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Tonight I followed a high box-type lorry along a main road, around the rear outline was what appeared to be day-glo orange tape stuck round the edge so that it was illuminated in my dipped headlight as a big orange square. To be honest the driver could have switched his lights off and he would have been just as visible. What a wonderful idea this was to be seen. As cyclists seem to have a hundred and one ways why they cannot have and use lights on their bikes I thought that the compusory wearing of day-glo plastic vests was a good alternative, it's cheap, maintenance free, easily portable, secure from thieves, costs nothing other than the initial outlay, easily carried, when not dark, therefore no excuse for not having and wearing one. The man (or woman) in black on an unlit, or poorly lit road will be no more, and maybe a few lives would be saved at a very small cost.
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Boots lorries are good from that aspect, quite a few having the reflective tape set-up that you describe.
If only more companies would follow suit! Many lorries have rear lights which would look right on a bicycle.
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Marman wrote:
>
> Tonight I followed a high box-type lorry along a main road,
> around the rear outline was what appeared to be day-glo
> orange tape stuck round the edge so that it was illuminated
> in my dipped headlight as a big orange square. To be honest
> the driver could have switched his lights off and he would
> have been just as visible. What a wonderful idea this was to
> be seen. As cyclists seem to have a hundred and one ways why
> they cannot have and use lights on their bikes I thought that
> the compusory wearing of day-glo plastic vests was a good
> alternative, it's cheap, maintenance free, easily portable,
> secure from thieves, costs nothing other than the initial
> outlay, easily carried, when not dark, therefore no excuse
> for not having and wearing one. The man (or woman) in black
> on an unlit, or poorly lit road will be no more, and maybe a
> few lives would be saved at a very small cost.
Rubbish - there's no excuse for cyclists not having lights, and only one
for not having them lit (the batteries dying).
A better use of Parliament's time would be to update the rules regarding
lighting, to make high intensity LED lamps legal.
/John
(who's got a cycle fitted with BS standard 2" diameter lamps front and
back, powered by rechargeable batteries with xenon bulbs)
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A good excuse for having no lights is that you don't need them when you come to a halt. This is to allow dynamo powered lights to be legal.
A taxi driver drove into me when I was stopped just before a junction wearing a bright yellow jacket and under two street lamps at dusk (some swine stole my lights). His insurance paid up for the bike and injuries once I unearthed this piece of daft legislation and passed it on to my solicitor!
The law is an ass (and I was certainly guilty of being one) but it occasionally goes in your favour.
Piers
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Good idea about the cyclists. However it would help if cyclists actually knew and practised the highway code ( you remember that little book you HAD to read for the driving test)
Is it compulsory that when you purchase a push bike you have to hand your eyes, ears and common sense over as part payment.
I always wear a high visibility vest when out running in the dark. With cyclists it should be compulsory both day and night. No excuses. This should in no way be used as a substitute for some decent sized lights but as an addition.
Have fun
Andy
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"However it would help if cyclists actually knew and practised the highway code"
Oi. we'll have none of that. I've got my cycling proficiency certificate around here somewhere. I believe I had to answer questions on the highway code for that one, and for my driving licence come to think of it. I believe most cyclists know the highway code but they choose to ignore it.
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I never thought it would be useful, but I managed to get not just my proficiency certificate, but also the advanced one and the distinction one. Something to do with turning up for the classes three years and not falling off the bike.
Anyhow, I spent three years at college being a thorough nuisance on a bike (wasn't the only tho'), and it's only with the benefit of experience and a general aversion to being squashed by traffic that keeps me safe now.
I have a full christmas tree of lights on my bike and wear reflective legs bands and a vest (nice), but cars still seem to not see me.
However, the real problem around here (West Yorkshire) is that horse riders wander about with no lights, no reflective clothing - very useful when they're wearing a brown hat, brown trousers, brown jacket and riding on a brown horse at dusk.
Lee.
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The main reason why cyclists ride without lights is because most bikes are sold without them fitted. This is quite legal. If cars were sold without lights fitted I suspect that a similar proportion of drivers would likewise choose to drive in the dark unlit.
If we followed Germany's example and made the fitment of lights (and a bell for pedestrians) compulsory, the problem would largely solve itself.
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This morning a lady cyclist asked me to move over when I was on the motorbike at the front at traffic lights.
So that she could jump them on the red.
Say no more!
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I would have brown trousers if I had to get on a horse!
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Yes Tomo, worst case of bt I can recall was on the back of a nag. Not funny.
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