Does hi-viz really work?

[rich p]

I bought one of those POLITE vests - when I go out riding, i "accidentally" *cough* shove it in my pocket so that only "POL" can be seen sticking out...its amazing how much room people give me!

I bought one of those IMPOLITE vests - doesn't work but I get the satisfaction of telling everyone to feck off

 

[HLaB]

I tend to wear hi-viz during the winter months and I agree that it increases your chances of being seen. Like a lot of things its not perfect if someone isn't looking it probably won't make a difference but I'd rather have that chance

 

[gbb]

Several things spring to mind..
HV is not a cure all....(i'm not suggesting anyone said is is mind)

I nearly got bowled off my bike last year...hi viz with reflectives plus a good set of lights, and still he nearly side swiped me I couldnt have tried harder to be seen !
With hindsight, i know why. He came up to a countryside, completely unlit, T junction. His lights didnt pick up my Hi Viz of reflectives, because his lights werent facing me. He SHOULD have seen my lights...but thats another issue.

Otherwise, its plain and simple to me....when i'm driving, i can see the bloody things a mile off. If i can, the majority of other drivers can as well.

Red tops are surprisingly inneffective...maybe thats my eyes ?..maybe not, but i have always noticed i dont see it that well.


I like to wear a high viz in unlit country roads particually. I know i can see them..thats good enough for me.

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Red tops are very ineffective as red has the longest wavelength of all the colours, and is the longest wavelength humans can see i.e. it is closest (at that end of the spectrum) to being a wavelength we cannot see.

This is why red lights are used to aclimatise (sp?) peoples eyes before they go into the dark on watch, for example.

Violet will work in the same way, except be on the shortest wavelength humans can see.

Somewhere between green and yellow and orange have the optimum wavelength for humans to easily see.

 

[col]

I believe its yellow that is the easiest to see,its the last colour our eyes see best,as they deteriate,this is why you see yellow used on step edges,bus handles ect.

 

[summerdays]

I wear my Hi-Vis jacket, because when I'm in a car I notice the yellow and reflective patches.... would I if I wasn't a cyclist ... I don't honestly know... but at least the motoring cyclists hopefully notice me. I don't bother in summer, but in the gloomy WET days like today then I think it helps.

 

[ufkacbln]

Let's clarifythis a little....

There are two elements flourescent and reflective.

The yellow is to be seen in daylight, the reflective bounces back a light source and enables you to be seen at night.

Does it work - well for those who are looking it probably does, but forthe numpties it will make no difference it will identify you as a cyclist and hence suitable to pass closely and cut up!

My "winter outfit" is a reflective "Bones" jacket, a Dinotte rear light (16 times brighter than the average rear light) an HID at the front (25 times the required light source for a front light) and yet I still have problems - I actually had a taxi driver pull out of a taxi rank who hadn't seen me!

 

[jonathan ellis]

on the human colour front we see blue best (thats from memory/work and not wiki)

on the thread point when i wear a Hiviz (polite) I get more space as a rule so I think it works.

I'm still ready for the muppet changing a cd or on the phone though

 

[Blue]

I only ride during daylight hours. All of my tops used to be either blue or red and I had several near misses with cars last year. I decided to change all my tops to yellow or white for safety sake and have noticed the difference this year.

I agree that if a driver isn't paying attention it doesn't matter what you wear. However, I feel that a hi viz top helps to eliminate the risk of being overlooked by a driver who is paying reasonable attention.

 

[Crackle]

Single lights are always difficult to judge in terms of speed and distance, I know this from being a motorcycle rider and from observing them in my mirrors. Single lights tend to merge into other lights and I find I always need to observe a motorbike longer than a car in order to gauge their speed and distance - Therefore it follows brighter is not necessarily safer.

Motorbikes with two front headlights are easier to judge, perhaps having two lights on the front handlebars, apart, might make you more visible but still won't legislate for the complete moron.

 

[andy_wrx]

I have two lights front and rear, one steady and one flashing.

Flashing hopefully says 'bike', the steady light hopefully allows better judgement of speed/direction/etc.

And I have reflective bands round ankles (which move as you pedal, attracting attention), round arms (show-up when I stick my arm out to indicate), plus various reflectives on jacket, tights, shoes, gloves, etc.

And I've left those horrible reflectors on the spokes of my commuting wheels.

It still won't work 100%, but I feel I've done all I can.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

So where does one get a hi vis vest with POLITE on it?

 

[BentMikey]

It works because when I wear it cars pass wider than when I dont.

Funny that. Both Nutty and I have the opposite experience, and now wear ninja clothes. Good lights though.

It's also interesting how many people want at least one light on their bike to be flashing so that people will recognise them as a bike. I go for bright steady lights because I don't want cars seeing me as a bike, but rather as just another vehicle on the road.

 

[Jaded]

Interestingly though, riding with my headlight on my motorbike (and to some extent in low light conditions when I have my cycle lights on) drivers are much worse at estimating my speed.

I believe we judge speed of something (moving toward or away from us) from the change in size of. A headlight is a lot smaller than a whole motorcyclist, and the change in its proportionality smaller. Get a headlight as big as the bike!

 

[Crackle]

Funny that. Both Nutty and I have the opposite experience, and now wear ninja clothes. Good lights though.

On reflection ( sorry): This would work if you also carried five pointed stars and some throwing knives



I do go one step further and have a steady rear and a flashing. THe flashing helps (in my opinion) with distance and speed judgement and helps pick you out from other vehicles lights. At the front I have one steady which may have a flashing element. And in commuter mode I would wear a Sam Browne belt, becasue like I said before it's more identifiable as a two wheel vehicle.

I'm wary of lighting myself up as a Xmas tree as I find looking at cyclists who do this, kinda has a mesmerizing effect; you find yourself 'drawn' towards the lights.