Yeah, I guess it would be alright as long as the light had some type of breakaway mounting. Zip ties etc should be avoided. On my bike I find that a wide-angle headlight mounted to the handlebar stem works effectively. But then, I don't wear a helmet, and feel that something like a head torch would be annoying.

IMO, safety is way down on the list with you!!

Three lights on the bars and one on the helmet.

I agree. I use a helmet light and it has been great particularly intersections and most especially at roundabouts. The ability to shine a light around irrespective of the attitude of the bike has kep more than one driver (or cyclist) from doing something silly.

mine eats batteries so fast that I haven't been replacing them. Seems to be a common problem with Princeton Tec EOS lights.

I miss it a lot. How come the motorists that don't stop at stop signs always get to the intersection too late to see my headlight?

At this time of year, both of my commutes are in the dark. You need a good lights on the front and rear. That is a given. My front weapon of choice is a bar-mounted direct-from-China CREE unit that cost arount $40. It can cast shadows a block away.

But you also need a headlamp. Trust me on this; my experience comes as a result of uncountable bike/car interactions in the dark, in which my bacon was saved many times by having a powerful lamp that I could focus right between their eyes.

Your biggest risk is vehicles that come from the side, and only make cursory rolling checks as they cruise through stop signs on residential streets. I have seen this hundreds of times.

It is only when they think that a freight train is bearing down on them will these drivers actually freakin' stop - like the sign at the intersection plainly states. A LED flashlight attached to the helmet is good. A powerful lamp that can be focused is even better. I have a 900 lumen CREE-based lamp, in which the total output of the beam can be focused down to about a foot square a block away. Having this pouring into your retinas is a awe-inspiring experience. Because it is so high and so powerful, I have had drivers pull right off of the road because they think I am a semi with one light out.

Not really. I make sure I ride in a safe and sensible manner, and use lights and reflectors on my bike to ensure I'm visible (I'm certainly safer than people riding brakeless fixed gear bikes) I have no desire to get run over while cycling, and have never been hit yet. I also wear gloves to give a bit of hand protection should I fall off (instinctively you put an arm out to break your fall.) Anyway, the discussion of the merit of helmets belongs in another thread if you can bear the pointless mud-throwing within.