Bikes with strobe lights (law, dangerous, safe)

[robertpasa]

Have you noticed some bicycles have a front light with a strobe light effect - do you think it's annoying?
Any comments at all?

[volosong]

All I know is that in the past when I rode, nine out of ten cars would pass me so close that I feared for my safety. If I were to have thrown my arm out, the car/truck would have hit it. Once I started riding with strobes, front and rear, that ratio has flipped. Now, nine out of ten cars go wide when passing me. Only that occasional idiot who's attention is diverted to texting on their cell phone, pass me in an unsafe manner.

Maybe annoying, but at least I know that I am visible and seen. In a collision, guess who would win, me on an 18-pound bicycle or a 3,500 pound auto/truck? It's all about safety...and the first part of that is being seen.

FWIW, I have never had a patrolmen stop me and tell me to turn off my strobes. They know it's a safety thing.


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[ryanms3030]

I think people with HID headlights are annoying.

I'm a cyclist and I ride with blinking rear light and solid front light. If you are riding on the correct side of the road any cars passing closely are coming up from behind so it's much more important to draw attention to rear.

[BRinSM]

I do agree hat they are a bit annoying, but I totally understand why there are used. If i rode a bike at night i'd probably do the same.

[kasuga888]

I think its the law to have lights. Blinking lights draws more attention from drivers. However, some lights with high lumens are anoying but i dont think that was the intent of the person using them. they just want to see the road and have the adequate attention.

[simbared]

I don't find them annoying at all, and I understand why they use them. When I used to ride, I was constantly amazed by the brain dead people behind the wheel who thought nothing of turning directly in front of me, or forcing me into the curb, or worse.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by simbared

I don't find them annoying at all, and I understand why they use them. When I used to ride, I was constantly amazed by the brain dead people behind the wheel who thought nothing of turning directly in front of me, or forcing me into the curb, or worse.

I agree about the lights, they're needed so you can see them at night. I find the ones who ride at night who don't have lights to be foolish.

But since you brought up brain dead, just tonight through Silverlake at rush hour here comes a bike rider down the middle of Fletcher Dr. Are they allowed to do that? Than he got up on the sidewalk and than as the light was changing yellow(right by the 5 freeway) he runs it.....so much for brain dead. And he was dressed in his bike gear, no backpack, so this was a leisure ride. At 5pm on a Friday....brilliant, how about you go to Griffith Park?

You see the car is going to win, even if the driver is in the wrong, they're not the ones who ends up seriously injured or dead. I am amazed at the arrogance and lack of paying attention I see on a daily basis. Oh and the ones how wear ear buds....just brilliant.

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by robertpasa

Have you noticed some bicycles have a front light with a strobe light effect - do you think it's annoying?
Any comments at all?

They can be dangerous. There are times when I've had difficulty seeing because of them. At least some manufacturers need to see that their lights are not inappropriately intense.