question on led headlights

[mzflorida]

the one interesting items I saw in the report link was consideration that extra lighting on a motorcycle, while helpful, is perhaps becoming less effective because of cars now using DRL. People get used to seeing lights during the day and it stops registering as a vehicle.

You know what, that is interesting. I wonder if that is why that (possibly) Australian study found that High Vis may be more effective than lights, when one was compared to the other.

 

[670cc]

the one interesting items I saw in the report link was consideration that extra lighting on a motorcycle, while helpful, is perhaps becoming less effective because of cars now using DRL. People get used to seeing lights during the day and it stops registering as a vehicle.

You made me realize something there. As said, most modern vehicles on the road today seem to have daytime running lights. Most vehicles today also seem to be colored shades of grey that do not stand out against their backgrounds. Hi viz gear and bright motorcycle color might be as good or better way to attract notice than lighting.

 

[GregC]

You made me realize something there. As said, most modern vehicles on the road today seem to have daytime running lights. Most vehicles today also seem to be colored shades of grey that do not stand out against their backgrounds. Hi viz gear and bright motorcycle color might be as good or better way to attract notice than lighting.

i'm currently painting my Klim Induction jacket with hi viz fabric paint because the OEM hi viz panels have faded miserably and are not very "hi viz" anymore. If nothing else, it makes me feel more protected.

 

[Egg on Leggs]

That's like saying we should paint all school buses and emergency vehicles black or grey and remove their e-lighting because there are idiots that still run into them. Sure there are idiots but there is a mass of science behind how increasing conspicuity reduces the risk of right of way violations. That is the reason behind the colors, the lighting, and the audio equipment on your apparatus. It's reductions we are after not elimination of risk.

In addition to passive safety strategies do you practice active safety tactics that increase your visibility and reduce risk or do you ride a motorcycle through traffic blind as a bat to the things we motorcyclists do that increase our chances for a right of way violation? I hope not.

I think you may have misunderstood my point. No matter what you do, someone will pull out on you. Using visibility aids should never give a rider the excuse to relax, still ride like you are invisible.

 

[dduelin]

I think you may have misunderstood my point. No matter what you do, someone will pull out on you. Using visibility aids should never give a rider the excuse to relax, still ride like you are invisible.

My post replied exactly to the point you stated in one sentence. If that's not what you meant to say I appreciate your misunderstanding mine.

I don't believe any poster in this thread or recent ones on the same subject suggested increasing visibility will allow relaxing our guard. Far from it. Over time my comments have always hewn to ride like we are invisible to most and the rest are out to kill us anyway. All I want to do is spread the word to reduce the risk through both active and passive strategies and tactics.

I appreciate what you do for your community by the way. I have two immediate family members that serve in our local fire rescue department. One is an engineer riding up and the other is a rescue lieutenant.

 

[GregC]

Despite my hi viz and fully armored gear, LED headlight (on high during the day), LED spots on the crash bars, and hyperlites on my rear, I still ride with the assumption that everyone is trying to kill me.