Originally Posted by
alan s
This is the main reason I use a helmet-mounted light at night. Bike lights are lost in the sea of lights out there, and a quick flash on a car pulling out or turning in front of you gets their attention. If that fails, lighting them up with a 750 lumen beam on their face never fails.
There is one particularly dangerous area where car are frequently blocking the bike lane/crosswalk or coming around the ramp to merge into traffic that leads onto Key Bridge heading into DC. They literally aren't looking for bikes or pedestrians, and even there, full light in the face doesn't always work. It seems to stun them slightly, though, which is better than nothing. At least they come away feeling like something out of the ordinary just happened (temporarily blinded), and perhaps the next time they will realize there are others out there.
I lived in DC from 2002-2007 and rode a bike exclusively. Heck, that is actually where/when my love of cycling happened! Wait for a bus to work, saw a bike commuter pass and thought "I have a bike, I love to exercise." 14 years later and I ride daily, rarely drive, and now have more bikes than I'd like to admit
I certainly would not ride in traffic these days as I rode when I was that age and living there. I guess age, a wife, and a child will do that.
I rode everywhere in the city and lived nearby the Key Bridge, crossing it weekly to visit a friend in N.VA. I'd be curious to ride in the city again. I was there around 2012 and the change from 2007 in terms of bike lanes was impressive. That said, I was hit twice while biking in the city, both times the motorist broke the law, one time I could have been riding more safely, the other time...person ran a stop sign, then right hooked me before I could realize what was happening. Some freaking how...I rode away both times.
Be safe out there, everyone!