inadequately lit cyclists?

[MipMipMip]

Seriously, I'm getting fed up of people dressed in dark clothes. If they do have lights it's usually just a small one that can be easily hidden. The other day there was a woman dressed in black, no rear light and a dark child's seat (fortunately no child). Would it be so hard to wear a reflective top and put some reflectors on the back of the child seat?

If you get hit by a car even if you're badly dressed it will be the driver's fault. They should of course be looking out but you can make it easier for them. And you'll be the one in pain - surely people want to avoid that?!

Don't even get me started on the inability to use bells when someone is in front of cyclists on a path - pedestrians aren't psychic!

I have seen one crash and one near miss on a dual carriageway during dark mornings going to work. Both times car swerving into another car to avoid an unlit cyclist they only saw at last minute. I believe the cyclist should have been prosecuted for causing an accident.

Yanbu. I was thinking of starting similar thread. So many cyclists wearing nothing bright and often no lights. As you say driver bound to be at fault.

Don't run them over, but do tell them that you can hardly see them eg wind your window down at a junction and speak to them.

I'm a cyclist and I honestly think that many cyclists and pedestrians for that matter have no idea how invisible they are wearing black in the dark

The only time I've come close to hitting a cyclist, he was belting it round a roundabout on a black bike, in dark clothes and no lights.
I think some people are just a bit stupid.

I live in an area which is EXTRMELY popular with road cyclists. I genuinely believe that some cyclists are unaware of how utterly invisible they are to other road users.

I was driving home at dusk through a tree-lined country road last week and came across a woman who had no lights and no reflective clothing. In that environment, she was totally camouflaged. Luckily I avoided her.

Cyclists, please be aware that even during daylight hours, without lights and hi via clothing, in shadows you can sometimes just disappear. And that rarely ends well. This goes for 'amateurs' and those who consider themselves to be above that; that fancy Lycra stuff with logos all over it might look snazzy and make you go faster but in poor light, it might just be game over.

I used to take an unlit country road to work and this time of year is a nightmare on that stretch of road for cyclists. I used to pass one guy sometimes, going in the same direction as me, who was always wearing dark clothes, no helmet and only had one tiny light on the front that you couldn't see if you were behind him. How he didn't get taken out I don't know

They are so hard to see. They are idiots. Bike lights cost a few quid.

If they have no lights I 'helpfully' ask them if they realise that their lights aren't working. It's less aggressive than get some lights you bloody idiot

Someone once stopped me when I was cycling in the dark in my early 20s to tell me I could barely be seen as my coat covered my lights - I really appreciated his kindness/concern.

Educating people is the way to go .

YABVVVU as someone did this recently in our area. Horrific. Not something to joke about.

DP has proper lights front and back and wears reflective clothes. But given that he was knocked off his bike at least twice during the summer I still worry about him on the roads on the dark nights. So so daft and dangerous to cycle without lights etc.

saucery Maybe cyclists should take it more seriously then.

YANBU, but at the same time, when I'm on my bike I'm lit up like a christmas tree at this time of year (three flashing lights on my handlebars, three flashing lights on my seat-post, helmet light and hi-viz coat, and I still nearly got mown down by a driver on their phone yesterday.

If I see another cyclist with no lights or poor lights I do tell them. Often they're not aware quite how invisible they are.

The less well equipped cyclists tend to be those who are completely unaware that cycling on pavements is illegal and don't consider themselves as road users. Do it properly or get off the bike and walk. School run mums tend to be the worst offenders for pavement cycling.

I'm sure the person's family wish every minute of every day that they had, ShiteBags, but an AIBU titled like this is not the way to raise awareness about the need to be fully visible at night as a cyclist or pedestrian.
It's crass and flip and awful.

It's annoying isn't it? So many round here in those fold up bikes, riding in their black suits having just got off the train. No reflective strips, lights, or even a helmet. They're like shadows.

I almost hit a pedestrian the other day because the street lights were off and she darted across the road wearing dark clothes.

Dark clothes, no lights and riding against the traffic - could describe about 80% of the cyclists around here.

I think a lot of kit manufacturers need to buck up their ideas. Rapha who make lots of lovely high end kit, including team sky kit) but it is often in gray or black. I have a high vis jacket, top quality lights, hi vis gloves, ruc sac cover and drivers still fail to see me

Findo and Mud, thank you for being Christmas trees! I've thanked people in person too, it really is appreciated.

Saucery I'm sorry if I have upset you, that was obviously not my intention.

The title just seems so glib, Mip. I've seen the repercussions from someone who did just 'run over [an] inadequately lit cyclist' and it grated on me.

Am I unusual in that I find the flashing lights less visible than constant? I find they just don't register in my mind as well and subsequently i avoid driving in the dark as much as possible.

This week I was driving (slowly) up towards our train station at 5pm and 4 boys about 15 years old came towards me on bikes, unlit, no helmets and dark clothing. I stopped in time and shouted at them to put some lights and helmets on and they shouted at me to F off, which is fair enough but I would really bothered if that were my child. I would insist that they wear appropriate clothing and have proper lights. I commuted by bike for 3 years and looked like a Christmas tree. I have witnessed up very close someone being knocked off thier bike at low speed and hire helmet smashing and taking months to recover. It's not rocket science!

And tiny little flashing lights are next to invisible and should not be fixed to the bicycle.... highway code recommends a solid light front and back....

I live in a semi rural area and travel a tree lined road to get to work. There's a guy who regularly cycles to and from work with no high-vis, no helmet, no lights. 3 days ago driving home at dusk and I almost hit him when the car in front overtook him at the last minute and he seemingly decided it would be safer to swerve into the road in front of me to cross over and get onto the pavement on the other side! I could have throttled him!

We get it a lot around here unfortunately and it terrifies me. Same goes for people waking dogs around dark country lanes, dressed in black, often with dark coloured dogs. We got out in high vis vests, with torches and with high vis jackets on the dogs. I cant see how people can't understand how invisible they are in the dark!

But absolutely everyone round here uses flashing not solid...?