SMIDSY....

[400bhp]

A van nearly pulled into my path yesterday (me in primary in left hand lane, he stationary in a queue in right hand and decided to pull into the other lane which would gave been empty if I hadn't been there)

No damage done, I swerved and he stopped. But he pulled up beside me to let me know he couldn't see my light. Now that's unusual. I've had more than one person complain it's too bright. But fair enough, it may have slipped.

BUT it was 8am, I was wearing a purple helmet with black and White reflective band and a hi viz pink and reflective band waistcoat. My bike is purple with White tyres, a big green floral bag on the front rack and just in case all that isn't enough, White fairy lights wrapped round the frame! It's possible that when astronauts look down from orbit the only man made things visible are from the Japanese squid fishing fleet and my cycling outfit.

Didn't see my light? Didn't bother looking more like. Pah!

Not necessarily.

He was looking for lights at that time of day. He wasn't looking beyond that which is perhaps a mistake. But that is one reason for having lights in that it is instantly recognisable there is a vehicle on the road.

 

[Mad at urage]

Not necessarily.

He was looking for lights at that time of day. He wasn't looking beyond that which is perhaps a mistake. But that is one reason for having lights in that it is instantly recognisable there is a vehicle on the road.

That is of course one reason why DRLs are a Bad Idea: They get people into the habit of looking for (bright, engine-powered) lights and when a bike's lights are not up to that level (and make no mistake, no matter what the technology, we can never compete with the sheer power available from an engine) - we are again invisible.

I agree that he probably was looking for car-bright lights. So, in this case Betty is potentially blamed for a maybe-slipped (or maybe not...) light which is normally described as "too bright", which the driver couldn't (for whatever reason) see: Are pedestrians supposed to walk around with flashing yellow beacons on there heads yet? Just in case WVM (or other imitator of Magoo) happens to be looking for lights instead of people-he-shouldn't-drive-into!