Whether youre riding on a road, trail , trail centre or sustrans cycle path.

Or if a car or other vehicle is going to hit you, is even haveing a christmas tree with full flashing lights and fairy strapped to your back going to make them slow down and avoid you.

Discuss.

cyclists should be armed.

I’d rather not, but let’s hear your opinion.

no i dont want to look like a spaz or a bloke doing community service

the problem with Hiviz is that it usually sticks out of the normal everyday stuff to grab your attention. With the increase of every man and his dog wearing it, it becomes less effective as any wearer just becomes part of the scenery.

it’s one of the reasons why industrial hi vis kit is changing colour and design to stand out again.

No.

I’m pretty sure the idea of Hi-Vis Invisibility was raised a few years ago; the idea that wearing Hi Vis in an urban environment makes you into part of the urban furniture and therefore less likely to be seen as a person.

I wear all black when I ride during the day and I ride as if I’m completely invisible to everyone.

Whats a tabard, discuss

Yes, then I can refuse to wear one.

They could be in a colour just for cyclists, eg orange, or red,

the trouble with stuff being made compulsory for cycling would be the difficulty to enforce it. it might be a bit easier in london but in smaller towns and cities i could just ride off from a policeman and they wouldnt be able to catch me, even if they were also riding a bike.

the problem with Hiviz is that it usually sticks out of the normal everyday stuff to grab your attention. With the increase of every man and his dog wearing it, it becomes less effective as any wearer just becomes part of the scenery.

it’s one of the reasons why industrial hi vis kit is changing colour and design to stand out again.

well put agreed

No, of course not, however it is sensible to be reasonably visible.
You’ll be asking about compulsory helmet wearing, then insurance, then number plates, then licenses…

Yes, as long the motorised carriages have a man walking in front of them waving a red flag again.

Not a chance! Why should I look like a pillock just to help feckless drivers. Also it would be impractical on hot days when you need to stay as cool as possible.

Ride defensively and maximize lumens at dusk onwards.

No, if I’m obeying the rules why should I have to dress weird. “I didn’t see you” doesn’t really mean that, it means “I wasn’t paying attention” I could be lit up like a xmas tree, wouldn’t make any difference

I ride one of these, plus hi-vis jacket and silver helmet – lights always on – and drivers often don’t see me…

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=triumph+sprint+gt&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&rls=ig&rlz=1R2ACAW_enGB373&biw=1252&bih=630&tbm=isch&tbnid=lARuUdE0BZwv_M:&imgrefurl=http://web5.soundandvisionmag.com/motorcycle_roadtest/first_rides_articles/archive/first_ride_2011_triumph_sprint_gt/gallery&docid=EPeo2SayhKMbPM&imgurl=http://web5.soundandvisionmag.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/motorcycle_roadtest/first_rides_articles/archive/first_ride_2011_triumph_sprint_gt/gallery/photo_1/3486543-1-eng-US/001_2011_triumph_sprint_gt_cd_gallery.jpg&w=575&h=364&ei=ZQqrTqLLEsTD8QOr8tGyCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=290&vpy=326&dur=46&hovh=179&hovw=282&tx=175&ty=101&sig=106227005043647761977&page=4&tbnh=124&tbnw=187&start=45&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:45

Well they are here. By night and low light outside town

No. Ridiculous idea.

For my own benefit I wear it as in low light its far more visible so that hopefully half asleep motorists don’t kill me.

Whatever anybody else wants to do or think is up to them.

trainee bus drivers should have to wear flashing lights up their nostrils

the problem with Hiviz is that it usually sticks out of the normal everyday stuff to grab your attention. With the increase of every man and his dog wearing it, it becomes less effective as any wearer just becomes part of the scenery.

I see this written a lot, sounds like utter bollocks to me though. Got any evidence to back it up? (note: opinion pieces and anecdotes about people in hi-viz vests getting away with murder don’t constitute evidence).

Personally I think hi-viz is most useful in low light conditions – such as twilight or when it’s overcast – as it’s darker than usual but often drivers don’t have their lights on (so reflective clothing won’t help). Since I can’t be arsed to carry multiple jackets depending on visibility, I guess I’ll just carry on wearing my hi-viz at all times when I’m cycling on roads.

Don’t think it should be compulsory although I must admit I feel less sympathy towards cyclists who get hit when not wearing hi-viz (also see: car accidents involving people not wearing seatbelts, etc.)

I wear a hi-viz vest when commuting. Commuted in one for 18 months without problems, changed to an Altura night vision jacket and got hit by a transit van within a week. That was nearly 2 years ago and I’ve been wearing the vest since.

I’m not overly bothered about looking like a knob if the car drivers can see me clearly.

No. I object to the onus being put solely on me to protect myself, when drivers should be bloody well paying attention. It sends the message that it’s ok for them to be on the phone, look at their kids in the back of the car, put on make up, read, etc and if they hit us it’s our fault.

iDave – Member
trainee bus drivers should have to wear flashing lights up their nostrils

Posted 22 minutes ago # Report-Post

I will bear that in mind when i start my training to drive pcv,s

No.

I wear all black when I ride during the day and I ride as if I’m completely invisible to everyone.

And how do you ride to stop drivers hitting you from the back when you have blended in with a hedge and they can’t see you?

Not a chance! Why should I look like a pillock just to help feckless drivers.

Better to look a pillock, than look like a squashed badger.

It amazes me how many cyclists ride in black on dingy, grey days with no lights. Even driving carefully often they are virtually invisible until you are on them.

Don’t think it should be compulsory although I must admit I feel less sympathy towards cyclists who get hit when not wearing hi-viz (also see: car accidents involving people not wearing seatbelts, etc.)

Totally agree.

I’d suggest it has rather lower priority than compulsory annual eye tests for drivers.

Zilog- I’m a health and safety professional and there are quite a few papers and research documents on the behaviour and psychology with regards to the overuse and perceptual de-sensitisation towards any safety item such as Hi vis, designated walkways etc..

if you can hang on for a few days I’ll get the references and post them up for you.

Compulsory? No.

Happy to discuss all the aspects about increasing driver responsibility / awareness, not making cyclists carry the can for unobservant drivers, etc etc

But … I’d like to be alive to bang on about all if the above, so my first priority is doing whatever I think will help keep me safe (aware that there’s no guarantees etc). So, road commuting – bright coloured jackets (doesn’t have to hig viz, just noticeable), night visable strips on all jackets and rucksacs, flashing lights etc …

In fact anything to help the occassional numpty driver notice I’m there before I get squished … then I’ll happily join any of you in the pub to discuss the pro’s and con’s of high viz 🙂

in fact to stand out enough to make people notice you on a bike I’ve decided that it should be mandatory to wear a nice hat, a false beard (with reflective ribbons it it, and no clothes at all. 😀

Might have to revise attitude of doing ‘anything’ to make drivers notice me 😯

Plus it’s a bit nippy now … especially hands and feet. Maybe high viz wooly socks and gloves are all that’s really needed?

No of course not… Speaking as someone who commutes in this
[img]http://www.wealdencycles.co.uk/images/rbs-gilet1.jpg[/img]

I think I paid £11. But I don’t believe in compulsion, only natural selection.

Plus it’s a bit nippy now

that’s a fantastic excuse I shall use it if I fail to rise to an occasion 😀

compulsory? no I don’t think so, although some of the comments above seem odd to me….lights are compulsory to make you clearly visible in the dark, approved bright coloured clothing to make you clearly visible in day light and dusk is just a small extension.

over the winter months when it’s cooler and I’m wearing extra layers anyway I mostly commute in a day-glo yellow jacket….don’t feel a plonker…..probably would feel a right Rodney in a ‘tabard’ though….odd.

the drivers I’ve had the most trouble with have seen me though…the black cab driver than intentionally rammed me after followng me along Whitehall new exactly where I was 👿

Shouldn’t be mandatory, but should be encouraged. Not neccesarily vests, but when you see some of the stealthed up riders out there you have to wonder what goes through their heads, it’s as though they want to make it harder to be seen. No reflectors, no reflectives, black clothes all over, and a tiny little rear light from Tesco. Mental, frankly.

I don’t generally wear a vest but my bike’s lit up like christmas and has every reflector I’ve ever owned attached to it. My bag’s got retroreflectives all over and at night a light or two attached, my helmet’s got reflectives, most of my riding kit’s either bright or has reflectives on too. Sure, some idiot driver could still hit me but at least I’m not giving them any excuses.

One last thing… Lots of reflectives out there are actually terrible. proper quality retroreflectives are excellent, and in a car headlight are more visible than even bright lights but the excuses for hi-viz that sometimes get sold (often specifically for motorbikes and cyclists) with pitiful yellow reflectives that barely bounce any light, and bounce it off in the wrong direction… Not useless, but if you’re going to do it, do it right.

Cyclists and bikes should be kitted out like a James Bond car, with oil slick, smoke screen, radar, rocket propelled grenades, etc. which are auto-activated when a vehicle comes within a certain distance at a certain speed. Cars should have a 6ft crumple zone all round made out of marshmallow or sponge pudding. I’ve thought about this a fair bit and have drawn up detailed plans…

amuses me how many folk cycle in a hi-viz jacket then put a massive black rucksack over the top…

I struggle with long sentences
but one of THE most effective ways I’ve seen recently of increasing visibility as a cyclist were some wheel lights that made you visible from the side

we should all wear these as well

I wear crotchless chaps. Seems to get me noticed.

…..mostly by the police for some reason.