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Volvo Life Paint - road.cc readers give their verdict

Some of you even used it - but give a far from ringing endorsement

When it was confirmed earlier this week that Volvo is now selling its Life Paint through selected UK dealerships following a successful trial earlier this year, we asked the road.cc community what you thought of it.

- Volvo's controversial Life Paint now available in dealers across UK (+ video)

When the product, which gives a luminescent coating to surfaces it is sprayed on such as clothing, was piloted earlier this year, cycling campaigners criticised Volvo for what they viewed as a victim-blaming exercise.

But the paint, trialled in six London bike shops in March, proved a hit with punters – one shop shifted 500 free samples in two days and was fielding inquiries from as far away as the US and Australia.

Equally, we found opinion split about it among road.cc users – here is a selection of your responses from Facebook and in comments to our article earlier this week.

 

Those included some from people who had actually tried it – though their verdict was far from being a ringing endorsement of the product.

I went to my local Volvo showroom to check it out. Didn't get very far once I'd asked him what the price was - £10 for a small can. He also said it would wash off of smooth objects fairly easily in the rain, and would come out in one wash of fabric/clothing. I did comment that it doesn't come across as all about safety if they're charging that much (and considering how long it would last). He said he'd feed the info back up the chain as I wasn't the first to mention that.

James McMillan

Having used It I cannot recommend it, it looks like glitter paint more than reflective and it only rally works under Direct light, car headlights don't do much at all.

Ace Kristyan Bieler

It's a great product / concept but it doesn't last very long! Someone needs to make some clothing like my kicks. Black until in direct light where they turn bright iridescent.

Chris Colouryum

I used it for a night event last weekend and was very disappointed. Sure it shows up nicely on a flash picture but going through London at 2am it did not have any noticeable difference and on the dark country roads there was no difference from other riders to those that had been sprayed. My issue is the video is a huge misrepresentation and may lead people to falsely believe they are safer when they are not. Save your cash and buy some decent reflective with 3M Tape or high vis jackets and decent 100 lumen lights.

Stephen Hughes

Others have come up with their own solutions to make themselves more visible at night

I have had good luck using reflective tape and tires with reflective sidewalls

Doug Atkins

Some viewed it as a cycnical marketing ploy on Volvo’s part.

This victim blaming corporate whitewashing product needs to be boycotted ...

Paul Cooke

More victim blaming BS from a car company that does nothing to tell the car owners driving their cars to use their f'ing eyes. Think I might get a few to tag those cars where drivers fail to abide simple rules of the road. Least then when cyclists see them near they know to watch out.

Wolf Simpson

I have repeatedly asked Volvo for evidence that their product reduces crashes as they claim. Silence.

Andrew Reeves-Hall

There was some support for Volvo, however.

I do not see how anyone is putting the blame on the cyclists? There seems to be a bit of martyrdom complex happening here. Volvo have technology which warns drivers about proximity to drivers. Is that blaming cyclists? Come on.

Blue Moonday

And finally, not everyone welcomes free samples …

My mum got a free can of this from Volvo as she works for a company operating some of their vehicles. She asked me if I wanted it. I think my response might have offended her slightly ... hopefully she'll convey my thoughts back to her contacts at Volvo.

Gizmo

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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10 comments

Avatar
markrjl | 8 years ago
0 likes

I sprayed a spooky face on my gilet for a halloween ride. Probably distracted a few drivers who came far too close! (picture upload seems to want to rotate picture).

Avatar
oldstrath | 8 years ago
0 likes

If my bike lights were aimed as high as the lights in this video must be every driver on the road would complain.  Does this stuff do anything at all with car headlights that are aimed halfway properly? 

Avatar
4ChordsNoNet | 8 years ago
1 like

Whatever your views on this product are, and I can see some benefits, this is false advertising. The photo used has clearly been edited. The attached shows a screen shot from the video compared with the photo in the article. Same shot, but the reflectiveness edited out. Not very well done either as the rear wheel of the dark bike on the right is still reflecting back light where it's within the front wheel of the bike next to it.

Avatar
Chuck | 8 years ago
2 likes

I'm a bit bemused by the level of hostility to this. Is it because it's from a car manufacturer?

There isn't as much ranting about this:

http://road.cc/content/review/137125-proviz-reflect-360-jacket

which is working to the same end surely?

Avatar
Colin Peyresourde replied to Chuck | 8 years ago
1 like

 

Yes, some people choosing to focus on the view point that a car manufacturer is victim blaming.

I wonder how they view Renault and Peugeots support of cycling teams back in the day?

There are many motivations for doing particular things and I think that Volvo wanted to do something good and we're trying to appear to be conscious of not only their customer safety but road users in general. They should not be berated for that.

 

Chuck wrote:

I'm a bit bemused by the level of hostility to this. Is it because it's from a car manufacturer?

There isn't as much ranting about this:

http://road.cc/content/review/137125-proviz-reflect-360-jacket

which is working to the same end surely?

Avatar
Dr. Ko | 8 years ago
0 likes

As a commuter I have invested my fair share of pennies in proper lights. Yes, I'm fairly annoyed by other cyclist without light going the cycle path in the wrong directions, one reason I rather stay on the road. When was the last time a car without lights came  down the opposide directions on a multi lane street?

In respect to passiv visibility I pick up a Capo jacket from Condor cycles for the price of a reasonable wheelset. Like Gkam 84 wrote, it takes two pictures to describe visibility. It ain't cheap, it is a bit heavy, but washable. So no can for me.

Avatar
fizrar6 | 8 years ago
3 likes

Totally agree with Blue Monday. Some of the comments above are typical of the "cyclists are always the victims" idiots.

The paint may not be the best and maybe Volvo shouldn't be charging £10 a can but  I get fed up seeing other cyclists with no lights and black clothing cycling around Edinburgh.

If you can't afford lights get a can of Volvo paint!! They're only trying to make the roads safer for cyclists. Stop going out your way to be offended!!

As for Gizmo's comment - what a prat!

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to fizrar6 | 8 years ago
0 likes
fizrar6 wrote:

Totally agree with Blue Monday. Some of the comments above are typical of the "cyclists are always the victims" idiots.

The paint may not be the best and maybe Volvo shouldn't be charging £10 a can but  I get fed up seeing other cyclists with no lights and black clothing cycling around Edinburgh.

If you can't afford lights get a can of Volvo paint!! They're only trying to make the roads safer for cyclists. Stop going out your way to be offended!!

As for Gizmo's comment - what a prat!

That its a car company and that its being pointedly promoted, when its not in principle a new idea, does give it the whiff of victim-blaming.

Also, that it washes off and will have to be reapplied sounds a right faff.

Having said that, I already have my bike frame mostly covered in reflective fabric, partly because I just like how it looks and partly because I don't mind having visibility aids on the bike itself, I just dislike being told I have to wear that crap on my person (and I don't like the arms-race effect of pushing it for everyone and everything on the road).

Perhaps its inconsistent, but on the bike its just there, and doesn't require remembering more stuff and doesn't look stupid when you get off the bike. But I still don't see the benefit of paint over fabric or stickers.

And who 'can't afford lights'? I assume cyclists without lights either just can't be arsed dealing with batteries, or specifically _don't_ want to be seen (i.e. by the cops!).

Avatar
Colin Peyresourde | 8 years ago
1 like

Can the readers send in their pictures of the results when used by them? That would be useful.

Avatar
Gkam84 replied to Colin Peyresourde | 8 years ago
1 like

Colin Peyresourde wrote:

Can the readers send in their pictures of the results when used by them? That would be useful.

 

Pictures of it are no good, video is better, because to take a picture in the dark, you'll have the flash on, the flash activates the look that it should be, put yourself infront of a car with lights on and get someone to video from the car, you'll see it doesn't really work.

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