Cars are now moving out the way for me

[Sore Thumb]

When commuting to work on the fixed gear I have noticed that motor vehicles are actually moving over for me. This tends to happen in busy traffic when I am filtering the traffic. I find that they are moving over to the left for me.

When commuting I always have my lights on even during the day. I use a hope vision 2 on flashing and a exposure flash on my helmet on strobe mode.

It might be me but I have only noticed this since the West Midlands Ambulance Service changed all its ambulances. The difference between the old and new ambulances is that they have loads of white led emergency lights on the front.

As I am a distance away I see the cars start to move over, I think they can only see my white flashing LEDs and them presume I might be an emergency vehicle.

It might be me but it does seem very odd behaviour that never used to happen.

 

[DrSquirrel]

Some people are nice enough and move over anyway.

Although if they do think you are an ambulance, and after a few cyclists passes you might find a few people will be annoyed by this and end up not moving out of the way for an actual ambulance until they actually realise its a "real one".

 

[skudupnorth]

I've had when i had my Nitriders on strobe that everyone scatter's like sheep to let me through obviously thinking emergency vehicle on it's way
Since they broke (again) i have one ickle Cateye that does not have the same effect

 

[the snail]

I used to see a guy around Bristol on an ex-police bmw, with orange stripes on the fairing, and POLITE in black letters, seemed to work a treat.

 

[gaz]

A helmet light on strobe? thats my pet hate. put it on solid!

 

[GrasB]

Genrally I find that filtering on the right of traffic gets much more respect than on the left of the cars.

A helmet light on strobe? thats my pet hate. put it on solid!

+1... If you must ride use a joystick or Diablo PLEASE DO NOT have them on anything other than their lowest settings as you tend to put a colour distorted spot in drivers vision in the area of vision used to look at traffic lights!

 

[gb155]

IF I commute on road, on the MTB without a helmet I get LOADS OF ROOM

If I am on the Road bike with a Helmet on , then I get very little room, close passes and people tend to attempt to stop me filtering

 

[Jezston]

I find I get less room if I have the light on my rucksack turned on. No idea why - perhaps drivers get fixated on it because it's a circular ring? Or they think it's a target?

 

[skudupnorth]

I find I get less room if I have the light on my rucksack turned on. No idea why - perhaps drivers get fixated on it because it's a circular ring? Or they think it's a target?

TARGET !

 

[Yorkie Martin]

Living in the "cycling city" of York, I feel like I get more space on my recumbent than when on a "normal" bike, and I use the same light arrangements both front & rear. Sometimes I think it's so the drivers kids can wave at me better as they pass and I am on their level to wave back, but may be they just think I'm less stable?!?!?

Out on my MTB on rural roads is worse though, but that may be because this is normally on a Sunday, and we all know about Sunday drivers!!!

 

[sheddy]

BTW does the Highway Code say anything about filtering in stationary traffic ?

I'd like to be sure of my facts in anticipating a run in with WVM

 

[buggi]

LOL. I have just downloaded the "police lights" app to my phone. i am going to strap my phone to the front of my bike

 

[crazy580]

LOL. I have just downloaded the "police lights" app to my phone. i am going to strap my phone to the front of my bike

Enjoy prison!

 

[Sore Thumb]

Genrally I find that filtering on the right of traffic gets much more respect than on the left of the cars.


+1... If you must ride use a joystick or Diablo PLEASE DO NOT have them on anything other than their lowest settings as you tend to put a colour distorted spot in drivers vision in the area of vision used to look at traffic lights!

I don't have a joystick or a diablo. I have the exposure flash, which has only one brightness which is less than a joystick and way less than a diablo.

And I am not trying to make myself look like an emergency vehicle. I just use standard white cycle lights as I am permitted to do.

I am just trying to say that because an ambulance service has changed all it vehicles to having white LED lights that I have noticed that cars now are moving out the way for me.

I was using white flashing LEDs before the ambulance even thought about it. So they are probably impersonating a cyclist than we are of them.

Now blue lights I feel is a big no no. I could not care what the legal small print would say about using something like this, I personally would not do it.