Front Lights

[mr_cellophane]

I passed a cyclist (I was driving) at about 8:15 this morning he had a rear light on, but his front one was turned off. He was very difficult/impossible to see from the front. I had a word with him at some lights and suggested that he turned it on. It wasn't a cheap light either. Once he had I could see him coming from a long way off.
Made me realise I should have some lights on at all times.

 

[gaz]

I always use lights to stand out from the crowd. DRL's will be a big problem.

 

[mr_cellophane]

DRL ?

 

[HovR]

DRL ?

Daytime Running Lamp? Atleast that's what Wikipedia thinks.

 

[Crankarm]

I passed a cyclist (I was driving) at about 8:15 this morning he had a rear light on, but his front one was turned off. He was very difficult/impossible to see from the front. I had a word with him at some lights and suggested that he turned it on. It wasn't a cheap light either. Once he had I could see him coming from a long way off.
Made me realise I should have some lights on at all times.

You were lucky. Most of the cyclists I see at that time don't have any lights and are dressed in black. Drivers still manage to see and avoid them though.

 

[akb]

0815 hours? This is usually the time in which I leave for my commute, and it is daylight. I assume that this is an urban commute?
I always have a rear light on, be it flashing or constant; I only have my front light on if it is dark, or getting dark. Dont see the need for it on rural roads, unless I am approaching a juntion then the front flasher comes on.
But then again, I am dressed in high-vis jacket, cycling shorts with reflective strips and reflective strips from my helmet.

 

[scouserinlondon]

I'm the cycling equivalent of a volvo. ALWAYS have lights on other than when it's amazing, dazzling sunlight (so never).

 

[Dan_h]

I tend to work on the idea that I would rather have my lights on when they are not needed than have them off when they are. I do have to recharge my batteries fairly often!

 

[simon.r]

Daytime Running Lights are a bit of an issue in the Motorcycling world as well. Many bikers think that if enforced for all cars it will reduce the advantage that they have of standing out from the rest of the traffic by having headlights on all the time.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Our local polce have been quoted in the paper that they're running an initiative on 'cyclists with no lights'

Good, bring it on.

 

[MattHB]

I always run with a rear in the light. Flouro yellow jacket as well (while it's brass monkey weather.)

People still pull out in front of me tho!

 

[wiggydiggy]

Our local polce have been quoted in the paper that they're running an initiative on 'cyclists with no lights'

Good, bring it on.

Police in North Yorks are doing something similiar

 

[simon.r]

Article published today on the BBC news site says that "...on 7 February 2011, the Commission made it compulsory for all new cars to be equipped with daytime running lights that switch on automatically when the engine is started." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16215106

I wonder if they can be over-ridden (i.e. switched off) by the driver? Until recently I had an Audi registered in 2010 until that had DRLs come on as the default setting, but they could be turned off.

 

[Scoosh]

When driving and observing other cyclists, I reckon a flashing front light is much better seen than a fixed which, as is being discussed up thread, can easily get lost amongst the DRLs/general light 'noise' (if light can have noise but I hope you'll get what I mean ! ), so I always use a flashing front - and rear come to that, for the same reason.

With an (admittedly dimmer ) fixed light .. just to keep legal .

Mounting a rear flasher high up - say on a backpack/helmet - is also much easier seen when in a car too , probably because it 'stands out in the crowd'.

 

[Beebo]

I wonder if they can be over-ridden (i.e. switched off) by the driver? Until recently I had an Audi registered in 2010 until that had DRLs come on as the default setting, but they could be turned off.

I had a Volvo C70 with exactly the same system, i just turned them off. I used to get other Volvo drivers asking me how I did it, you just had to press a couple of buttons in a specific order, it was all set out in the service book.