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Exactly. It's just another stick to beat cyclists with, along with 2 abreast, road tax, red lights, cycling on pavements etc etc etc. 

Any story regarding cyclists is always met with the same hatred, it is quite depressing.

I think the issue here, though, is that campaigns like this do give drivers the excuse that they can't see cyclists.

By all means, make it easier for them and protect yourself further (I do too) but let's not absolve them - as those responsible for the potential harm - of their reasonable obligation to pay proper attention and drive according to the conditions.

Ethel Aardvark wrote:

I take the view you have to wear a jacket, gloves and overshoes at this time of year, why not choose hiviz? Bad drivers cannot make the excuse they could not see me!

Bad drivers regularly hit, maim and kill cyclists even though they're wearing hi-viz and they probably do make the excuse that they didn't see the cyclist.

Mandatory hi-viz is just victim blaming and is yet another distraction from actual attempts to improve road safety (hopefully towards Vision Zero). If we want to introduce new laws to ensure decent visibility of cyclists, then how about mandating polarised windscreens/sunglasses for all drivers so that they can no longer use the excuse of "sun in my eyes"?

Ethel Aardvark wrote:

I take the view you have to wear a jacket, gloves and overshoes at this time of year, why not choose hiviz? Bad drivers cannot make the excuse they could not see me!

To reverse the usual trope, bad drivers having no excuse doesn't help you if you're dead. Ultimately I don't want to be "right" I want to be alive, uninjured, and unscared.

Most of us do have viz to some degree. The point is it makes no difference and is a distraction a far as safety policy is concerned. Bad drivers will hit you anyway. Good drivers are already aware and driving safely.

But at this time of year, a responsible cyclist will have lights on their bike (and switched on!).  Just like motorists.  We don't expect all motorists to paint their cars in hi-viz colours, we rely on their having working lights on their cars...

Sriracha wrote:

Thing is, I'm not seeing any cars with illegally tinted windows being pulled over.

No doubt that's a,.... now what's the usual excuse,.... "civil matter" or some such....

Of course dark tints get drivers pulled over. Good opportunity to have a look inside as well.

Drinfinity wrote:

Of course dark tints get drivers pulled over. Good opportunity to have a look inside as well.

I shall take you at your word. It just seems odd that I see so many.....

The same with cars with darkened / anti flash registration plates, changed reg plates and any number of illegal tamperings to not be stopped by a speed camera, there are so many out there that they seem to not be stopped much. The latest one is not having a front number plate or having a shitty little sticker instead which seems to be on faster sports cars imported from places where front number plates are not needed. 

If such cars were frequently stopped we would not be seeing their numbers increase. Drivers would have got fed up with constantly having the mythical £1000 fine imposed. Isn't happening.

Poor thing - somebody's stolen their number plate, too.

Pity that, becasue they're reflective and help to prevent collisions(!)

There is a man who lives up the road, he has a very expensive top model Range Rover Vogue. My mate who lives opposite him has reported him for no tax. He is still driving the car round, the tax expired December last year. It seems the police and DVLA couldn't give a toss.

I have taken to wearing lurid pink and orange tops for the summer to avoid blending in with the foliage.

Contrast is important and colours are useless against a bright background as they just appear as black.

Ban grey/silver cars in the fog though !

Watch out for the dahlias!

Mungecrundle wrote:

Watch out for the dahlias!

Mungecrundle wrote:

...... that every journey involves "spot the cyclist / runner / pedestrian / child / dog / cat / badger / log in the road / etc" and at this time of year you had better be on top of your game.

Oi! what about the squirrels?? Don't forget the squirrels!!! Tell 'em about the squirrels!!!....

Captain Badger wrote:

Mungecrundle wrote:

...... that every journey involves "spot the cyclist / runner / pedestrian / child / dog / cat / badger / log in the road / etc" and at this time of year you had better be on top of your game.

Oi! what about the squirrels?? Don't forget the squirrels!!! Tell 'em about the squirrels!!!....

It really grinds my gears when I get stuck behind a red squirrel driving slowly 

IanMK wrote:

It really grinds my gears when I get stuck behind a red squirrel driving slowly 

Don't grind, switch to lower gears.

Side benefit - more torque if the squirrel gets stuck in your wheel / mudguard.

IanMK wrote:

It really grinds my gears when I get stuck behind a red squirrel driving slowly 

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

Re: Two millionth cyclist. It sure looked like at least twice the counter didn't change / detect the passing cyclist. So cycle journeys could be a magnitude of 5-10 % more on that really small sample size.

No Hiviz. See how important it is?....

Cycloid wrote:

One study has shown that we may be becoming "Hi Vis Blind", the old "When everyone is wearing Hi Vis no one is wearing it", may be true

I think it may well be true with DRLs, too, sadly. Once upon a time, cars could be readily identified because they were car-shaped. At night, most of them were lit, and with lights that were pale enough yellow that you could class them as white.  And the emerging LEDs for cycles stood out as distinctively different. Now, LEDs and DRLs are so common, with DRLs or other marker lights being used along with headlamps, so cycles again become invisible to indifferent drivers who are now triggered only by shiny things.

Totally Agreed

The whole thing is a mess.

I have said before "As a cyclist you are competing with your background and other vehicles to be seen".
But you will not be seen if the motorist doesn't look.

Adding DRLs into the equation means that cyclists without lights are competing against motorists with lights for the attention of other motorists.

Same as helmets. Benefit seems obvious, until you start thinking about it...