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!

[Karoleann]

I almost hit someone this evening....no lights, completely unlit road and dark clothing. Had to swerve onto the other side of the road to avoid him/her, luckily nothing was coming. We do get lots of cyclists down our main village road so usually on the look out, but this person was completely invisible to me.

Cyclists - PLEASE wear high vis jackets and get decent lights, especially if you're going to cycle down unlit country roads.

[mudandmayhem01]

I think as cyclists, pedestrians and drivers we all need to take more care. I light up well, thanks for the thanks mipmip! I also know when I drive home through a certain estate to be extra careful to look out for teenage twerps on bmx s with no lights and black hoodies. They might be twerps but they all have mums who would like them returned in one piece!

[thelostboy]

As a cyclist, I have bright flashing lights and at least one item of bright clothing on even on daytime rides. Just to try and make sure I get home safely and see my kids again.

As a driver, I'm also aware that you shouldn't drive quicker than you can see is safe to stop in. Day or night. Could be any number of unlit hazards on a road at night.

As a former claims handler, if it was there to be hit, it was there to be seen first.

[Oysterbabe]

Yes you would be unreasonable to murder someone for not having lights.

[ImportSave]

Not just cyclists around here. Driving home from work yesterday I nearly ran into the back of a girl on a black pony. Not a scrap of high viz or a light. Luckily we weren't far from the yard so I told her off (I know her and her mum) and then followed her back in the car so no-one else ran into her. The speed some of the go, both her and the pony would be killed if someone hit them.

I did once clip a cyclist who (thank Christ) was okay but had an epic rant at me until I fished out the dash cam and showed him the video where you couldn't see him at all. He was head to toe in black and only had teeny lights on his bike.

I'm starting to think it's a form of passive suicide.

[IcedVanillaLatte]

Cyclists: if you only have flashing lights, I can't tell how far away you are.

[Namejustfornappies]

WHY do cyclists use flashing lights? Seriously someone answer this - you can't judge distance and I find they just don't register as well as solid!

[Seqkat]

Generally I am concerned about invisible cyclists, but the occasional failure on their part really isn't a reason to kill them...

A couple of nights ago I got on my bike, put my reflective harness thing on, and the strap broke halfway through the journey and it fell forward so it couldn't be seen from the back. It was caught on my sleeves, so I couldn't tell this until I took my coat off. Last week, unrelated, my rear light died during the journey home - it was brilliantly bright when I started, so I am amazed at how dull it went in one short trip. As it's on the back of my bike, again, I couldn't tell.

Are you really saying that you think it would have been okay for me to have been run down and potentially killed on these occasions? Really?

[genome]

nappies same here with the flashing lights. I find it hard to judge how far away those with flashing lights are. I told my dh to put his on constant, rather than flashing because of this.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

As a car driver you have very bright headlights on your car. With those you should be able to see any potential hazards in your path whether that is a cyclist or a fallen tree. You are also in charge of a machine that can very easily kill someone, and should remember that when driving.

It is very victim blaming to say that cyclists should wear high vis and lights, or be bit by a car. Many many cyclists are hit and killed by drivers, and this is due to the inattention of the driver rather than what the cyclist is or isn't wearing.

If you can't see objects in your path at night, then you shouldn't be driving.

[ImportSave]

As a driver, I'm also aware that you shouldn't drive quicker than you can see is safe to stop in. Day or night. Could be any number of unlit hazards on a road at night.

Easy to say but not always easy to do in practice. A lot of the cyclists around here are on unlit roads and against hedges. Even going slowly, it can be next to impossible to see them if they're outside the 'cone' of your lights.

People need to take responsibility for their own safety and make themselves visisble. It's illegal to drive a car without lights, it should be the same for a bike and there should be a standard for them. Ditto some sort of reflective kit.

[mudandmayhem01]

I use both, the flashing light registers more quickly, especially in peoples peripheral vision, the solid light allows people to judge distance. A lot of people complain that flashing lights are annoying, shows they work as it meant they are seen!

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Driving home from work yesterday I nearly ran into the back of a girl on a black pony.

How the fuck did you not see a horse in front of you - did you have your headlights on?!

[Namejustfornappies]

I tend to tune out flashing - especially at this time of year against the backdrop of loads if flashing Christmas lights outside people's houses. I don't think they are annoying - just difficult to register.
But then, as I said upthread, I try to avoid driving at night as I worry so much about hitting cyclists.

[P1nkP0ppy]

AIBU to run over my inadequately lit cyclists?

I cannot believe anyone would be as crass and insensitive as to write this.

If you can't see a cyclist when you have headlights on then you're a bloody danger to pedestrians and everyone else.

The arrogance beggars belief, highly offensive and upsetting to anyone who's lost someone riding a bike.

[Badcat666]

This seriously pisses me off. I used to cycle many moons ago to work and back and ALWAYS wore reflective bands on my wrists, ankles and that reflective band thing that went around shoulder/ back etc no matter what the time of day or night. Yes I looked a bit of a twat but at least everyone saw me. Also had those HUGE battery lights front and back you could just unclip.

Now... nothing.. or just those stupid tiny little blinking lights that are rubbish. Most are wearing dark clothes or think somehow them wearing Lycra magically makes them visible in the dark FFS! Seriously gives me the rage this.

And I don't even drive!

But somehow it's never their fault for not making themselves visible to other road users.

(I even got knocked down crossing the road in the dark when the green man was on by a cyclist with no lights and dark Lycra gear who didn't release the traffic light was red)

[Sparklingbrook]

If you are a cyclist you should make yourself as visible as possible at night. I can't understand why you wouldn't. Why risk anything happening?

Murder not the best idea though.

Re the bells. The cyclists in these parts use them all the time. When I am walking down the canal they sound them loudly to make sure I leap quickly into the long grass/hedge/canal so they can get by.

[Namejustfornappies]

ItsAll - just out if our housing estate is windy narrow country roads with bushy high hedges growing into the road in clumps. It is very easy to come round yet another corner and suddenly see a horse or cyclist. If they are lit up you have a better chance of them registering on you quicker so shortening reaction time. If they are just using one piddly flashing light, or none, you only see them once they are within headlights and you are practically on top of them. I tend to do about 10-20 mph in those situations which pisses off everyone behind me, but I've been started by unlit cyclists too many times.

[ImportSave]

Dark horse, dark clothing on the girl, shadowy hedges, unlit roads. I only have a little car so the headlights don't cover a huge spread. I'm a careful driver, and I was only doing about 20mph.

www.somersetroadsafety.org/userfiles/images/SRS%20icons/dark%20horse.jpg

If I drove my car without lights on the road, I'd expect to get hit. If you're using the road you should bloody well make yourself visible and not relay on other road users to light you up.

[mudandmayhem01]

Would you drive more carefully if you knew you were in an area where sheep or deer could leap into the road, I would hope so, do the same when looking out for cyclists and your chances of hurting or killing someone are much reduced. I have never nearly hit a cyclist, probably because I am one and my awareness of them is high. I have a van with good headlights, never use my phone ( even hands free) regular eye tests and I can spot cyclists even if their lights aren't perfect.

[allegretto]

mudandmayhem - I always drive carefully as you never know who or what is growing to cross your path. That doesn't mean that I would be to blame if a cyclist with no lights dashes across my path gets hit. It is also their duty to behave appropriately. (And I am also a cyclist who wears reflexive gear, has lights and obeys the highway code).

[CombineBananaFister]

Obviously you would be unreasonable to kill someone because they were stupid enough to not wear lights, I do think they should be fined though. Having said that, it terrifies me how invisible they are until you are right up to them - I say that as a cyclist who occasionally gets a taxi. They really cannot be seen at all in the dark.

I am hi-vis and lit up from all sides but still have near misses as people just do not want to be stuck behind a cyclist and take silly chances they wouldn't if it were a car in front

Good to know about the flashing light thing, I use them as solid light often looks like am stationary but maybe i'll do both now

[Namejustfornappies]

Import - mines only a little car as well, and the headlights don't go that wide or that far ahead. Mind you I also hate those ultra bright led headlights that blind you in the rear mirror, so I'm difficult to please!

[ImportSave]

I read something recently that high viz means a driver spots you three seconds earlier. That's huge, especially on something like a duel carriageway where the cars might be doing 60 or 70mph.

At 70mph, that's what, 95m?