Has hi-vis had its day?

[hackbike 666]

I'm having a hard time imagining decent lights not being visible in the way hiviz can so easily be missed.

I remember when your cop car video missed your "decent lights".

*You seem to have more sighting problems than me.

 

[HJ]

Then why do you keep your lights on in daylight? Surely your being a victim....

Damn, I hate it when people use logic...

Having ridden several months with a Hi-viz top from my perspective it's not changed the amount of drivers who pull out with way to little space or act in any way to make me think they've seen me & reacted to my presence. In short from my observations one could conclude that hi-viz is fairly pointless.

When I just to live in Aberdeen, I bought a yellow cycling jacket (with reflective piping) because I found the drivers there seem not to see me, and riding there was scary. While wearing the jacket made me feel I was more visible, it didn't have the same effect on the divers, they treated me just the same (Aberdeen is a $hit place to be a cyclist). When I returned to Edinburgh I found the same to be true. It doesn't make a difference if I wear a yellow cycling jacket or a black fleece.

Then I got some really bright light and when I ride with the lights on I do notice that most drivers do give me more road space, which is why I use them Mags...

 

[magnatom]

Damn, I hate it when people use logic...

There you go, acting the victim again....

 

[hackbike 666]

I didn't use hi-viz for twenty years.....even my dad told me when he was an moton about Hi-Viz and I ignored his advice.He was only passing on what he had learned when being an inexperienced motorist driving an Audi in the late 1970's.

I only reached the decision to wear it when I started city cycling in the late 80's and had many smidsy's.

Yes I generally don't even think about my wearing of it as it's part of my commuting gear for many years now.So it being my rabbits foot is complete crap.

Im still kept on my toes generally by peds day in day out where hi-viz makes no difference if they don't look.

 

[schlafsack]

I've always understood that there are two parts to 'seeing', vision and perception. Hi-viz may help with the first part but does nothing to aid the second.

 

[HJ]

I didn't use hi-viz for twenty years.....even my dad told me when he was an moton about Hi-Viz and I ignored his advice.He was only passing on what he had learned when being an inexperienced motorist driving an Audi in the late 1970's.

Yep, all cars should be painted bright yellow or day glow pink, by law!!

 

[hackbike 666]

Yep, all cars should be painted bright yellow or day glow pink, by law!!

Funny you say that...I saw a brightly coloured orangish car on the motorway at Reading the other day and it really did stand out.

 

[summerdays]

Haven't you ever played the rainbow game with kids on the motorway ... the orange and purple cars are the hardest to find (especially if you try limiting it to mini's).

 

[Moodyman]

With hi-viz I find that drivers go wider. I guess that it's beacuse they see me a lot sooner and can plan a wider berth. When I don't wear hi-viz the passes are a lot closer.

But I agree with others that it makes as good as no differece to pedestrians. They're all blind in my experience.

The bell (kids metal type) is really useful here. Use it a lot in city centre to forewarn crossing pedestrians.

 

[hackbike 666]

The bell (kids metal type) is really useful here. Use it a lot in city centre to forewarn crossing pedestrians.

I had two ped incidents today and both times I had no time to press the horn button.

In fairness though I perhaps should have used my car horn with all the peds milling around the ped lights off of the Waterloo Rounderbout Stamford Street.(first incident)

I guess I don't use it unless I have to because I don't want to be seen as a horn yob.

I think I will now but I will just do short bursts.

This morning when those five cars went over the Bow flyover doing 50+* mph I kept my finger on the button.It's only 30mph over the flyover.


*Funny how they moan about GATSO's.....Gatso's seem to be useful instruments after having those motons speeding over the Bow Flyover yet again.At a guess there is no Gatso's up there.

 

[Moodyman]

My worst pedestrian experience is in the city centre where workers & shoppers use peripheral vision to scan the road before crossing. This often misses cyclists.

I've often needed to ring my bell, but my thumb's been cold or I've been unable to pull the bell lever far back enough to make a loud ting.

Now I don't wait for an incident before I ting. I do it anyway periodically to let them know when I'm there. I get a few 'What a dumb cyclist' looks but I don't care. It better for them and I.

 

[Norm]

Yep, all cars should be painted bright yellow or day glow pink, by law!!

This response is in my back pocket when someone pulls me up for not wearing hi-viz or, as the Highway Code recommends, wearing a white helmet on the motorbike.

I dunno, there's always the moral high ground - "so, matey, what part of this bright yellow jacket did you not see, exactly?". Although I know it leads to worries about victim blaming.

Pretty much exactly my response when someone tried to take me out on a roundabout a few months back.

I've posted the exact words elsewhere but I think it was along the lines of "Don't you think you should get your eyesight checked if you can't see a fat ***t like me in a bright yellow jacket?"

 

[BentMikey]

That is because you cannot legislate against the minority of people who are simply not looking, stupid or concentrating properly for one reason or another

I think you've forgotten about the vast majority of incidents, where drivers do look and don't give a toss about your hiviz, or lights or anything else.

This is why I like the recumbent - it forces the double take and relatively few motons pull out on me. As for folks thinking that hiviz causes overtaking vehicles to give you more space, that's not my impression from watching other commuters get passed. And they will not have ridden with a recumbent, because almost nothing else causes overtakers to give as much room as that.

 

[GrasB]

I dunno, there's always the moral high ground - "so, matey, what part of this bright yellow jacket did you not see, exactly?". Although I know it leads to worries about victim blaming.

This is why I do wear my hi-viz jersey, as well as it being a very comfortable jersey, but it still doesn't change the fact that it doesn't make a jot of difference to the people who are the most dangerous to be riding near.

 

[MacB]

I'm surprised by the assertions here, and elsewhere, about space given depending on how you're dressed. I've really thought about this and the only time I notice significantly more space is when it's dark, I'm being overtaken, and the driver is contending with my vast array of rear lights, reflectives, etc. I can only think that they have no idea of the start and end points of my 'vehicle' and so err on the side of caution. As soon as they can see then their driving 'skills' allow them to action the skim manouever.

My experience on my usual roads, ie fast country, is that the majority of drivers treat you well. My anticipation has so far covered me for the dopey ones. The minority of nutters are just that and I'm not convinced I can wear anything to discourage them. My only weapon is road position and that varies from totally dominant to off on the verge, depending on how irrational the driver is.

Though Arch has a high viz vest with POLITE on the back done to resemble a POLICE vest. I really fancy one of those, I reckon that could be pretty effective.