commuting in the dark rant

[Cubist]

He saw these, but there's no guarantee he will see them in the future.

He saw them, but perhaps too late?

Pushing the logic here, but if he saw them too late the thread would have started with a list of all the bareheaded , low-viz, matte cyclists he actually hit ......

 

[fossyant]

Once while riding through Reading in the dark with my Night Vision jacket, flashing and static lights at the rear and a bright sigmasport light on the front some ninja in black with no lights or reflectors decided to tell me that I was dangerous because I was not wearing a helmet... I could not even be bothered to answer that one!

Awesome - logic failure.

 

[400bhp]

Pushing the logic here, but if he saw them too late the thread would have started with a list of all the bareheaded , low-viz, matte cyclists he actually hit ......

Possibly, depends on your interpretation of "too late".

 

[CharlieB]

I see lots of no-lights-ninjas on my commute now.

But I have always wondered why the majority of them compound the issue by wearing dark stuff?

Mind you, there's also a small proportion of motorists who forget to turn their lights on once darkess falls.

 

[vickster]

I guess the point is that motorists forget to turn their lights on and will realise sooner or later (we've all done it) and it tends to be in well lit urban areas where you'll see the car.

I don't think the lightless cyclists have forgotten to turn their lights on, but to actually buy them or at the least buy new batteries. I seem to see lots of unlit cyclists on the pavement, I guess because they know they have no lights and thus the pavement is the right place to be They just wear dark clothes because that's what they wear - if you are not going to invest in lights, you're unlikely to invest in hi-viz.

I personally wear a helmet, high viz and have lights because I am a coward and feel safer doing so The unlit are just much tougher and more invincible than me

 

[vickster]

They appear think it's the right place to be with no lights not me !!! That said, if driving, I would rather an unlit cyclist is on the pavement not on the road where I cannot see him or her and thus, risk hitting them!! (if that makes sense)

 

[vickster]

Well obviously the ninjas should be tucked up at home out of harm's way

 

[gbb]

It's that funny time of the year again, i saw one yesterday, made an assumption but then thought better of it...

It's dark, guy commuting on a reasonable hybrid, busy road, ...no lights, dark clothing but he's wearing a helmet.

My first thought was...stupid, you've taken the time to wear a helmet (presumably for safety) but didn't think it was neccessary to have lights

But then i thought, its early in the winter season, i think people just take time to get sorted with lights. As winter progresses, you see more people with them, it just takes time to catch up.
Thats not an excuse, but i do wonder if it's the way it is ?

And then i thought...hypocrite, if i counted the times i've gone without lights years ago ?. Wouldn't dream of it now, but....

 

[Tynan]

plenty ninjas in London natch

I see them much later than a well lit rider, unsurprisingly, especially when they're doing unexpected things, at darker parts of the road they really can appear quite suddenly, I imagine at a higher closing speed more so

I imagine when a driver hits one, their immediate excuse will be 'they had no lights' and the cops/courts will be happy with that

 

[Kiwiavenger]

lots more ninjas again this morning! however with 4 relatively bright lights me and my mate avoided all of them (one close call with a ninja just pulling out onto the track infront of us causing my mate to slam on and me to dink right onto the mud) but all in all uneventfull today!!

 

[BSRU]

It's definitely ninja season, loads about plus the bikes with rear lights that are so weak that they are just about visible close up.

 

[mgarl10024]

What's not wearing a helmet got to do with how dark it is ?

You asked before I did

My take here would be (and I know that this is a thorny subject) that [dare I say it] the OP believes (as I do) that helmets improve safety. From that, they believe that riding in the dark without a helmet is a poor choice because it will increase the chances of an injury if hit, and that no lights are increasing the chances of being hit.

Some people genuinely can't afford more than a cheap set of supermarket LEDs!

Please correct me if wrong, but I believe that cycling on a road in the dark with no lights is an offence. If right, the "i can't afford lights" excuse wont stand up. If you can't afford to cycle legally, don't cycle.
It'd be like a driver not wearing a seatbelt because he can't afford one? I'll accept that this chap was on a cycle path and not a road, but I think the point stands.

 

[Jezston]

@ mgarl10024:

You might want to read that second sentence you quoted again.

 

[4F]

My take here would be (and I know that this is a thorny subject) that [dare I say it] the OP believes (as I do) that helmets improve safety. From that, they believe that riding in the dark without a helmet is a poor choice because it will increase the chances of an injury if hit, and that no lights are increasing the chances of being hit.

Would they be safer wearing a helmet if they decide not to have any lights ?

 

[mgarl10024]

@ mgarl10024:
You might want to read that second sentence you quoted again.

Well caught. That'll teach me to skim.