Blinkeroff

Many accidents occur because turn signals are mistakenly left on.

Oncoming traffic assumes a vehicle is turning and pulls right in front of you.

In an automobile or especially on a motorcycle this could lead to a fatal accident.

Almost killed me and it freeked me out so bad, I invented a device to remind you shortly after you forget to shut it off!

riddei

Wow, what did this ancient thread have to do with turn signals?

cudak888 

When Blinkeroff decided that the entire thread shall serve his one-post mantra about how he will sell motorists a brilliant device that will allow them to further ignore proper vehicle operation.

Said accidents about others "misreading" turn signals are equally a fault of those who do not take into account the possibility that the turn signal is not a fail-safe indication of other motorists direction.

Solution? Always expect the unexpected. If someone has their left blinker on, keep in mind that there is an equal chance they might go straight, or turn right.

What is so hard about that?

Oh yes - I forgot - it is too hard for people to use their mind to THINK anymore.

-Kurt

riddei

You don't mean to say that because this is Blinkeroff's first and only post on Bikeforums, and that the entire thread had nothing to do with his so-called invention, that you think he might actually be a shill do you?

Say it ain't so.

mmerner

use white in the front instead of amber.

Bikepacker67

"Hey buddy, GFY"

CB HI

The front blinker was amber, the guy that yelled was just making a joke. Pretending that he was yelling at a motorist to turn his amber turn signal off.
No sense of humor around here.

gcottay

Since they didn't hit you, I'd say your lights worked in this particular situation though, at least in Illinois, you are supposed to show a clear front light.

Utah

In my state (Oklahoma)it is agianst the law to have a flashing red light or a flashing headlight. As I understand it flashing red tailights or white headlights are reserved for emergency vehcles only. I ride through our local police parking lot on my route never been contacted over breaking the law. I will keep them flashing even if they ticket me for this offense. I would rather be seen. Do not let someone else dictate your saftey.

gmacdermid

I find blinking lights annoying.

Blinkeroff

If you are flying down the street (your not always on a bike path)at night with your light flashing, people may not see if you are on a bike or car,what ever, and just assume it is a turn signal and pull right out in front of you. You would be better off with a light that just stays on, and yes I ride bikes with and without motors.

dougmc

It's not quite that simple. The actual law --

§ 551.104. SAFETY EQUIPMENT
...
(b) A person may not operate a bicycle at nighttime unless the bicycle is equipped with:
(1) a lamp on the front of the bicycle that emits a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet in front of the bicycle; and
(2) on the rear of the bicycle:
(A) a red reflector that is:
(i) of a type approved by the department; and
(ii) visible when directly in front of lawful upper beams of motor vehicle headlamps from all distances from 50 to 300 feet to the rear of the bicycle; or
(B) a lamp that emits a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear of the bicycle.

... basically, a rear reflector is legally adequate, but you need a light on the front of the bike. Also, the law doesn't say anything about flashing vs. not flashing, so I'm not sure how that would turn out. Since the law seems to talk about making the bike visible rather than helping you see, I would expect a flashing light, both front and back, to be adequate, but other interpretations exist.

Saving Hawaii

There's a patent discrepancy though between making yourself visible and not obscuring everything around you. I've run into this issue cycling locally at night, when you run into people with bright front flashers... and I lose the ability to see anything but that front flasher. No idea where the trail is, or where I'm going, or where anything but that front flasher is... and it's not safe for the other rider because you can very easily night blind him. Try walking outside in the dark and put the thing in your face, turn it on, and see how well you see.

I like a moderately bright solid light on the front of my bike. It keeps the cops happy, and it doesn't blind other cyclists who aren't always running the same direction as me on my routes. Traffic coming up from behind me is going to notice the bright flashing red light, and considering they'd have to run me over to pass me (I ride pretty aggressive VC as long as I can keep the speed limit / catch the lights). As for people needing to see me from up front... I've got a light and am fairly visible... but I'm not strobe-lighting fellow cyclists in the face as they pass me... so I'm not screwing up anybody's vision either.

I understand cyclists wanting to be visible... but understand that being too bright can blind your fellow cyclists... and I've had cyclists do that to me, and it sucks miserably (and is dangerous for me because I have little clue what I'm doing). I've wanted to throw stuff at some of those cyclists.

Lopton

www.digikey.com has been very good to me, they will ship 1 or 1,000,000

-Matt

crhilton

The front blinking amber probably looks too much like a back blinkie. Buy a white blinkie or, better yet, a decent front light. I'd be annoyed if I saw someone riding backwards at me in the opposite lane only to realize they had the colored blinkie on the wrong end of their bike.

And amber verse red may be obvious to you, but not obvious to most color blind folks.