Should cyclists use daytime running lights? Plus the best front and rear daytime cycling lights

I think daytime lights are a good thing. I tend to run my rear light on all the time. The front one less often. Perhaps I ought to run the front one on too. 

As an aside, it's hard to credibly question spurious polls (as some recent articles have) and then report the results of a twitter poll as offering any insight beyond: people seem interested, we ought to investigate this properly. 

Agreed, I won't go out without a GOOD rear light (normally see.sense). I've recently picked up a Knog Mini Chippy on the front as well.

No daytime running lights.

Other obstacles that drivers must avoid are not equipped with lights, why should bikes be any different? We need to put lights on pedestrians, traffic furniture, animals, trees, trash bins, etc. if we are going to go this route.

I feel that once again this puts all the burden on cyclists, and none on drivers, who need to pay attention.

Or perhaps I shouls just accept that drivers are NEVER going to pay attention, and get lights.

What to do?

So we've got helmets, we've got hi-viz, and now we're moving towards a situation where largely redundant, irritating, expensive lights with unproven safety benefits are becoming a "must-have"  accessory.  If I was to set out to deliberately pare cycling back to a hard core of well-to-do middle-aged, overwhelmingly male enthusiasts, I couldn't think of a better way to do it.

I'd say a maybe in the UK on the rear mainly.....in wet or low light...otherwise a huge NO....   in the EU.... you have no need to... the drivers are not self entitled in my experience

Personally I have always ridden with a rear light on and in certain places/scenarios with my front light also but that is my personal choice. It also hasn't stopped all of the fucktards close passing, left turning across me, right turning across me or any other chopper type activity but hopefully it has lessened it. Making it law I'm certainly not in favour of as it smacks of victim blaming again or a technicality for the odious insurance companies to wriggle out of paying out.

Very much depends on riding conditions, but a good hi-viz would seem a better bet in my experience. 

Obviously if you don't like riding in hi-viz (saw a really effective pink gilet or jersey in the Lakes yesterday) then lights are a good option. But only decent ones, set up right.

I made up a runaround bike for the lady of the house from a frame i was given,i bought some wheels from Germany with a dynamo hub and B&M lights with the senso setting,She leaves them on all the time

and i've got to say mainly from looking over my shoulder to see where she is,They are certainly attention grabbing from quite a distance.(i don't mean that to sound harsh but she doesn't cycle that much).

I use them but even with a bright top and bright lights motorists don't see me. They just aren't looking.

For the ones that do then I'm sure lights make me stand out better. In an ideal world we wouldn't need them but it's not an ideal world. I'm not going to put my life at extra risk by not using lights just to prove a point.

My dyno lights have a daylight mode. Since riding with them (early September) I've had two right-turning SMIDSYs.

There is undoubtedly an arms race out there, some of the latest generation car lights are painfully bright - I think in part its that they're  a very cold blue. As a driver I find them quite dazzling and at twilight I think there's a risk that you won't be spotted on a bike if you're not running lights.

The whole debate is moot for me as my dyno lights are always on and half my commute is on unlit roads so I have to have good lights.

I own a bike with a dynamo and lights that are always on and the most infuriating thing is the number of people - pedestrians and even other road users - who feel I ought to be told that my lights are on... thats closely followed by the even more annoying gits who need to tell me that I left my bicycle lights on and, when I tell them, don't worry they will go off all by themselves in 2 to 3 minutes they act like I am talking about some strange alien technology... whoever heard of lights that go off by themselves... whoever heard of making your own electricity by pedeling... burn the witch :.)

I have lights on front and rear, in the day and dark. It makes me more visible. I also use pedal reflectors. My choice. Happy cycling all !

One of the first lessons I learnt as a motorcyclist was to make yourself visible through road positioning and use of lights. It is self preservation pure and simple and I use similar principles as s cyclist. 

Has anyone else noticed how many cars have ONLY their daytime running lights in at night? Obviously seeing lights out front  fools the driver into thinking they have all their lights on when the reality is the rear lights aren’t on and the cars are unlit from behind? An unfortunate example of ‘enhanced’ safety proving to be anything but. My own thoughts are that the more automated you make any process, (sat nav, automatic gears, automatic lights) the less the driver is engaged. The side effect is they stop thinking for themselves and end up concentrating on other things ........like their phones. 

I just people would turn them on steady mode in a group ride

I use a rear light on most rides in winter particualry in low light conditions.

Only use a front light at night or in darkness.

I run three rear lights - one each seatstay and one on my seatpost. In the day, I run the seatstay ones in flashing mode and the seatpost one in random mode. At night, I turn the seatstay ones in steady mode so drivers can judge my distance better.

Up front, I use a Cat Eye Volt 1200. In the day it's either in HyperConstant (pulsing flash) or in full flash mode. At night it's usually at the half-power 600 lumen mode.

I live in a country where pretty much nobody watches out for cyclists, much less those that can keep pace with city traffic, so most times I feel I have to be really un-subtle about being seen.

I am firmly in the no camp for this one. 

Do you know what, on certain winter or particularly miserable days, yes, stick your lights on, makes total sense. However this call for permanent day lights is bullshit. 

Note that its the manufacturers that are calling the loudest for this, manufacturers who also happen to sell lights.

Go back thirty years and see who were the loudest advoctes of cycling helmets... yep it was the likes of Bell, manufacturers of motorcycling helmets looking to diversify markets. 

Its a slippery slope. We'll all toe the marketers line, fit our bikes with lights until it becomes law, and shortly afterwards, anyone riding without effective lights will be seen as fair game for our ever more aggressive, self-entitled motoring friends. 

Rather than pandering to this marketing bullshit, why not put effort into pushing for greater safety on our roads where it counts, and that is changing driver behaviour / mindsets. Its the only thing that can make us 'safer'.

That said, we are already perfectly safe. Perfectly. I'd imagine that nearly all fatal cycling accidents are covered by this website... our perception of risk is totally out of whack. 

Should no, but do I yes.

its more for the low sun/grey days etc, and I have some blinkies on the commute bike, the road bike is a CX so rather less of a issue!

Not a fan of daytime lights for cyclists, as a cyclist I find them annoying, especially front lights. Certainly overkill on a bright day. On a dull day, or when starting early or finishing late, then yes of course.

As an aside, this conversation has already happened in the time-triallng world. TTing is of course done (mostly) in the daytime. Many testers are vocal about the desirability of a really bright rear light, Scorpion or similar, others less keen, but visit any TT and 90% of testers will have a rear light even though they are not mandated by the governing body.

I think they are a good idea given the gadget induced distracted nature of drivers, at least here in the States.

I run front and rear in flash mode on both my commuter setups which might take me into situations that demand more visability (higher traffic pattern, etc.) That said I don't run any lights on my road bikes.

Have used Bontrager for last couple of years with great success. ION 350 R in front and Flare R in rear. Midday visability is impressive.

Michael Mason (RIP) had both a flashing red rear light and a reflector and was noticed by many witnesses. But apparently the driver Gail Purcell was unable to see him... "there are none so blind as those who will not see".

There is a safety-scare coupled with unproven-yet-costly-remedies marketing move afoot in bicycling circles for quite some time. It started with freds wearing helmets and is now extending into the foolishness of daytime running lights, head-mounted lazer lights and other gimmicks. Wear and carry them if you want, but there is a distinct absence of evidence that they are going to do anything except empty your wallet.

So many people saw the guy. That's good. If Gail Purcell had been paying attention she should have seen him too.

Just because there are really awful drivers out there doesn't mean that lights don't work. If you're not paying attention you won't see any thing.