Originally Posted by gear

I don't really judge tail lights by the cost. I can make do with a weak front light, but a weak tail light could cost me my life so it's got to be BRIGHT for me to use it and I really can't put a cost on my life so I don't care what a top quality tail light costs.

Think through how long it takes for a car traveling 40mph to alter its's course so it misses hitting you. First the driver has to see something and identify that it is something to avoid, then the driver has to turn the steering wheel of the car and finally the car has to respond. Would you believe that for all this to occur (at 40mph) a car will travel a distance of three telephone poles. So a good tail light is one that is visible from a distance of three telephone poles on a rainy or foggy, dark morning. So when I judge the quality of a tail light this is the way I do it: I lean my bike against a telephone pole and walk down the road, when I get to the third pole I turn around and if the tail light is nice and bright I have a winner.