Conspicuity and safety

keninoz wrote:

Some years ago, I was invloved in research into the conspicuity of emergency vehicles – particularly fire engines & smaller command vehicles. The research assessed several colour variations of vehicles in situ over a period of about 12 months. These included red, white, yellow (lime green) and some combinations of these colours. As part of the research, we also tested different types of reflective material & various types of flashing lights. Key criteria included feedback from firefighters using the vehicles (the vehicles were rotated through several busy fire stations), response times, and accident rates.

The research concluded that colour didn’t make as much difference as did contrasting colours. It also concluded that highly reflective tape with contrasting colours & flashing lights with contrasting colours also made a significant difference. Interestingly, it was found that red flashing lights were more visible in daylight while blue was more visible at night.

As a result, these vehicles (around 1000 of them) are now fitted out in red & white paint, along with highly-reflective red & white tape or red & yellow/lime green tape along the entire bodywork of the vehicles. Contrasting red & blue high-intensity flashing lights are fitted at several locations on the vehicle(s) (including at bumper bar height, a height on the front that is visible in rear view mirrors, the roof, & all leading edges front & rear).

Many other fire & emergency services have since done the same.

I use these findings to guide the ways in which I make myself more conspicuous while I’m cycling because I know it’s based on evidence. I wear contasting colours, have more than one flashing light at more than one height front & rear, & use some highly-reflective tape on my bike(s).……

…. and an extendable ladder strapped to my helmet 😉

fenix wrote:

srchar wrote:

Hi vis and lights are just another stick to beat cyclists with.  Personally, at night, I use lights.  However, when driving at night, I see many people on black bikes, dressed head to toe in black, without lights, from quite some distance.  Not wearing hi vis and not using lights doesn’t make you invisible.

 

You must have exceptional eyesight.  I remember being on holiday and driving down an unlit dual carriageway.  There was a guy all in black on a bike with no lights. Doesn’t matter what the bike colour was – it was really dark.  If it wasn’t for his reflectors on the pedals I’d never have seen him. Seems crazily dangerous to me. 

People travelling at a speed they can stop well within the distance they can see to be clear can do this easily. You should try it some time.

srchar wrote:

Hi vis and lights are just another stick to beat cyclists with.  Personally, at night, I use lights.  However, when driving at night, I see many people on black bikes, dressed head to toe in black, without lights, from quite some distance.  Not wearing hi vis and not using lights doesn’t make you invisible.

You must have exceptional eyesight.  I remember being on holiday and driving down an unlit dual carriageway.  There was a guy all in black on a bike with no lights. Doesn’t matter what the bike colour was – it was really dark.  If it wasn’t for his reflectors on the pedals I’d never have seen him. Seems crazily dangerous to me. 

When I am being a car driver
When I am being a car driver I appreciate when cyclists and pedestrians make an effort to increase their chances of visibility in the environment. Not because I want to see them in time to stop but so that I can adjust speed, road position and plan for their presence in the general flow of traffic at the earliest opportunity.

Not sure how other peoples sense of vision works but hi viz, reflectives and lights get my attention.

When I am a cyclist I generally wear some clothing. Really makes no difference to me if it is camo roadkill or luminous yellow. I generally choose the luminous yellow though. Not aware that doing so makes me immortal or immune from being run over by a driver determined to look at their phone rather than the road, but I have no control over that.

Look555 wrote:

Does anyone else use the tactic to move latterally across the road when approaching a car at a junction?

 

My theory is that: 1) the different axis of movement give the driver’s brain another movement to detect, movement being the thing that brains are more developed to sense.

And 2) I think that being more towards the middle of the road gives me better scope for avoiding them if they do pull out, perhaps I have a better angle to turn left and skirt round their backside.

I do that whenever it looks like they might not stop or are going unusually fast.

You have to be careful that you don’t suddenly veer into the path of someone behind you, though, so I don’t do it if I’m not sure what traffic is behind me (tiny mirror for the win).

My thinking is that I’m increasing the time for me to brake/evade them if they do pull out and I can give them a hard stare whilst doing so (see picture a few posts above).

Hi vis and lights are just

Hi vis and lights are just another stick to beat cyclists with.  Personally, at night, I use lights.  However, when driving at night, I see many people on black bikes, dressed head to toe in black, without lights, from quite some distance.  Not wearing hi vis and not using lights doesn’t make you invisible.

hawkinspeter wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

nniff wrote:

Just an observation, but when I changed from standard blackish sunglasses on my commute into London to a pair with gold mirror lenses people didn’t pull out on me as much – ‘eye’ contact seemed better  B-)

It’s well worth trying to make eye contact with drivers who are about to pull out. If you can make eye contact, then they’ve definitely seen you and hopefully won’t pull out anyway (I’ve never had a driver pull out on me when I’ve made prior eye contact).

Sorry but this is absolutely untrue, do not ever, ever rely on this bit of misinformation. So many times people including myself have looked at drivers (and indeed pedestrians) and thought they were looking at you but far too often you’ve got your invisibility cloak on and they don’t see you at all.

NEVER believe that a person has seen you because you’ve ‘eyeballed’ them!

Maybe my stare is intimidating enough to stop them in their tracks, but so far it has worked for me. I don’t assume that they won’t still pull out, so I do maintain caution.

It wouldn’t surprise me if some drivers see cyclists and yet don’t care at all and still pull out despite making eye contact, so you make a valid point. I still think it’s worthwhile trying to make eye contact, though.

I’ve had a pedestrian once look both ways and then walk into the side of me…  OK: nearly walk into the side of me, because I had my doubts about them.

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