Originally Posted by
Carley P.
Chaadstar, I can see how people would want to be identified as a cyclist. I often commute on a road that has a speed limit of 45 and people go well over that speed limit. There are a lot of businesses right next to the road, along with crosswalk signs, advertisement signs, and other lights that sit right next to the street. Since the motorists are moving sometimes almost 55 miles per hour, it's probably hard for them to realize I'm even moving, since they're going almost five times as fast as me. If they don't think I'm moving, they're likely to think I'm not on the road, but on the side of the road. They could think I'm a lit-up mailbox, a crosswalk sign, or something else. If they can actually see someone on a bike moving, they'll realize that I'm on the road and that there is more danger to hitting me than just losing a side-view mirror.
Even so, I don't think you can ever have TOO much lighting. I have five lights and two reflectors (not counting my pedal reflectors) on my bike and I still sometimes get nervous when there is a lot of traffic zooming past me.
I appreciate the reply, but you make all the assumptions that I doubt, namely that drivers decide to hit things (you mention signs and mailboxes) but don't hit things they recognize as bicycles. It doesn't make sense to me.
Drivers hit things because they either don't see them or because they aren't paying attention. A modern, bright taillight is sufficient if the driver is paying attention, and nothing is sufficient if they aren't.