Originally Posted by
cyclezealot
Basically, you need something flashy to protect your from all four directions. Headlights/ rear flashers do little to protect you from side streets.
-1. Side lights are useless.
Unless say you are corking a side street at critical mass or something then go ahead.
By the time a driver can see your side light, one of two things will happen:
- you will be going past the driver without any problems
- the driver is just about to hit you and won't be able to avoid you
For drivers pulling out from side streets you need a bright headlight that will cast a beam ahead of where you are going. I personally like a helmet headlight because then I can direct it towards the driver which may not be looking my way.