The roads I ride on have 2.5-4 lanes - 1.5-2 lanes for traffic, and 1 or 2 for parking. Drivers who can see my flashing white light before passing me are driving in the direction opposite from mine, and they're in a lane that's pretty far from mine. The flashing light simply does not protect me against a collision with those cars. How wide are the roads you users of lights ride on? Do you really think the lights will prevent the drivers who can actually see your lights from hitting you?

Sure, drivers who pass you might see your light in their rear-view mirrors, but they're already ahead of you then, and you control whether or not to collide with them..

If you're driving your car and exiting a parking lot or entering one via a left turn, is it not highly possible that a flashing light is easier to ignore than a steady light? After all, the flash could be viewed as anomalous, an optical illusion.

Now, I confess to wanting to ride in the Northbound lane of a bike path or MUP when a Southbound rider is flashing his blinding light into my eyes. I don't, but I want to to anything to get that f__ing light out of my eyes. So far, I've always concluded that I'll get away from the light faster if I stay in my lane than if I alter course.

The only research I've seen is from England several years ago. That study concluded that something visible and moving, like reflective socks, was the best way to get drivers to give a rider space, but that was just one study.

Drivers always gave me a lot of space when my bike wore a small orange flag sticking out from my rear rack horizontally about 18". Drivers never came close to me when my bike sported that flag. Alas, the flag did not succeed in the marketplace, and I could not replace it after mine broke.