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#41
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Flashing lights cause accidents -- police experience
On Feb 15, 4:53*am, Pat Clancy wrote:
Which amber lights do you use, Peter, and how do you power them? Andre Jute A little Googling turned up this RealLITE GOLD amber light: http://www.reallite.com/details.htm Pat Clancy not bad if quality is there. sizing to auto size should greatly - this is PITW but HSE - increase IC drivers depth perception over the postage stamp blinkie. One yellow/gold/amber on the bar alongside a headlamp, with a rotating mount for facing the correct traffic pattern. |
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#42
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Flashing lights cause accidents -- police experience
On Feb 17, 12:05*pm, AMuzi wrote:
datakoll wrote: THE law enforcement type has a point but it's the greater evil. If all lights are ..... then what's left are best emergency lights. amber falls into this latter light groups. white and or red and blue from Christtmas tree lights seem to be pop with LET. and are cheerful which is also in the latter grouping , left ? amber flashing fronts are useful on busy dark intersections. Used here are small rectagular lights once sold thru Nashbar. 6-7 hung on bars, rack, backpack. In FLA, my passage was often called out with amusment at the passing show. Note the busy intersection and what do you see - flashing amber signals dangerous icebergs port and starboard. White ? White cancells out as completely negative. the negative or positive effect is called by med types - consumation - that is the nervous system has filled with flashing lights to the max available, brain has noted to X effect, and that's it for the time being. try the cranial nerve excercise. to activate cranal nerves, grasp hands behind back and pull in various directions as isometrics. the exercise tends to activate the system allowing consumation itself. The Oracle has spoken. -- Andrew Muzi * www.yellowjersey.org/ * Open every day since 1 April, 1971- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - you get into the effect in Chicago, right ? after Madison, a galaxy of lights before your path during an ahead road disaster needs seperating from the cerebral navigation system for the path to remain coherent and safe. |
#43
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Flashing lights cause accidents -- police experience
Andre Jute wrote:
I'm not too keen on round section-of-column lamps because of fixing problems. The lamp attachment space on my rack is occupied by my legal BUMM red steady light cum reflector, so the amber flasher must go somewhere else. At present I have the Cateye TL-LD1100 appaering to perch precarious on the rear crossrail of my rack, where it is in fact firmly attached with fat zip ties. That light is magnet mount, but I'm sure it would not be terribly hard to device a method of mounting it, though it could be heavy. I don't like seatpost mounted rear lights because if you have a racktop bag then it blocks it. If you want both an amber and a red rear light then you can fabricate a bracket that attaches to the rear rack reflector bracket and can hold both lamps. Personally I'd stick with just the amber rear light. No one in the U.S. cares if your rear flasher is red or yellow. I've used a yellow one for more than a decade with no issues. |
#44
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Flashing lights cause accidents -- police experience
On Feb 17, 12:19*pm, Frank Krygowski wrote:
Here in the US, the requirements of the law vary state by state, although most states are similar. *However, even blatant violations by cyclists are almost always ignored by police. *I've never heard of a cyclist ticketed for even a total lack of lights; I'm sure nobody would be ticketed for (for example) having only one reflector in each wheel! Dear Frank, O tempora! O mores! "As an example of the unlighted condition of the streets wheelmen are forced to use in this city [New York], it was only recently that a man was run over and killed in the dark on Amsterdam Avenue, a street that passes within one block of the residence of the Mayor and many of our wealthiest citizens." "The [Central] Park police have begun to enforce the lamp and bell ordinance with great severity, as they should do, and in consequence a wail has gone up from the wheelman who wants everything for his own comfort and safety, but is not willing to do anything for tho welfare of others." --Sporting Life, June 27th, 1891, p. 10 http://la84foundation.org/SportsLibr.../SL1713010.pdf Cheers, Carl Fogel |
#45
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Flashing lights cause accidents -- police experience
On Feb 17, 6:25*pm, SMS wrote:
Andre Jute wrote: I'm not too keen on round section-of-column lamps because of fixing problems. The lamp attachment space on my rack is occupied by my legal BUMM red steady light cum reflector, so the amber flasher must go somewhere else. At present I have the Cateye TL-LD1100 appaering to perch precarious on the rear crossrail of my rack, where it is in fact firmly attached with fat zip ties. That light is magnet mount, but I'm sure it would not be terribly hard to device a method of mounting it, though it could be heavy. I don't like seatpost mounted rear lights because if you have a racktop bag then it blocks it. If you want both an amber and a red rear light then you can fabricate a bracket that attaches to the rear rack reflector bracket and can hold both lamps. Personally I'd stick with just the amber rear light. No one in the U.S. cares if your rear flasher is red or yellow. I've used a yellow one for more than a decade with no issues. wear it or them on a backpack rig - festoon dude ! |
#46
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Flashing lights cause accidents -- police experience
On Feb 17, 8:05*pm, "
wrote: On Feb 17, 12:19*pm, Frank Krygowski wrote: Here in the US, the requirements of the law vary state by state, although most states are similar. *However, even blatant violations by cyclists are almost always ignored by police. *I've never heard of a cyclist ticketed for even a total lack of lights; I'm sure nobody would be ticketed for (for example) having only one reflector in each wheel! Dear Frank, O tempora! O mores! "As an example of the unlighted condition of the streets wheelmen are forced to use in this city [New York], it was only recently that a man was run over and killed in the dark on Amsterdam Avenue, a street that passes within one block of the residence of the Mayor and many of our wealthiest citizens." "The [Central] Park police have begun to enforce the lamp and bell ordinance with great severity, as they should do, and in consequence a wail has gone up from the wheelman who wants everything for his own comfort and safety, but is not willing to do anything for tho welfare of others." --Sporting Life, June 27th, 1891, p. 10 http://la84foundation.org/SportsLibr...91/VOL_17_NO_1... Cheers, Carl Fogel the mind boggles ! RR/mining/autocars in Peoria ?/ no antibio... how lucky we are drowning in CO2 |
#48
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Flashing lights cause accidents -- police experience
Hi,
Phil W Lee wrote: Is Germany not a party to the European convention allowing the use of equipment legal in one EU country to be used in another? Don't really know, the German light restrictions are complicated enough ;-) I know I can use StVZO approved lights here in the UK as a legal alternative to BS approved ones, and understood that it was a requirement of European legislation that members recognised each other's standards in this way. And I've never heard of tourists being advised to change lights when they cross borders. AFAIR you have to apply a patch of black tape in a specific location on your headlights when crossing from right-hand-traffic to left-hand-traffic, but that's all? Dynamos are great if your night use is enough to justify them, but the same light units are available on battery lights in most cases (which also allows you to have one good light to move between several bikes as required, which is much better than having a crappy light on each). Well, front wheels with hub dynamo are available for about the same price as regular front wheels, so there is little if any cost difference. The headlight comes with a cable by default (if built for hub dynamo) and the cable plus the cheapest (almost) rear light are quite cheap. Add some clear or black tape to fix the cable to the frame. So, a working dynamo light costs about as much as a good battery light and will never leave you stranded with empty batteries ;-) My cheapo recommendation: - second cheapest hub dynamo - cheapest front light with sensor (either halogen or LED) - BUMM Toplight flat plus (currently cheapest best rear light, has stand light) If you have some extra money, go for the front light first, e.g. BUMM Cyo and then upgrade your hub dynamo (e.g. SON). No need to upgrade the rear light, as it's really a good one ;-) While a second- or third-generation LED light is really better, the modern Halogen lights are extremely cheap and give quite a lot of light, anyway. That's the way we need to be moving. Unfortunately, it's a tough fight when people have so much invested in motor transport (both personally and as a society). "I didn't see him" needs to be regarded as an admission of careless driving - nobody has any business driving a motor vehicle onto any stretch of road that they can't be sure is clear. Agree. I think flashers have a place in well streetlit areas, but preferably as a secondary light. In my own setup with a flashing element in the rear light, I took care to have the flashing LED overpowered by the non-flashing ones. Partially because of regulation. But mostly because the flashing one was a backup for the case that my (then) sidewall dynamo failed halfway home (which it did occasionally). As a result the rear light was well visible under normal conditions, but just a little unsteady. It was hard to notice at all, but I had the impression that drivers kept just a little further off. But after switching to the current Bumm Toplight flat plus (sorry for repeating myself), drivers keep even more distance (as I feel it), because this one is so aggressively bright. If I'd spend some extra effort, I'd go for non-flashing amber lights on the side of the bike, e.g. in the ends of the handlebar. Good lights cost proper money. You can get them for considerably less than 100 Euro - and most bikes sold at good shops come with lights pre-installed, at least here. So does training. Actually, training costs the time to learn about what you're supposed to do and the discipline to act upon the information. The rest is just to go riding ;-) It's no surprise to find that people who cut costs in one area are willing to do so in another. But then I do wonder why people spend ridiculous amounts of money for carnival plastic hats and then act like they were suicidal? Far better to have good lights than many lights (although a backup is good, particularly on battery systems). That's why I dislike battery lights - when I had them, the batteries emptied faster than I could drop in new ones (and were always empty when I needed them) and when I see them on the street, they mostly point anywhere, but not where they're supposed to... Recently I found that many bicycle stores started to sell battery lights with the price tag right over a fine-print stating that these lights do not conform to the STVZO (local technical vehicle code). These lights are not even remotely suited for bike use (except for the fact that they bring a handlebar clamp), but you won't know until after you bought them (if you care to read the fine-print, anyway... Gnnnnn... Ciao and safe cycling! |
#49
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Flashing lights cause accidents -- police experience
Hi,
thirty-six wrote: The lights you need to match car headlights are reflectors. Put white reflective tape in three sections on your wheel rims and you get the flashing lights while the headlights are upon them. You also need a big red (legal) or amber rear reflector. I decided to hang the amber trailer reflector from my saddle loops because the red official one is good enough for closer proximity. Carry a pair of Ortlieb bags. Their reflectors are extremely good. But then you should also note that reflectors work only in a very narrow range (only if the angle is right) and dim rapidly when seen from 45° or so. For example, a truck-driver may not be able to see the reflector, because the light from his headlights reflects mainly back into his headlights and not 1.5m higher to where the driver's eyes are. Or, as another example (which Andre Jute will like), on a narrow, winding road, the car's headlights will only light the reflector, when the car is very close behind the cyclist. So, yes, while I do think that reflectors should be, I also consider them a secondary item of lighting. Nothing is better than an active light. ;-) |
#50
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Flashing lights cause accidents -- police experience
Hi,
Frank Krygowski wrote: Here in the US, the requirements of the law vary state by state, although most states are similar. However, even blatant violations by cyclists are almost always ignored by police. I've never heard of a cyclist ticketed for even a total lack of lights; I'm sure nobody would be ticketed for (for example) having only one reflector in each wheel! It's similar here, mostly you'll get along fine if you carry any light at all. Often they won't stop you, but if they do, they might complain about 'no light', 'technical inadequacy in general' or whatever and then you might be in trouble. But most police officers don't really know the exact requirements of the law. So, what's sensible anyway is an active front and rear light, a rear red reflector and either yellow ones in the spokes or a reflective stripe on the wheels. As for the rest, legally you're required to turn your bike into a christmas tree, but you are unlikely to encounter problems. (*) (*) This is in no way a legal advice! Also you should make sure that you have two independent brakes. So if you're riding fixie, at least mount a front brake (the legal situation is unclear to me, but this seems good common sense ;-) Similarly, I assume that a tourist in Germany (or elsewhere in the EU) who had some variation on that system would do just fine, am I correct? I plan on taking a bike to Europe this year, so it does matter to me. Try not to exaggerate in any direction. Don't carry much less lights than typical and don't carry much more lights than typical ;-) You can always get a reflector or two at good departement stores or DIY stores. You can even get lights there, but I'd rather carry a good set of lights from the start. Add reflectors if it seems necessary ;-) Ciao... |
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