You are right, it's the rider's prerogative to use flashing lights and high-vis in the daytime. There are no laws requiring such things. But I have PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED how much easier/quicker it is to see/notice cyclists from my car when they are using flashing lights and/or high-vis clothing while I'm in my car. I was driving along and saw a flashing light in the distance. I noticed it because it was flashing. "Oh cool someone on a bike" I think, since you hardly ever see anyone on bikes around here. And because I noticed that flashing light from a long distance away, I was more aware of his presence and ready to maneuver properly as I approached him, with plenty of time to spare. Without the flashing light, I likely would not have noticed the guy until I was much closer.

And as [MENTION=36008]Leisesturm[/MENTION] said above, cars are pretty visible. But white cars are the MOST visible. They stand out from the crowd much more than other car colors. Same with the daytime running lights, especially in shady areas.

I can tell you that if you're riding on a road with lots of shade or lots of alternating shade/sun (roads with lots of overhanging trees), and you're wearing darker or drab-color clothing, you'll be nearly invisible to most drivers from more than a few hundred feet, for those sections while you're in the shade. That's especially true if you're in the shade in the foreground, and farther down the road is a brighter area. The contrast between the bright/shade areas makes it that much harder to make out details of objects in the shade. Flashing lights and high-vis help greatly in that respect.

There's some truth to that. I think we lose some folks from the too cool hipsters and some sanity from the psycho traffic bombers, too. With those of us still left, let's try to share the love and stay alive. High birthrates would help in the long run, too, but that vest won't help much there.

If you do, please stay off the MUP! ;)

IMHO Leisesturm has been right on the money with his logic throughout this thread. I don't understand how anyone can claim that being highly visible through the use of clothing and lighting is not a effective way to increase visibility and in-turn, safety. If you don't want to wear safety clothing then why not just admit that you are less visible than those who do, and thereby at least a little less safe (assuming the same riding habits/skills).

I think using several devices in combination ought to work better than just one, though I'm sure there are diminishing returns at some point.

We can never say for certain if a device, designed to prevent mishaps, actually works. We can only say when they fail to work. ;)

Do you wear hi viz, flashing lights, and reflective clothing when going for a walk during the daytime? If not, why not?

Are you suggesting that if people see a cyclist that has run off the road/path(because they had no light), with car tire tracks up the back of their designer sweater and a chainring tat on his pants leg, they say "Oh yeah! I want to do that".

Probably because most people don't walk out in the road amongst traffic.

If I'm going for a run along a road with no sidewalk where I'll have to be on the edge of the road (facing oncoming traffic of course) then yes, I wear a high-vis running shirt.

Pedestrians fatalities in 2010: 4,280 (13% of total traffic fatalities).
Pedal cyclists fatalities in 2010: 619 (1.9% of total fatalities).

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/crash_facts/

Memphis seems particularly bad:
http://www.gkbm.com/Articles/Memphis...estrians.shtml

There's not much sense in the notion of "too safe" unless it costs too much. Cost could be measured in money, trouble, dignity, and other things.

Same fabric as cycling jerseys, but lower cost and higher visibility -- hi-viz clothing mandated by law for construction workers walking on roadways. They come longer than cycling jerseys, so cut off the front, turn up the back, run three seams, and you have an ANSI hi-viz mesh cycling jersey for under $20.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3834/9...341061a20a.jpg
Comfortable, conspicuous, and cheap by joshua_putnam, on Flickr

Hi-Viz arm warmers with reflective trim make hand signals much more conspicuous, day or night -- this is what passes for daylight this time of year around Seattle.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8481/8...32b437da09.jpg
Rainy Day Conspicuity - Front by joshua_putnam, on Flickr

I bought the vest on Saturday. I'll try it soon. If I never report back, you'll all know it doesn't work.

It takes a bold man to rock a DIY day-glo wife-beater. Well played, Mr. Putnam, well played.