I usually run my blinkies if I'm riding regardless if it's day or night. For MUP, I will turn the front one to steady low during the day. At night, I have a 500 lumen flashlight which I admit can be blinding sO I have to point the hotspot pretty low. It still puts light on trees 10 ft high or so about 100 ft away though. When I first put the flash light on I have to admit I did a pretty crappy job of it because I could see well, but it wasn't until a few weeks later I realized how blindingly bright it was due to the aim.

I did once startle a motorist who happened to be passing me just as I turned the 500 lumen light on and she had to shield her eyes while passing in front of my bike in a parking lot going the wrong way. I heard her mutter something like "holy crap that's bright." I was about to enter the aisle, I guess it would be called, from the bike rack area when she drove by. She cleared my front tire by less than 2 ft...if she were further away, probably the light wouldn't have lit up her face.