Crowdfunding for lights

[Markymark]

[QUOTE 5020674, member: 259"]The problem here is that people ride bikes without lights.[/QUOTE]
No it isn't. The problem is drivers not looking where they are going.

If you were correct the number of unlit killed cyclists would be statistically higher.

 

[Markymark]

[QUOTE 5020677, member: 259"]What evidence do you have of bicycle lights being a marginal gain?[/QUOTE]
"The study, carried out for the Department for Transport, found that in 2% of cases where cyclists were seriously injured in collisions with other road users police said that the rider disobeying a stop sign or traffic light was a likely contributing factor. Wearing dark clothing at night was seen as a potential cause in about 2.5% of cases, and failure to use lights was mentioned 2% of the time."

Cyclists should have lights at night, I do. Does that make them liable if hit by a car? Not really. Should the police spend time on it? Not really. Should a driver get off because of it? Hell no.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

No it isn't. The problem is drivers not looking where they are going.

Not strictly true, picked the daughter & friend up Friday night, dropped friend off, was going down a narrow street with parked cars either side less than 2ft either side of car, lamp posts were a long way apart. Suddenly out of the darkness appeared a cyclist coming towards me wearing all black, no lights on the wrong side of the crown in the road. I was looking, I was paying attention but he still startled me, fecking idiot, he wasn't a young guy either Darwin clearly hadn't worked in his case. 300 yards later on the main road a young lad on a BMX came out of a side street & proceeded to ride up the middle of the main road weaving between the gaps in the white lines, he didn't have lights either.

 

[smutchin]

Suddenly out of the darkness appeared a cyclist coming towards me wearing all black, no lights on the wrong side of the crown in the road. I was looking, I was paying attention...

So, did you kill him?

 

[BoldonLad]

Not strictly true, picked the daughter & friend up Friday night, dropped friend off, was going down a narrow street with parked cars either side less than 2ft either side of car, lamp posts were a long way apart. Suddenly out of the darkness appeared a cyclist coming towards me wearing all black, no lights on the wrong side of the crown in the road. I was looking, I was paying attention but he still startled me, fecking idiot, he wasn't a young guy either Darwin clearly hadn't worked in his case. 300 yards later on the main road a young lad on a BMX came out of a side street & proceeded to ride up the middle of the main road weaving between the gaps in the white lines, he didn't have lights either.

I think, the point of this story is, you were paying attention, and, thankfully, did not injure the foolish people in question.

As we cycle about, we recall the incidents of close passing, etc etc, but, or course, we do NOT remember the hundreds of instances where the driver does the "right" thing.

Similarly, for those of us who drive, we recall the idiot with no lights, dressed in black etc etc, who ALMOST catch us out, but, we do not recall the sensible, responsible cyclists.

Same is true of all road users and pedestrians, we only recall the idiots, not the sensible.

 

[hoppym27]

at 6am today I saw a cyclist with a helmet on and in a high viz jacket but no lights...i dont get that..why invest in a helmet and the clothing but not the lights?

 

[Deleted member 26715]

at 6am today I saw a cyclist with a helmet on and in a high viz jacket but no lights...i dont get that..why invest in a helmet and the clothing but not the lights?

I see one of these each day on an unlit country road.
Another anecdote Saturday night 2 MTB'ers in front with lights on, wasn't until I got closer that we realised it was actually 3 MTB'ers but the rear one had his jumper/shirt/fleece which was tied around his waist dangling over his rear light so it couldn't be seen. We slowed down as we passed & advised him, he had no idea & surprisingly we got a thanks not a mouthful of abuse.

 

[Threevok]

I see one of these each day on an unlit country road.
Another anecdote Saturday night 2 MTB'ers in front with lights on, wasn't until I got closer that we realised it was actually 3 MTB'ers but the rear one had his jumper/shirt/fleece which was tied around his waist dangling over his rear light so it couldn't be seen. We slowed down as we passed & advised him, he had no idea & surprisingly we got a thanks not a mouthful of abuse.

What ?? Tying any item of clothing around your waist, whilst riding an MTB is a punishable offence.

If there isn't a Velominati rule against it, there damned well should be.

 

[Lonestar]

at 6am today I saw a cyclist with a helmet on and in a high viz jacket but no lights...i dont get that..why invest in a helmet and the clothing but not the lights?

See that all the time but what is it with white light on the rear and red light on the front?

The other week at Elephant and Castle I saw a red and white flasher on the rear.

Cyclist (with no lights) behind me on the CS 3 earlier this year hit a car that pulled out of a turning and didn't see him.Wonder what view the cops took when they turned up.

 

[Tim Hall]

I'm think of starting a campaign to raise money to buy lights for all of those cyclists out there who are too poor to buy lights for their bikes, and by the look of things this will be a massive undertaking. This should be of particular aid to all those in the Deliveroo community who seem to think that a large reflective box on their back makes them visible from the front...

All donations gratefully accepted.

There's a poster here who has given out pound land lights to unlit cyclists in the past.

 

[MacB]

Double checked the URL and this is definitely Cyclechat, for a minute I thought I'd stumbled onto the DM website.

 

[jefmcg]

Double checked the URL and this is definitely Cyclechat, for a minute I thought I'd stumbled onto the DM website.

If there isn't any side<boob/arse> then it's not the DM.

 

[NickNick]

Just read that blaze liights have been fitted to al santander bikes. Has anybody experienced them yet?

I presume they're the company that has provided those stupid laser lights that shine a green bike pattern onto the road. I hate coming across them when commuting through London, I don't see how they provide any safety benefit and its just one more distraction out there, lights should be there to draw focus onto the cyclist, not onto the floor half a meter in front of them!

 

[jefmcg]

I presume they're the company that has provided those stupid laser lights that shine a green bike pattern onto the road. I hate coming across them when commuting through London, I don't see how they provide any safety benefit and its just one more distraction out there, lights should be there to draw focus onto the cyclist, not onto the floor half a meter in front of them!

Oh, them? Been around for a year or two I'd guess.

I'd say stupid and useless. Not really a distraction compared to everything else going on around the areas these bikes usually are.

 

[Tim Hall]

I think I first saw them about four years ago.

I think they're just useless. I quite like them, despite their uselessness, but I think you should be able to customise them with your own images for projection.

Butbutbutbut: They're FRIKKIN LASERS, so must be good.

Mind you the TFL's website makes some pretty big claims:

A bike will still look like a bike when seen upside-down or sideways, or from any angle in between. Its simple, striking image is the most effective way to help you be seen and to keep you safe on the roads.

(my bold). Can I sue them if I get killed utterly to deth while riding a laser equipped bike?