+1 on the favor.

do this myself. I don't care that they get a flash. I am not going to blind them permanently. They definitely know I am there and more often than not noticeably slow down as they pass and as they approach me from the front. Nah... I believe in dazzling them with brilliance and baffling them with too many lights. Makes them wonder just what the heck that mass of blinking/flashing/way too many bright lights is doing on the road. Might just save my life.

Because its a helmet mount lamp, you have control over where it points. At stop lights I consciously point my light away from oncoming traffic, usually slightly to the right and up.

Do it. I have one on my helmet. A great way to be seen in traffic as drivers can see you over other cars.

And I like being able to put light where I need to put it in order to see. I live in an area with lots of wildlife, so you need to scan the bushes next to the road unless you want to broadside a deer. I also live in an area with twisty roads and trails, so if the only light is mounted on the bar, then your light is going tangential to the turn, which is useless to see where you're about to go.

My recommendation would be to stop interpreting the rider's intentions based on his light, then you won't have any problems. Your headlights should illuminate the rider enough to see him. Also, the guy should be signalling. If he's not, then he's an asshat.

I do use a bar-mount flood light as well, but I want the throw light on my head so I can aim it.

Bar and helmet mount are a win-win combination. I use it myself. I ride dark MUPs at night and there is no subsitute for having a helmet light to see around the curves. The two lights have different patterns that complement each other giving both broad and long coverage. If I see a suspicious looking pot hole or object coming up on a dark road, I point the helmet light to get a daylight-like view so I can safely move around it at road speeds.


Bob

Nothing gets the attention of motorists like a helmet light.
I run a 400L mounted on my helmet and a 800L on my bars.
While I rarely run them at high it is wonderful having that light to use when needed.
On a busy MUP I tend to switch one off and put the other on low.
Streets it is nice to have as much lighting as possible while descending with street lights.

Honestly, some of you are insufferable. You complain when riders don't have lighting, enough lighting, badly aimed lighting, or too much lighting.

I'm just getting warmed up.

I say we now speak ill of those with lights of improper hue.

What's the deal with the hacks with a red light on the front?

Are they coming or going?

Always.

Can't tell.

Red blink mode on the front means, "I'm not just clueless, I'm aggressively clueless."

Maybe they just enjoy dangerous parody.

I know I do.

Well it is kinda hard finding yellow flashies for the front ..... Some places have laws against flashing white lights in front because they are for emergency vehicles only.

way OT:

reflective tape on moving parts...

a kin to "fishing lure tech"...

that ought to be something to rant about.... lights, blinkies, reflectors, clothing, et al

blah blah blah... right?

^^^ .... Huh?

Sometimes you barely make sense, but this time you're pretty far out...

Looks like english. Reads like gibberish.

Every time a car is attempting to turn into my street from a side street on the right, I am glad for my helmet light. I turn my head and shine it directly at the driver's window. I've had 3 instances so far where they've slammed on their brakes immediately --- they were about to accelerate into their turn and would have run smack into me.

Have you ever actually heard of someone getting stopped for a white flashing headlight?

+1
I have had the same experience several times. Personally, I could not care less if I momentarily blind someone while preventing them from t boning me.

+1
That is how I use my helmet light. I have an old 1-watt led bike light on the handlebars, that is pointed directly at automobile windshield height of on-coming traffic, and a 9-led flashlight strapped to my helmet. I've positioned the helmet light to point at the ground in front of me when I'm in a seated riding position, but I can always lift my head up a little bit higher to point it directly at the eyes of drivers coming from up from the side.

The helmet light is bright enough for me to see the color of their car interior, and their eyes for that matter, which makes some drivers get an angry look on their faces. I've had much fewer close-calls with this set-up, though, and that is what matters to me. I'm not doing it to be a jerk. I just don't want to get run over, and have found that your lights have to be just over the edge of annoying to make sure that they SEE YOU.

Heck, that would be the only reason for me to use one. Blind the crap out of the motorists that blind the crap out of me.