Cycle Lights - Flashing or Constant?

Gordon_Hose

My brother got fined £50 for trying out his mates new bike at dusk...with no lights.

lucylucky

olly300 wrote: »

I prefer you to:
1. Have lights, flashing or non-flashing - I don't care as long as they are the correct colours
2. To wear a fluorescent yellow jacket/waistcoat - They illuminate really well in car headlights
3. If you have a bag to either get a fluorescent yellow bag cover for it or put it under your fluorescent yellow jacket/waistcoat

If you do all that then there is absolutely no excuse that you can't be seen unless the driver isn't looking.

If you just rely on bike lights and wear all black/another dark colour I will be able to see you but not as quickly.

Sadly I think that was the case when my friend was knocked off his bike. He is a frequent cycler and has all that you mention above. Still ended up with a broken collar bone

Gene_Hunt_2

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

My brother got fined £50 for trying out his mates new bike at dusk...with no lights.

They took him to magistrates court for it?

vikingaero

It's best to have one of each:

Flashing allows a car driver to notice you - the most critical part.

Constant to help the driver have a perspective of your distance and make it safer to overtake.

muckybutt

olly300 wrote: »

I prefer you to:
1. Have lights, flashing or non-flashing - I don't care as long as they are the correct colours
2. To wear a fluorescent yellow jacket/waistcoat - They illuminate really well in car headlights
3. If you have a bag to either get a fluorescent yellow bag cover for it or put it under your fluorescent yellow jacket/waistcoat

If you do all that then there is absolutely no excuse that you can't be seen unless the driver isn't looking.

If you just rely on bike lights and wear all black/another dark colour I will be able to see you but not as quickly.

Unless you jump the red light and get broadsided like the cyclist in front of me did in Leeds earlier today, all the high vis stuff on then skipped merrly through two sets of red ats, at the second set traffic was already setting off but he chose to ignore and suffered the inevitable consequences !!

On the lights front I must admit I prefer constant lights, however having said that...the flashing red ones I find are seen better than the flashing white ones.

Norman_Castle

If you do all that then there is absolutely no excuse that you can't be seen unless the driver isn't looking.

I've had a driver look both ways then drive straight into me, in broad daylight!

If I rode my bike in traffic at night I would always use a flashing front light, either singly or with a constant light. Flashing white lights are never used on cars so a flashing light defines you as a cyclist. The movement of the orange reflectors on pedals can also help from behind. Keep them clean. As above, reflective clothing is cheap and very effective.