New Sub-species of Stealth Cyclist

On a lit street I don't need lights to see, I can see reflective signs
over
1/4 of a mile away, I assume people could see me, if not dazzled by other
lights, over a similar distance.

Are we, cyclists and motorists, in a lighting arms race?

I think so - I've seen /very/ powerful lights on some cars, so much so that
they dazzle me when just dipped. On a road with streetlights you only need
sidelights anyway. I wish all the other car drivers knew that.

Mark.

"Mark Thompson" (change warm for hot) writes:

On a lit street I don't need lights to see, I can see reflective signs
over
1/4 of a mile away, I assume people could see me, if not dazzled by other
lights, over a similar distance.

Are we, cyclists and motorists, in a lighting arms race?

I think so - I've seen /very/ powerful lights on some cars, so much so that
they dazzle me when just dipped. On a road with streetlights you only need
sidelights anyway. I wish all the other car drivers knew that.

Is it not illegal to drive with just dipped headlights now?

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

The Conservative Party now has the support of a smaller proportion of
the electorate in Scotland than Sinn Fein have in Northern Ireland.

I think so - I've seen /very/ powerful lights on some cars, so much so that
they dazzle me when just dipped. On a road with streetlights you only need
sidelights anyway. I wish all the other car drivers knew that.

Except that rule 95 of the Highway Code says

"You should also
* use dipped headlights, or dim-dip if fitted, at night in built-up areas and
in dull daytime weather, to ensure that you can be seen
* keep your headlights dipped when overtaking until you are level with the
other vehicle and then change to main beam if necessary, unless this would
dazzle oncoming traffic
* slow down, and if necessary stop, if you are dazzled by oncoming headlights.

Cheers, helen s


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"AndyMorris" wrote in message
...
Simon Brooke wrote:

The roads
would probably be a lot safer is there was quite a low cap to the
maximum candlepower it was legal to use on a vehicle in a built up
area - the real problem in urban situations in difficult weather is
glare, dazzle and visual clutter, not lack of light.

Very true indeed, just out of interest how powerfull are car headlights ?

Could be wrong here but I'm pretty sure my car uses 55/60W per side, these
are standard halogens, don't know about the new halide type bulbs though.

--
Nigel Randell

"Mark Thompson" (change warm for hot)
wrote in message ...
Didn't know what to make of this one. Seen at 6.45pm (so well dark). Was
wearing a fl. jacket but with no lights. As I got closer I noticed he did
have lights in the mesh sidepocket of his bag, but hadn't bothered turning
them on and putting them on his bike!


Caught a glimpse of an interesting one this evening: illumination was a red
LED on the back and on the front were a green LED and a red one. The the
road was well enough lit for it to be pretty obvious what was going on but I
could imagine this set up causing consternation on a narrower, less well lit
road.

--
Nigel Randell