Originally Posted by
genec
OK, in America we have no "strict rules for bicycle lights," and somewhat poor motorist training... so while it seems dumb to "blind motorists;" bear in mind that a typical excuse for avoiding any repercussions after a collision with a cyclist is the statement "I didn't see the cyclist." Rather hard to deny seeing a cyclist if the lights from a cyclist hit you right in the eyes.
Yes, but the "A cyclist blinded me, causing me to swerve and hit the pedestrian/car/other cyclist" may then be the "excuse".
People also often go "I didn't see him (in that other car" when they ram someone in an intersection. Should we have high beams on the sides of cars too?
I wish it were not so, but some motorists require all but being hit over the head with a large stick before they acknowledge that cyclists belong on the road.
And some cyclists need to be brow beat before they learn that they do not
own the road to the detriment of other road users.
Sure, it would be nice to treat all road users with courtesy... but it just doesn't happen.
Surely you are not suggesting what I think you are suggesting: That the solution is to blind other road users, whether you are on a bicycle or motorcycle, or in a car or 18-wheeler?
Now that said, I would recommend NOT aiming lights at drivers or other road users unless one can determine that there is a "recognition issue."
What happened to being able to anticipate the traffic, and stop or slow down if you think someone in an intersection will potentially ram you? Blinding him is the solution? Really? You may have the right of way in a given situation, but that doesn't mean you should blind him if you perceive him to not make good on that.
Oh, and while I'm there, if you only blind the ones you perceive to be coming close to ramming you, how do you keep from blinding other people while doing so, or even just looking while crossing a street/intersection? Do you turn the light on, go from "low" beam to "high" beam? Do you adjust the headlight? No, although it sounds plausible on the surface in a righteous sort of way, the fact is that if you have enough power to blind a motorists in a situation where speed is of the essense, you will also blind other motorists by simply looking around while riding. As a result, I can't take your explanation seriously, nor can I take as anything else than some sort of entitlement. Yes, we have to do something to be safe, but in my neck of the woods, that means being more careful and driving/riding defensively. Not acting aggresively towards other road users.
BTW SmallFront... what is the typical training period for motorists in Germany?
I don't know, I'm from Denmark, not Germany, and as such we don't have any rules about this blinding of bicycle lights here either, hence my comment about it being banned (both here and in the US) if people persist in such antisocial behaviour.