LEDs on bikes saving lives

[defloyd77]

As a point of interest, Washington State USA specifically bans flashing lights except red bike taillights (or emergency vehicles), and rears must be red. Thus, I do not flash my white front bike light, nor am I convinced it's much safer to have a flashing white front. Nothing will save you when the motorist is updating their Facebook page.

I bike commute year 'round.

Are you talking about during the day or at night?

 

[alpg88]

I do not think we need to debate that strobe attracts more attention than a steady light, it just does. that is why people flash high beams to attract attention, that is why emergency vehicles use strobes and flashes, not steady lights. however it does not mean you are safer, a driver may very well see you but the may not care. or be stoned to the point that he would not have time to make a right choice. with legalisation of weed, i smell weed from passing cars quite often. I was always pro legalization, but after smelling weed on roads way too often, i think i'm switching my opinion, but that is for a separate topic.

 

[louie]

Are you talking about during the day or at night?

I never researched the issue since it's illegal here, but many here do it. I think I would find having my headlight flash would be very annoying in the dark. My personal feeling is that it IS important to be very proactive and not ride like a jerk in traffic, and at night, have extra (legal) lighting and plenty of hi-vis and retroreflective tape.

 

[defloyd77]

I never researched the issue since it's illegal here, but many here do it. I think I would find having my headlight flash would be very annoying in the dark. My personal feeling is that it IS important to be very proactive and not ride like a jerk in traffic, and at night, have extra (legal) lighting and plenty of hi-vis and retroreflective tape.

I've researched a little to see if it's legal here in Wisconsin to use a flashing headlight at night, I haven't found anything that gives an answer on that. At night, yeah, I'd never use a flashing headlight. I don't live in a big, bright city though.

During the day however, if I'm riding down a backroad that I'm unfamiliar with or a road that I know has hidden driveways, I'll set my headlight to a flashing mode. I've had some close calls where I'll by riding by a wooded area and not realize there's a driveway there and while I'm sure the driver is looking for cars, they're certainly not expecting a cyclist.

Since I've started doing that, I haven't had any close calls. That could just be purely coincidental, but I'm not going to stop doing that to see what may happen. I figure it's a good idea to make them more likely to see me if I can't see them.

 

[DRW]

Day time
Front: blinking white
Rear: blinking red

Night time
Front: solid white
Rear: hi/lo red

I use a Garmin rear radar. When it detects approaching traffic, the light blinks faster the closer it gets to me.

Just FYI, I have ridden 4,600 miles in the last calendar year. I commute on a bike if the roads are dry and 28 F or warmer. I ride road, gravel, and mountain for recreation.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Right now I have a Convoy C8 mounted on the handlebar and an Emisar on the helmet. (Too snowy/muddy this time of year)

Skillful discretion with a headlamp can help car drivers attend to matters.

 

[lampeDépêche]

Day time
Front: blinking white
Rear: blinking red

Night time
Front: solid white
Rear: hi/lo red

I use a Garmin rear radar. When it detects approaching traffic, the light blinks faster the closer it gets to me.

Just FYI, I have ridden 4,600 miles in the last calendar year. I commute on a bike if the roads are dry and 28 F or warmer. I ride road, gravel, and mountain for recreation.

That's me, too -- Blinky during the day, solid at night.
It's funny how non-bikers think that you only need lights at night, or that you only need bright lights at night. I tell them, "no, daytime is when you need the really *bright* lights! I don't want to just be visible -- I want to make it impossible for drivers *not* to see me!" At night-time, it's enough to have moderate lights on, since the lights stand out against the dark background. And I find a flashing headlamp is disorienting for me, too -- it makes the road ahead look a bit surreal.
My wife has that Garmin rear radar light and she *loves* it. She has always been nervous about riding in traffic because she hates it when cars come up on her without warning. Now, she can watch their approach on her handlebar unit. She knows when someone is approaching from the rear, and she no longer flinches when they pass her. She's a huge fan -- it's a bit expensive, but it has changed her attitude towards biking.

 

[cy]

Actually some interesting stories, you ask me.

What do others think about using SOS pattern front and back white lights during the day?

---

no one recognizes SOS pattern .. it's used purely due to accidental inclusion on headlamps I'm using in bulk. found a deal on Amazon two for $12.99 including a variety of handlebar mounts and headlamp straps. uses 18650 with usb internal charging.

got 24 of them all over the place .. strapped to rear of my helmet, back of bike, pointed front, strapped to dog collar, etc. etc. etc. now they are $20 each, still dirt cheap

main light uses 18650 10AH pack $85 amazon .. slow strobe for daylight ... solid beam on medium for 7 hours or so runtimes what gets used the most.

high beam bright as most car headlights. claimed 4-5 hours high, still runtime on high is suspect when caught after dark far from home. LED's have come a long ways in terms of affordability and runtimes.

just got in a new toy ... Mechtorch Titanium Gen2 using 18350 cell putting out about 1,000 lumens. almost identical size to my Mcgizmo TiPD

 

[Hank R]

While on a road bike I have been stuck by vehicles a total of four times. Most of them occurred in the past ten years or so when drivers started to become increasingly inattentive.

Since installing LED lights (front and rear) two years ago nobody has hit me.

 

[Torchy the battery boy]

To hell with data. Using a decent led lights, drivers don't cut across me now, or run in to me on a roundabout as happened before. Since using led lights in daylight and dark, near misses and direct hits are now non existant.

 

[louie]

I do think it helps to run lights day and night, flashing or not. I do this in commute mode, although when cycling in spandex mode I don't unless I expect to be out after sunset. A calculated risk.