So commuted to work do day in the car, needed lights both going too and on the return this evening.

I counted 5 cyclists riding in the dark without lights!
However I counted 26+ (I lost count after that) cars driving around without any lights on 😕

And your point?

I suspect it might be a case of people not realising how invisible they are or having forgotten to bring the lights with them earlier. I find it interesting that here, where a lot more people ride on a casual basis around town, it’s quite unusual to ride with lights (in the dark) and this seems to make the car drivers more careful – I think because they expect to come upon some darkly-clad cyclist on the road! It might help that in any accident the car driver is automatically at fault unless can be proved otherwise.

Given that there were more than 26 folk driving around with no lights on I reckon it might just be you that isn’t sure when to put your lights on so put them on too early.

For you to count 26 cars then either you were at a “dusk” point whereby it comes down to driver decision as to when to turn lights on OR you live in some kind of Stevie Wonder clone town.

Edit: basically what he said ^^^^

It’s usally about this time of year that the letters in
the local rag start, with people complaining about “cyclists” having no lights on in the dark.
(stange that they manage to spot them, but not the ones lite up like a christmas tree)
But 26 and more people driving round in the dark with no lights is appalling. How observant are these people? I mean “oh look it’s dark, every one else has their lights on, may be I should turn on mine as well”

saw some riding up the Parkway in Sheffield tonight. Mental.

Then there is the other type of person that has lights but the batteries are almost flat.

Some of the ones I’ve seen in the last few days make me wonder if they bother to check if the on switch actually does something, or they want to get every last drop of power out of the batteries.

It doesn’t have to be someone on a £50 supermarket special either, beats me why people risk their life for 3 quid in batteries.

(strange that they manage to spot them, but not the ones lite up like a christmas tree)

That’ll be at the last moment when you suddenly realise that that dark silhouette is a cyclist right in front of you as you pull out of a side road. Happened to me as I turned around in a side turning to drive back up the road and park outside my house. I saw something dark move against the sidelights of a parked car further down the road as I turned in. As I stopped and looked back down the road I saw nothing, then just as I started to pull away I looked right again just as a bloke on a bike dressed in black and with no lights went to ride in front of me! I stomped on the brake just in time, let him go past then collared him as he rode past my house and pointed out how close I came to hitting mim because I didn’t see him, and he actually got off his bike and pushed it off up the road. He never considered how dangerous it was what he was doing. He could have just belted me, though. Lucky there, although I didn’t rant at him, just pointed out what a daft thing it was he was doing.

grahamh – Member
So commuted to work do day in the car, needed lights both going too and on the return this evening.

I counted 5 cyclists riding in the dark without lights!
However I counted 26+ (I lost count after that) cars driving around without any lights on

What times are we talking about?

It’s 19.47 now, you posted 55 minutes ago, so assuming that you didn’t immediately run in and turn your STW account on, you drove home well before 18.30. Tonight’s sunset in London was timed at 17.39.

Being fair to you, today has been VERY gloomy so it was dark a bit earlier, but I’m guessing that you were driving at dusk, as other above have said.

I was backing into a telephone exchange in York on Wednesday and needed to pull the lorry forward a meter or two to get the arse end in position. Popped it in 1st, look left look right and nowt coming. It’s 06:30 and pitch black and just as I pull forward a woman on a bike swerves round the lorry. No lights on, nothing reflective at all. I missed here by millimetres. She was that close to the lorry I could only see her head passing in front of the windscreen . **** idiot nearly got herself killed and me in a whole lot of shite.

I see this in a daily basis and it never fails to amaze.

Taken around 17:50 about the time of sunset here, but it has been overcast all day and raining, so dark by 17:30 when I left work.

I would have tried harder concentrating on my driving rather than counting cars and bikes if I was surrounded by idiots

Nearly took out some achingly cool unlit fixie in the middle of Bristol the other night. He took umbrage at my language and hand signals.

IMO it’s just as important to wear something light – preferably reflective. I think cyclists might be shocked at how hard it is for a driver to see them

falkirk-mark
It’s called observation; it’s what you are supposed to do while driving.
(or at least that how we where tought to drive in my day)

Yes, I observe changing conditions while driving I tend not to bother counting things.

I’ve been in both situations. The other day cycling into work while it was reasonably light (and with lights on mind you!) and this chap simply didn’t bother to look right before turning as he was too bothered by the bin lorry crawling down the road from his left. Fortunately I was prepared for his lack of peripheral vision and was ready on the brakes when he pulled out of the junction. Conversely I have also been in the situation where a cyclist (usually some kid on a bmx) has ridden out across the road in front of a large amount of powered steel with no lights or concept of danger!

Lesson here kids, have lots of lights and look out!

BTW it’s the kid with no concept of danger…

people who use the roads are cocks. next.

I watched a complete **** in a little van tonight miss a cyclist by a whole 2 inches. Then he overtook a car that wasn’t travelling hugely slowly and then almost immediately turned left down a side road. What a cock.

Makes no difference what people move about on, lots of people are bellends. Try to ignore the stupider ones. It helps a lot.

Given that there were more than 26 folk driving around with no lights on I reckon it might just be you that isn’t sure when to put your lights on so put them on too early.

You need to spend some time riding a motorcycle. So many folk drive around in dark coloured cars with no lights on and wonder why people pull out on them. “Its like they didn’t even seeme.”
🙄

neilsonwheels – Member
…

I see this in a daily basis and it never fails to amaze.

It would amaze me too if every day you nearly run over a cyclist (even if she’s not properly lit) and still thought your observation skills were good enough!

Poly

go **** yourself.

BTW it’s the kid with no concept of danger…

… and the driver IME

Are you allowed to aim for cyclists who ride up one way streets in daylight though?

If you are going to ride without lights then don’t play with the traffic. Its simple.