I'll never forget riding along a busy well-lit street in downtown Toronto at night when a driver waiting to turn left, who could see me perfectly well, screamed out his window as I passed that I should get some f***ing lights. I was riding with a single Knog blinky with nearly dead batteries, so I can hardly blame him for finding my lighting inadequate, although I'm sure he was more annoyed for having to wait for me to get out of his way so he could make his left.

Fast forward a couple of years and I had upgraded to a dynamo powered Supernova. Same street, same lighting conditions. Waiting at an intersection, a woman rolled down her window, jaw dropped, and yelled 'WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE LIGHTS? THEY'RE AMAZING!' I think she was disheartened to hear that they were special ordered from Germany (this was before the days of Peter White carrying the Supernova).

In summary, in my own experience super bright lights not only get drivers to pay attention to you on otherwise busy and distractingly lit streets, they also command a respect that I was not afforded when not as well illuminated.