Why Do Cyclists Insist on Flashing Lights?

esuhl

Given my experience on the last few rides I've been on, I wonder if it's motorists dislike of flashing lights that means they don't use them themselves.

Is it really so much effort to flick the indicator lever that drivers prefer to intimidate other road users and pedestrians by unexpectedly swerving towards them (or making them wait unnecessarily at junctions)?

brat

Is the OP planning to come back to the thread to thank us for many reasonable comments which have informed and changed their views on flashing lights?

Does s/he still have reasons to "HATE" flashing lights despite all grievances being answered?

Will s/he continue to take poor 'non-driving' attitudes (annoyance - misunderstanding - blame apportioning) on to the road thus increasing risk to those whom s/he misguidedly feels deserve the attitude.

Or does s/he possess the trollish blinkered intransigence of previous lurkers who have an agenda of dislike for other road users, and won't listen to common sense and reason?

I don't think we'll ever find out.

anotheruser

Strider590 wrote: »

People don't hate flashing lights, they hate non-conformity.

On the contrary, I have a little OCD in the conformity and "neatness" area of life.

Strider590 wrote: »

they hated DRLs before they became required my EU law.

I hate DRLs now.
In fact, they can make it more dangerous as some are so bright that they dazzle me, even when it's a clear blue-sky day outside. If I get a car, that has DRL, that has an option of turning them off, they will be off!

Strider590 wrote: »

As for the flashing lights, imagine its dark, your about to pull out of a side road, you look right, you see a car coming toward you at some distance, some idiot with a broken headlight!!!! You pull out and BANG, you now realise the oncoming car didn't actually have one headlight out, it was in fact obscured by a cyclist who was much closer to you and what you thought was a side light, was actually the cyclist.

Why you would pull out when the car is coming, I will never know! If you don't look properly, that is the problem, rather than the cyclist "obscuring" a car head light. As I say, in the second the light is off, the cyclist would have changed position, thus is now in more danger than before.
The better of two evils and all that.

anotheruser

Richard53 wrote: »

given the bright sunlight, a steady light might have been mistaken for a patch of sunlight.

A patch of sunlight that was moving?

brat wrote: »

Is the OP planning to come back to the thread to thank us for many reasonable comments which have informed and changed their views on flashing lights?

Yes, sorry I don't visit every minute of the day.

I understand why some posters think they are better but being a driver, who commutes 60 mile round trip daily, in my opinion they are annoying and don't make me notice them any more than any other road traveller.

I notice nobody has challenged the fact cyclists can become invisible for a second when the light is off, and if travelling at speed has significantly changed their position. As nobody has "answered" this point, it suggests it's reasonable.

Retrogamer

anotheruser wrote: »

I understand why some posters think they are better but being a driver, who commutes 60 mile round trip daily, in my opinion they are annoying and don't make me notice them any more than any other road traveller.

I notice nobody has challenged the fact cyclists can become invisible for a second when the light is off, and if travelling at speed has significantly changed their position. As nobody has "answered" this point, it suggests it's reasonable.

I have a bright constant light on the front and a less bright flashing light as well.
With this i wear a bright yellow cycling jacket with reflective material built into it.

I still get people pull out in front of me and when challeneged the response is "i never seen you"

Flashing lights or not. The main reason people don't see cyclist on the road is due to being unobservant. Most lights will flash more than once a second so if you didn't see a cyclist because it was between flashes then you're not looking properly.

armyknife

anotheruser wrote: »

A patch of sunlight that was moving?

......

I notice nobody has challenged the fact cyclists can become invisible for a second when the light is off, and if travelling at speed has significantly changed their position. As nobody has "answered" this point, it suggests it's reasonable.

When you watch a tv or film do you say or think ""I was watching a film, but where has it now gone", 25 or 30 a seconds.

I've just looked at a cheap white flashing light, I timed it against a digital clock, it blinks a little too fast for me to accurately count, but seems to be 4 or 5 times a second.

So if I'm travelling at 15 mph in a 1/4 second I'll have travelled all of 5 feet.
Is your brain really thinking "there's a cyclist, oops where has he gone, oh there he is 5 feet to the left/right, Woah he's gone again, we're is he, oh he's shifted 5ft, !!!!!!, he's disappeared again, where is he, oh he's back again...... there's a cyclist, oops where has he gone, oh there he is 5 feet to the left/right, Woah he's gone again, we're is he, oh he's shifted 5ft, !!!!!!, he's disappeared again, where is he, oh he's back again...... there's a cyclist, oops where has he gone, oh there he is 5 feet to the left/right, Woah he's gone again, we're is he, oh he's shifted 5ft, !!!!!!, he's disappeared again, where is he, oh he's back again...... there's a cyclist, oops where has he gone, oh there he is 5 feet to the left/right, Woah he's gone again, we're is he, oh he's shifted 5ft, !!!!!!, he's disappeared again, where is he, oh he's back again...... there's a cyclist, oops where has he gone, oh there he is 5 feet to the left/right, Woah he's gone again, we're is he, oh he's shifted 5ft, !!!!!!, he's disappeared again, where is he, oh he's back again...... there's a cyclist, oops where has he gone, oh there he is 5 feet to the left/right, Woah he's gone again, we're is he, oh he's shifted 5ft, !!!!!!, he's disappeared again, where is he, oh he's back again...... there's a cyclist, oops where has he gone, oh there he is 5 feet to the left/right, Woah he's gone again, we're is he, oh he's shifted 5ft, !!!!!!, he's disappeared again, where is he, oh he's back again...... there's a cyclist, oops where has he gone, oh there he is 5 feet to the left/right, Woah he's gone again, we're is he, oh he's shifted 5ft, !!!!!!, he's disappeared again, where is he, oh he's back again...... there's a cyclist, oops where has he gone, oh there he is 5 feet to the left/right, Woah he's gone again, we're is he, oh he's shifted 5ft, !!!!!!, he's disappeared again, where is he, oh he's back again...... " ?

Norman_Castle

anotheruser wrote: »

I notice nobody has challenged the fact cyclists can become invisible for a second when the light is off, and if travelling at speed has significantly changed their position. As nobody has "answered" this point, it suggests it's reasonable.

The cyclist becomes unlit, not invisible, for a fraction of a second. Using this as an argument against cyclists flashing lights is nonsense.
I'll let someone keen on maths work out how (in)significant the cyclists position change is. Taking into account the cyclist lights will be positioned to be visible while they are moving towards or away from you.

Do you find flashing indicators annoying?.

brat

anotheruser wrote: »

Yes, sorry I don't visit every minute of the day.

I often wonder why people open critical threads such as this when they won't be able to respond to it for a few days.

I understand why some posters think they are better but being a driver, who commutes 60 mile round trip daily, in my opinion they are annoying and don't make me notice them any more than any other road traveller.

You're entitled to an opinion, of course. But it's not the mark of a careful compliant considerate motorist to get "annoyed" by another road user's legal use of the road.

You don't need to notice cyclists "any more than [noticing] any other" road user. Flashing lights help differentiate, so that you automatically, subconsciously think bike rather than car. That's their primary purpose.

I notice nobody has challenged the fact cyclists can become invisible for a second when the light is off, and if travelling at speed has significantly changed their position. As nobody has "answered" this point, it suggests it's reasonable.

Perhaps it was seen as unworthy of sensible response. Not many flashing lights flash at less than 120 flashes per minute. My daylight flasher flashes varies its flash speed, but my night flash rear flash is 240 flashes per minute and the front is about 150 per minute. At 8m/s I travel about 3 metres between front flashes and 2 metres between rear. No driver will ever miss vehicle lights flashing at 2 to 4 flashes a second, and as long as the driver is not totally deranged they will be able to see the path if a cyclist by virtue of the path of their flashing lights.
So, as already shown by recent comments, It's one of the dafter challenges to rise to...
...and there have been some daft ones.

frisbeej

Threads like this one are great, they confirm that flashing lights are effective.

anotheruser

brat wrote: »

You're entitled to an opinion, of course. But it's not the mark of a careful compliant considerate motorist to get "annoyed" by another road user's legal use of the road.

I get annoyed by larger vehicles that have their headlight beams higher, thus shining behind me.
I get annoyed by people beeping at their friends to wave.
I get annoyed at the DRLs that change to be indicators.
... plus a fair bit more that I can't work out why it's like that and how it benefits safety what so ever.

Many things about roads annoy me, disco lights is just one.
Yes, the first post was rather accusing but subsequent posts haven't exactly been an educating experience and none have been able to convince me how they are "better" than steady-on lights.

Norman_Castle wrote: »

The cyclist becomes unlit, not invisible, for a fraction of a second. Using this as an argument against cyclists flashing lights is nonsense.

Do you find flashing indicators annoying?.

Ha ha, but you're using flashing lights as an argument suggesting those that use them are better seen?

Indicators flash a different colour, aren't so bright and don't look like some sort of mini rave. Idiot question.

frisbeej wrote: »

Threads like this one are great, they confirm that flashing lights are effective.

Or not so it seems:

Retrogamer wrote: »

I still get people pull out in front of me and when challeneged [sic] the response is "i never seen you"

Also, just so you know, I haven't run away; I just fail to see the education rather than the "I AM RIGHT, YOU ARE WRONG. THAT'S IT" posts, thus the thread is useless.