Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You.
Remember a few days ago, I posted a photo of one of our local police cyclists. Brad questioned the hi-viz that the rider was wearing:
What do you think about Hi-viz? Does that deter would-be cyclists who are afraid of looking outlandish? I wonder about that sometimes.
So here’s what I think…
According to the Highway Code, to ride a bike…
59. Clothing. You should wear
- a cycle helmet which conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened
- appropriate clothes for cycling. Avoid clothes which may get tangled in the chain, or in a wheel or may obscure your lights
- light-coloured or fluorescent clothing which helps other road users to see you in daylight and poor light
- reflective clothing and/or accessories (belt, arm or ankle bands) in the dark
The fact is that we operate bikes in largely hostile environments that we share with large, fast-moving machines that are operated by often-inattentive drivers. So it would seem sensible to always wear hi-viz.
Naturally, I DON’T wear hi-viz. This is for several reasons:
- I actually doubt that hi-viz will help the drivers who look-but-don’t-see to see me. This is because
- Their brains aren’t engaged in the first place.
- With everyone wearing them, and every possible hazard decked out in day-glo, I think that to don hi-viz would actually be a perverse form of camouflage.
- Hi viz might be useful in the fog. I use lights instead. And don’t ride on the road when it’s properly foggy.
- Actually I use lights a lot. Big, bright, flashy, migraine-inducing ones. I think they’re much more insistently attention-grabbing than hi-viz.
- At night, I have lots of lights, and if I’m wearing “cycling clothes”, they have retro-reflective details (a.k.a. Scotchlite) that mean I light up like a Christmas tree. My black waterproofs do the same.
- Finally, it looks dorky. Especially with a three piece suit, which I have been known to wear on a bike.
Look, it’s like this: most of the trips (i.e. >70%) that most of us make are less than 10k. At a leisurely pace on a bike that’s 25-30 minutes, and in town it’s quicker to ride than drive. Driving is amazingly seductive, and people will cling to any little detail to avoid giving it up. If we want more people to not drive, then we need to get across to them that riding a bike is a perfectly normal thing to do. It is largely safe, and provided that you don’t have to faff around with all the essential safety / sports gear that’s endlessly rammed down our throats by the industry, surprisingly easy.
Equipment required:
- Bike
- Lock
- That’s all.
One last thing. If you do get hit by a homicidally inattentive driver, and you’re not wearing hi-viz, don’t blame me, but there’s a chance that your insurers / his insurers / the judge will say that it’s somehow YOUR fault.
Just to level up that argument a little, here are some photos of the sort of urban camouflage that seems very much in fashion with car owners these days: The most popular colour for cars is . . . asphalt grey!
Should you be unfortunate enough to ride into one of these, make sure that you apologise to the driver with the words,
Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You
Bike. Lock. That’s all.
I totally agree!
And actually a sensible bike will have a lock built into it. (And lights too). So we could shorten that list to:
1. Bike.
2. That’s all.
My Batavus Personal Bike has the lock (OK, it’s a cable, so not that great a lock) built in, as well as the wheel lock. Sorted.
Vanmoof bikes have Abus chains built in. 100% sorted, if you can get over the tragi-comedy-hipsterness of them.
Hi-vis has become such a fashion statement for so many groups these days that I too have moved to lights, preferably flashing as a ‘hey I’m here!’ statement. From the number of times drivers yell at me, I guess they work.
bike. Rider. That is all.
We have a hi vis car (I made sure as I think it’s safer). On the road, I don’t wear hi vis any more but I did in London as nothing says ‘cyclist’ like a flash of yellow, and it means the drivers were more prepared for my presence. Up here, I’m often the only thing moving on the road so I hope any drivers would be able to spot me. In the event of anyone objecting I point out that I’ll start wearing hi vis when the cows and sheep and deer do too.
I’m with you on this one. I have a rain jacket (that I rarely use as it’s not very breathable) that is bright yellow, but that’s it.
For visibility I use lights. I think they’re miles better at grabbing a driver’s attention. With the setup I have (they’re bright as I also commute on unlit country roads) I can’t help but think that if a driver is stupid enough to hit me, they’ll do it whether I’m wearing hi-viz or not.
[...] his way because we don’t pay the Road Tax that was no one has paid since 1937. So who is it that really needs to wear hi-viz? A “leaked” preview of the 2012 Tour de France draws a positive review. Pro cyclist Riccardo [...]
Well said on all points. I get lectured on this, most recently after waiting for a driver to pass some parked cars, on my side of the road. Said driver objected to me being ‘in the way’ because I’d stopped in the primary position so he had to go aound me, and followed my to the shop and started lecturing me.
I just nodded and smiled until he left: there was no point trying to doscuss it with him.
The distinctive colours of the poison-arrow toad should be an example to cyclists ,hi-viz equals “Don’t mess with Me’.With some motorists you really have to effect some retina ripping event ,just to get their attention!The automobile does a very good job of insulating the driver from reality!
I bought some reflective tape off eBay, and stuck it all over my bike, mostly so I can be seen from the side by cars at night (seeing as the lights face forward and back).
See http://www.se17.eu/318w/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_0335.jpg
In 2006 a tractor driver died and train & track were destroyed when he drove out in front of the train at a level crossing and last month in a copycat crash on the same line with the same type of train and the same type of tractor, a repeat performance, but this time not fatal. - see RAIB website for details.
The common detail of the tractors - both were John Deere (it saved the train drivers’ lives as the engine block is level with the train buffers, and in one case the engine was knocked 300m from the point of impact - and these tractors are all green - emerging from behind … green foliage in green countryside. the Railway tends to paint much of its plant bright yellow so that any bits left lying around during or after a job are easily spotted.
Will the RAIB recommend that all tractors are painted bright yellow so they are easier to spot crossing rail lines and moving slowly along country lanes ready to catch drivers by surprise as they speed round the bends.
Personally I’ve found that any sign that touching you or your bike might damage their car (or their paperwork (insurance diving licence etc)is usually enough to make your visibility quotient rise by a factor of 5 to 10. One very effective one for those using a lock and chain is to wear the chain like a bandolier with it snugly locked across the torso, to leave a ‘tail’ of the surplus chain which can hang loose or be lead over the right hand bar-end to sway randomly as you pedal along. When you feel a need to enhance this effect you take the end in your right hand and whirl it round vertically like a stripper’s stole or feather boa. Sadly the Police take a rather dim view of this rather effective way of ensuring cars give adequate space when passing. However I guess you could legitimately carry a pickaxe strapped across the rear rack - metal side outwards..