I got to wondering today about the unintended consequences of more and more cyclists attiring themselves like me. Sales of flourescent cycling accessories appear to be booming - everyone who rides a bike soon becomes paranoid about being hit by a dopey car driver. Many are too afraid to even cycle on quiet roads because of their paranoia about being collected.
What happens though when a tipping point is reached in hi-viz cycling gear, and we find that say 80% of cyclists are riding around in day-glo, and 20% and still in normal street clothes. Will we discover that motorists become so conditioned to seeing day-glo, that they utterly fail to see cyclists clad in a normal way?
I think this has already happened with motorbikes and the requirement to have the headlight on during daylight. I've seen a car almost collect a motorbike that had no headlight showing - the driver was conditioned to see a light, and when there wasn't one there, the brain refused to acknowledge the presence of a motorbike.
Food for thought.
2 comments:
The other thing I like about hi-viz polo shirts, the price:
Compare:
1 Cycling jersey: (Min) $90
1 Hi viz polo shirt from Lowes: $10 - $15.
Tough choice....
Interesting point re motorbikes.
I ride an old (70's) BMW that doesn't have or require a permanently lit daytime headlight.
I have noticed the same thing, that a number of car drivers seem to be blind to the bike without the headlight on.
I bought one of those spinning white LED pushbike lights and mounted it on the Beemer handebars for city riding.
Sticks out like you know what!
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