Paul L.

I actually had an oncoming car stop and give me right of way to turn right this morning before they made their turn. It has never happened before so I think I need to attribute it to my new HID light. Kind of a cool feeling.

tajsss

I seem to have a lot of luck with that as well. I don't have an HID but maybe people in my area are nicer than I thought. Maybe its because I ride my bike early in the morning when the nice people are on the road. Haha.

Definitely nice to see there are some good people still out there though.

timmhaan

brighter lights do wonders. i still use LED, but i recently got a top mounted unit in addition to a regular white blinky under the stem. the combo of the two gives a fair amount light and definitely cuts down on drivers pulling out in front of me.

noisebeam

You mean you were turning right and they were turning left into the same side street? If so I've never had any driver cut me off day or night (I use 10W halogen) so far.

I would imagine that with a small LED front light drivers may not see the light and cut one off.

Bright front lights are essential I'd say.

Al

Dwayne

I've noticed the same thing since I started riding with my HID light. People will wait at intersections and stop signs rather than pulling out and cutting you off... on country roads, I rarely have to deal with concoming cars that go into my lane to pass someone in theirs anymore... it's nice. And about damn time.

slvoid

I get a lot of respect and room with my HID and NR tail light.
Drivers sometimes stop at intersections a whole 2 blocks ahead of me and wait patiently. Part of the reason is that I have mine aimed fairly high, so the main beam itself projects about 100ft.
It really makes you look like an actual vehicle on the road and if a driver thinks you're something substantial bearing down on em at a good clip, they'll wait.
The HID gives me a really noticeable amount of respect even over the 26 watts coming out of my light and motion dual. Part of the reason is that the light is not only bright but also very distinctively blue/white.
With a low powered halogen or LED, drivers think, "oh look, there's a helpless feeble guy on a bike."
With a HID, drivers think, "OMG I'm blinded, WTF is that?"

Paul L.

I was turning right into a bike lane and they were turning left into the innermost lane. Usually we turn together as they figure since I am a bike I am not going to turn into what they think of as their space (they could be wrong though kind of a dumb assumption, they should stop but I have never seeen anyone do it for me in this situation before this morning). They were pulling out of a gated retirement community (Some call them adult communities but that is kind of a funny name I think since it is nothing like an Adult bookstore and "Adult entertainment" typically doesn't refer to Lawrence welk) so they pretty much knew I wasn't going straight.

ItsJustMe

Since I've gotten my HID I have people giving me an almost annoying amount of room. Almost every day I have people at multiple cross streets stop and wait for me to cross, often waiting a long time, up to 30 seconds or so, before I cross. I think they don't know what I am and can't judge the distance in the dark with only one headlight. It's bright, so they think it may be close.

squeakywheel

They probably think you are a motorcycle.

slvoid

I just hope more people stick to low powered lights and blinkers so drivers don't get used to it.

buzzman

"not going straight" has a whole other meaning after your comment about "adult communities". Very funny post.

Paul L.

Ha ha, man I knew I shouldn't have ridden that bent out of the garage this morning, or was it the closet?

Seriously though, I didn't realize I had made a pun before, that is too funny.

2manybikes

It's nice on a dark bike path when approaching pedestrians too. It's like the Red Sea is parting just for me.They typically ask if I'm a cop. That may have something to do with it.
Now if I approach a group of kids I speed up. hehehe!

buzzman

Much like Batman, I, too, have had very positive responses from drivers when I am well-lit with bright lights and in my gay apparel, which includes:

Forestry Suppliers Reflective Vest

They often stop, signal me to go on my merry way as if to say,"Anyone insane enough to be out on a night like this on a bicycle (especially dressed like that) is way more dangerous than me in this automobile."

'tis much better to be seen and not hurt.

ken cummings

I have seen that more light / less pulling thing often. 'specially when the car is leaving a parking lot where the traffic situation makes it hard for them to pull out. That space with a barely visible cyclist in it is so tempting they get temporary dementia and pull out into it. Bright lights have saved my life many times. Moral: my 35 to 50 watt halogens go on at or even before true sunset.

DogBoy

On my snow bike I run an HID, a 15W halogen, a NR Taillight and two 5 LED blinkies. I have yet to have a problem with cars seeing me. On my regular commuter I just run the same minus the 15W halogen. I just figure the extra light might be needed in low-vis conditions.

Wulfheir

Happened to me for the first time today too. It was a really weird feeling, kind of like the first time a car approaching from behind takes the other lane to pass instead of just squeezing by.

CHUM

I run a L&M HID on the head and a Cateye TripleShot on the bars - couple of homeless guys gave me the thumbs up on my commute yesterday. I did however have a cop give me the eye for a couple of blocks.

Unfortunately all the lights in the world won't stop someone from nailing ya - the only time I've been hit the girl actually saw me before deciding to turn into me...ugh...