Advocacy & Safety - Using headlight in the daytime

I started using my headlight in the flash mode during the day. (Makes me feel a little more visible) I checked out the bike code for California and it looks like it is only illegal to have a blue flashing light. The code doesn't address daytime lights, specifically.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=veh&group=21001-22000&file=21200-21212

Has any one had problems with using a flashing light in the daytime?

Has any one had problems with using a flashing light in the daytime?

I keep mine in strobe mode during daytime and at twilight. I think that it makes me more visible and from the reactions that I get from motorists some seem to think at first glance that I'm some sort of emergency vehicle. I haven't had any issues with law enforcement and I live near the local police headquarters so I see officers while commuting on a daily basis.

I use my headlights at intersections and on cloudy day rides.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=509519

I always leave a head light and tail light on in flash mode if I'm in traffic. After dark I leave them in flash mode but add a constant-on light in front and back.

I used to ride without lights during the daytime until I almost turned my bus in front of a bicycle. DOH! Granted, he wasn't wearing high visibility colors, but he also wasn't wearing concrete gray. I *should* have seen him from a distance but didn't realize he was there until about a half a block away at a relatively high speed. (And I'm consciously looking for cyclists - Think about this scenario with your average clueless driver...)

I greatly appreciate cyclists who turn on their lights during the day. It REALLY helps with visibility. For my bike I use my Dinotte 400L in flashing mode and have not had a problem with Law Enforcement or any driver complaints at all.

problems?

cyclists in the NW anecdotally report reductions in hook and crossing violations of their ROW.... I endorse daytime visible LEDs on flash to every cyclist I talk to about light arrays.

funny, i got EXTREME derision from the vehikular cyklists' crewe at Chainguard when i brought up the utility of LED daytime arrays.... seems they didn't like the idea cyclists could eventually be expected or required to ride with lights. what a bunch of backwards facing idealogoues stuck in some fnatasy land about just riding like a car curing all ills....

In urban areas, I generally have a front blinkie on during the day to minimize the probability of chuckleheaded drivers turning across my path. I find it pretty effective.

seems they didn't like the idea cyclists could eventually be expected or required to ride with lights. what a bunch of backwards facing idealogoues stuck in some fnatasy land about just riding like a car curing all ills....

Um... Many US cars come with daytime running lights these days and inexpensive conversion kits are available for those that don't. They come that way because they are more visible and are proven to reduce accidents. I don't believe they are required in the US, but even if they are required for bikes, so what? The LED lights are inexpensive and batteries last for 100 hours or more?

No problems here in Kansas. Sometimes I pass by officers parked at corners of sidestreets. I wave, they wave back. My LBS owner saw me and flagged me down. She said she could see me coming a half-mile away (light snow coming down, gray winter overcast). I gave her the brand and location, said they were looking for dealers. Later she told somebody else about them, but thinks price is too high for the local market, so they're only offering Nite-Rider for the time being.

I use my MTB/bomber for city riding, with 800L bar and 400L helmet and tail for all conditions, in the 5-fast/ 1 slow strobe mode. This distinctive pattern was very clever thinking on DiNotte's designers' part.

At night the 800L bar is converted to steady, usually half-power, helmet flashing. (also MonkeyLectric in rear spokes goes on at night). I use Jog-A-Lite bands on ankles, and wrists for turn-signal visibility at night.

For country and exurb rides I use a road bike with PBSF, no front lights, no night riding. I'm a pretty visible clyde, and always wear white, bright red or yellow on top. Not convinced PBSF does much, but it's lightweight and goes many days on a set of AAAs.

It would be nice if PB came out with a triple-strength light for better daytime visibility. They could probably do it for under $60.

For DiNottes, a reasonable argument could be made for moving manufacturing to Asia; they could drop their prices, and help a lot more people to ride more safely and confidently among the cages.

I use it near sunrise and sunset, when sun glare can hide my bike from drivers. I have a red and white flashing light on the rear of my bike, and from a distance at night, it looks like a police car. Hopefully that makes drivers slow down because they think there's a cop ahead.

Thanks for the info everyone. Doesn't sound like anyone has gotten ticketed for it.
(Now if other riders would start using lights at NIGHT in my neighborhood. May be my drive home from work would be easier on the eyes!!)

I use flashing led headlight during the day and dual red blinkies in the back.

I also drive with my headlights on (old habit drilled into my head by my dad when growing up in Montanta)

Anedoctally, a co worker was riding into work in a rainy foggy day he had a blinking P7 light on his helmet....you could seem him from a signifcantly further distance than you could see cars.

all in all a good thing to do IMHO

It's probably a good idea to ride with the headlights on during the day.

I'm a firm believer in the "deer caught in the headlights" phenomena. What do deer do when they are caught in the headlights? They freeze, which is exactly what you want a car driver to do. As long as they freeze, they can't hit you.

I learned this when I used to ride a motorcycle on the street. Having the brights on constantly definitely lessened the number of times that drivers tried to turn left in front of me.

I frequently use mine on cloudy days. This is turning out to be a typical May in New England. This is to say that most days are cloudy, with some rain, and cold. Nothing wrong with using your light during the day. I know motorists see it, which is the basic idea.

I run them all winter, but usually take them off in late April. I ditch the mirror too.

It's probably a better idea to run them year-round, if you have bright lights and the patience to keep batteries charged.

I'm a firm believer in the "deer caught in the headlights" phenomena. What do deer do when they are caught in the headlights? They freeze, which is exactly what you want a car driver to do. As long as they freeze, they can't hit you.


"Freezing" means not acting--not braking or steering or trying to avoid the cyclist. Is that really what you want?

Also what kind of headlight do you use that is powerful enough to "freeze" a deer (let alone a human driver) in broad daylight?

I was once hit by a car turning to its left. The sun was low and was behind me and it blinded the driver. Now, I make sure my front lights are on during day time, at least when the sun is low and behind me.

I was once hit by a car turning to its left. The sun was low and was behind me and it blinded the driver. Now, I make sure my front lights are on during day time, at least when the sun is low and behind me.

This is a situation where I hope my light will make me more visible.

Another thread here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=538882), started the day before this one..


It's probably a better idea to run them year-round, if you have bright lights and the patience to keep batteries charged.

I tend to ride my dynohub bike the most because I don't have to keep track of batteries. With a good, modern light, it's plenty bright and has helped me to be seen.

But yeah, I ride with a headlight during the day as much as possible, usually set to a blink mode.

I was once hit by a car turning to its left. The sun was low and was behind me and it blinded the driver. Now, I make sure my front lights are on during day time, at least when the sun is low and behind me.

Yup, my most recent reminder to run lights came yesterday afternoon when almost hit in the crosswalk by a car turning right.

I run them all winter, but usually take them off in late April. I ditch the mirror too.
It's probably a better idea to run them year-round, if you have bright lights and the patience to keep batteries charged.

Why do you ditch the mirror after winter?

In urban areas, I generally have a front blinkie on during the day to minimize the probability of chuckleheaded drivers turning across my path. I find it pretty effective.

+1

Who cares what the laws says? I'd rather take my chances with the law than some distracted idiot in an SUV.

Why do you ditch the mirror after winter?

When my head isn't wrapped in fleece and goggles, it's a lot easier to just look over my shoulder.

Plus in the winter I use a MTB with a bar-end mirror and switch to a drop-bar bike in the summer.

I have yet to find a drop-bar-mounted mirror that provides any useful visual information. Although I gave up after the first failure.

When my head isn't wrapped in fleece and goggles, it's a lot easier to just look over my shoulder.

Plus in the winter I use a MTB with a bar-end mirror and switch to a drop-bar bike in the summer.

I have yet to find a drop-bar-mounted mirror that provides any useful visual information. Although I gave up after the first failure.

Sprintech mirrors work surprisingly well.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31hrtGGy8AL._AA280_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Sprintech-Road-Bicycle-Drop-Mirror/dp/B00110FHZQ

i use my day strobe in heavy traffic, its legal.

i have a niterider minewt x2, its works great
the strobe will give me a seisure if i flip it on at night!

yeah, depending on the position of the sun and my trajectory i could have my lights on at anytime of the day...

when i was 7 i was stopped and reprimanded for having a toy police siren on my bike... so dont use that...
:)

Sprintech mirrors work surprisingly well.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31hrtGGy8AL._AA280_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Sprintech-Road-Bicycle-Drop-Mirror/dp/B00110FHZQ

Thanks for the link. The problems were that the vibration of the handlebar made the mirror bounce too much on rough roads (i.e. all of them) and my arm was in the way when riding in the drops.

Thanks for the link. The problems were that the vibration of the handlebar made the mirror bounce too much on rough roads (i.e. all of them) and my arm was in the way when riding in the drops.

That's why I went with a helmet mirror. Some of those are more secure than others (like the Third Eye Pro is more stable than the Blackburn), but as long as I'm wearing my helmet properly, they don't shake any more than the helmet would -- and that's not that much when compared to the handlebars.

I don't need a headlight in the day since i got my teeth whitened.

The problems were that the vibration of the handlebar made the mirror bounce too much on rough roads

I had a similar problem with those mirrors on my road bike - a judicious application of some 60 grit sandpaper on the ball portion of the pivot joint stabilized them nicely.

That said, I generally don't ride my road bike in the same sorts of high traffic environments that I'm in while riding my commuters with larger bar end mirrors on a flat bar.

That's why I went with a helmet mirror. Some of those are more secure than others (like the Third Eye Pro is more stable than the Blackburn), but as long as I'm wearing my helmet properly, they don't shake any more than the helmet would -- and that's not that much when compared to the handlebars.

The thread deraillment continues.

The one I tried was epic fail. The field of view was very limited, as if I'd need to wave my head around to see more than a little bit of the road at once. Maybe it was a crappy design.. but it seemed to be among the more expensive ones, IIRC.

And maybe I'm just paranoid, but the protection of the the helmet seemed kind of a moot point given that I was now riding with a steel wire pointed straight at my left eye.

I know a lot of good riders who swear by them.. but I'll just look behind me for the time being.

Thanks for the link. The problems were that the vibration of the handlebar made the mirror bounce too much on rough roads (i.e. all of them) and my arm was in the way when riding in the drops.

The roads here are terrible, and I haven't found this to be an issue, although cobblestones are a bit too much......

While I have not tried it extensively, I did have an occurrence where a rapid succession of flashes from a front headlight was sufficient to convince a contraflow cyclist to move over to the proper side of the lane.

-Kurt