisible; middle had an ANSI vest and definitely stood out in my lights; the outside had a blinkie plus a vest and stood out like a shining beacon of hope. Then in oncoming high output lights only the blinkie showed up, the other two and the vest of the third completely vanished. Yikes.

[Arlingtonrider]

OK! Now I won’t feel so silly when I wear my refective vest over my flourescent yellow jacket and and wear reflective anklestraps too, in addition to all the lights. There’s no such thing as overkill when it comes to staying alive. (There’s an oxymoron in there!)

[americancyclo]

this info needs to get to the runners.

[Greenbelt]

I need some new GoDCGo reflective anklestraps in seems…

[TwoWheelsDC]

@americancyclo 37154 wrote:

this info needs to get to the runners.

Although there are lingering issues, I think runners are at least starting to get it…at least the more hardcore ones who are out even in the cold/dark. As with cyclists, I think it tends to be the fair weather folks who are unaware of the problem. Anyway, my closest calls have come from commuters walking home from EFC on the W&OD. Black outfits with black gloves/hats and black coats, usually distracted by their phone and 50/50 chance they are walking in the middle or wrong side of the path. Unfortunately, there’s probably little that can be done to educate these folks, but I’m guessing EFC is uniquely afflicted with this problem…although, when I used to commute down the Penn cycletrack, the darkly dressed jaywalkers were a big problem for me.

[vvill]

@Arlingtonrider 37153 wrote:

OK! Now I won’t feel so silly when I wear my refective vest over my flourescent yellow jacket and and wear reflective anklestraps too, in addition to all the lights. There’s no such thing as overkill when it comes to staying alive. (There’s an oxymoron in there!)

Indeed.

@mstone 37150 wrote:

At night. During the day the reflectors are useless, and the bright clothing is visible. At least there’s support in literature that ninjas have a death wish.

I feel reflectors still have some value during the day – when there’s dark spots: in tunnels, underpasses, etc. I always wear my reflective ankle strap regardless of time of day.

@Greenbelt 37155 wrote:

I need some new GoDCGo reflective anklestraps in seems…

The velcro on my original BikeArlington one is almost useless from wear and tear.

[DSalovesh]

There are no (well, few) laws about what colors cars can be painted, but tons of requirements around retroreflective markers and effective lighting.

[GuyContinental]

@vvill 37157 wrote:

The velcro on my original BikeArlington one is almost useless from wear and tear.

Sheeshhh… glue it on- proclaim your BA-ness throughout the day instead of merely when riding

[Steve]

@GuyContinental 37173 wrote:

Sheeshhh… glue it on- proclaim your BA-ness throughout the day instead of merely when riding

….which will be a temporary fix until you can get a reflective tattoo….

[culimerc]

I like the BA reflective ankle straps because there’s more movement involved. The eye is attracted to movement, so hopefully, even tho they arent the largest things out there the pedaling moment will cause drivers to say “what the ……”

[mstone]

@DSalovesh 37170 wrote:

There are no (well, few) laws about what colors cars can be painted, but tons of requirements around retroreflective markers and effective lighting.

Cars are bigger and harder to miss, they run into each other all the time anyway and nobody really cares because insurance fixes it magically, and they generate enough power to have lights that are bright enough to be seen during the day. Bikes are different animals. There are requirements for coloring non-car things so that they can be seen during the day (e.g., liferafts, highway barrels, toy gun tips, the golden gate bridge, highway workers, etc.). ANSI 107, EN471, and SOLAS all specify high-vis/fluorescent colors.

[DaveK]

There are tons of requirements for lighting and reflectors on motor vehicles. Just to pick one, that’s why you see little red reflectors mounted in the bumpers of cars with clear taillamps like the newer Lexus RX SUVs.

Front side reflectors must be amber, rear and side reflectors must be red, there are mounting heights, lighting cutoff requirements, blah blah blah…

[mstone]

@DaveK 37212 wrote:

There are tons of requirements for lighting and reflectors on motor vehicles. Just to pick one, that’s why you see little red reflectors mounted in the bumpers of cars with clear taillamps like the newer Lexus RX SUVs.

Nobody’s questioning whether cars have lights, the question was whether colors matter. I think they do, but only during the day.

[Author]

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