Cyclists still not getting the message

custardy

Tilt wrote: »

No because I have a warning light system on my dash that tells me if I have a light out. Also on an unlit road, I can see the 'glow' from my tail lights.

how would you compare that to a cyclist?
can you see behind your drivers seat?


Good for you.

have you?


...................................

Strider590

^^
Car drivers don't have to worry about batteries, a cyclist probably won't carry spares due to the added weight and having somewhere to actually store them.

With LED lights (by nature) the batteries tend to die suddenly, so it's not as if you can see when it's about to happen.

Much like my LED Maglite, short of removing and measuring the battery voltage (which on alkaline cells is 0.9v to 1.5v, it's impossible to tell when they're about to give up.

Prothet_of_Doom

I have 3 front lights, 2 rear lights, all LED and flashing, plus 4 reflectors 2 front and 2 back, high vis vest, and a torch tie wrapped to my helmet, plus my wheels have reflectors and my tyres have a reflective stripe on the side wall. I am paranoid in the Dark on Country B roads, and I feel incredibly vunerable. I also drive, and assume that there are people who have a death wish.

Tilt

No but a cyclist dosn't have a drivers seat? Well none that I have seen anyway. When I used to ride a bike (many moons ago), I could tell if my rear light was working or not. First of all I used to check it before moving off then I would periodically glance to see the light was on.

Not rocket science is it?

BTW, its the irresponsible cyclists i'm having a moan about who don't even have any lights fitted, let alone working. So as you clearly don't fit into that category, then i'm not sure why we are arguing?

Tilt

Strider590 wrote: »

^^
Car drivers don't have to worry about batteries, a cyclist probably won't carry spares due to the added weight and having somewhere to actually store them.

With LED lights (by nature) the batteries tend to die suddenly, so it's not as if you can see when it's about to happen.

Much like my LED Maglite, short of removing and measuring the battery voltage (which on alkaline cells is 0.9v to 1.5v, it's impossible to tell when they're about to give up.

Ok, ok... but read the last bit of post #25.

aileth

My husband almost hit a cyclist with no lights on years ago. He was at the junction in a rural area, checked left, right, absolutely nothing in sight, pitch black, as he pulled out of the junction, he almost collided with a cyclist who was on the road he was joining, dressed in dark clothing with not a single reflecter or light. If he had come out of the junction any quicker than he did, he would've gone straight into him, and the cyclist kept saying it was my husband's fault and there is no need for him to have lights..... I fully expect he has been under many car wheels since if that's his attitude.

Strider590

Tilt wrote: »

No but a cyclist dosn't have a drivers seat? Well none that I have seen anyway. When I used to ride a bike (many moons ago), I could tell if my rear light was working or not. First of all I used to check it before moving off then I would periodically glance to see the light was on.

Fine if you have spare batteries

Tilt wrote: »

BTW, its the irresponsible cyclists i'm having a moan about who don't even have any lights fitted, let alone working. So as you clearly don't fit into that category, then i'm not sure why we are arguing?

I'm not arguing, I thought this was a debate

I think like most things, we notice and remember when people do something wrong, I think the numbers of cyclists doing as you describe is much smaller than it may seem.

I'm not even saying your "wrong", I myself get frustrated with kids on BMXs jumping into the road at night, with no lights or reflectors and wearing dark hoodies.
Even sometimes adults with no lights/reflectors, i've even been known to wind a window down and shout at them (not proud of that).

There are two main groups of cyclists, cyclists on bikes are not the same as people on BSOs (cyclist term = bike shaped object). Someone who spend good money on a decent bike, isn't going to ride out without appropriate safety gear and lights/etc.

The difference is black and white to an experienced cyclist, but to a driver they're all just lumps of annoying fleshy stuff on top of a thing with two wheels.

Idiophreak

Out of curiosity, OP, you say cyclists are "still not getting the message".

You say that like something's being done about the issue and it's not working...can I ask what you see happening that you're anticipating improving matters?

Where I live, the police pull cyclists over one day out of the year. They get an on the spot fine, which is cancelled if they show up with proof of purchase for a set of lights. They often then return the lights to the shop for a refund and carry on as usual.

I've never seen a poster, advert, leaflet or infomercial encouraging people to use lights.

The council's completely disinterest in providing secure cycle storage or lockers for cyclists to keep their lights when the bike's parked. The council keeps pushing forward making more cycle lanes which only re-enforce the idea that you'll "probably be OK" if you don't have light in the dark.

Pot holes are not filled, causing many cyclists to lose their lights (just yesterday someone I was riding with had theirs fly off and smash into a million little pieces ).

So I really don't know how you think cyclists are supposed to be "getting the message", exactly...

Tilt

^^

So you haven't heard of incidents like this then?

http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/death_of_welwyn_garden_city_violinist_a_tragic_accident_says_coroner_1_1115588

custardy

Tilt wrote: »

No but a cyclist dosn't have a drivers seat? Well none that I have seen anyway. When I used to ride a bike (many moons ago), I could tell if my rear light was working or not. First of all I used to check it before moving off then I would periodically glance to see the light was on.

Not rocket science is it?

BTW, its the irresponsible cyclists i'm having a moan about who don't even have any lights fitted, let alone working. So as you clearly don't fit into that category, then i'm not sure why we are arguing?

no drivers seat? so they can look back and see the lights?
So now its irresponsible cyclists?
So once more,whats your point?
simply to have a whine?
I notice the cycling board isnt filled with storys on drivers,however from experince I bet it could gbe filled quickly
apart from those frm the dead cyclists of course
2 so far this week in East central Scotland