has there been research into the perfect lighting array for cycles

I am a regular cyclist and often end up cycling in the pitch dark on my way home. You won't be surprised to learn that I have several lights on my bike.

The other night I was driving my car along a road I cycle on regularly when I saw a very bright red light ahead of me which seemed to be at the side of the road. I slowed down but found it hard to guess how far ahead of me it was and wondered if it was a slow moving car or scooter. I discovered it was a chap cycling with a super bright rear light and he was closer than I thought and I had to touch the brakes a bit sooner than I expected.

This got me thinking - I know what the law is here but has there ever been research or trials to discover the perfect combination of rear facing lights for a cycle. I always have a red blinky as well as the red toplight - do other people have approaches or know of research into this area and driver perception?