Aushiker

Quote:

CYCLISTS riding without bike lights are three times more likely to be seriously injured in a crash than those who are lit up, a major study of cycling crashes in Melbourne has found.
The study also found that almost half the crashes in which the rider was hospitalised involved a blow to the head, with cyclists who were travelling faster than 30km/h five times more likely to receive a head injury than slower riders.

The crash statistics are contained in a 12-month study of 158 cyclists who were admitted to The Alfred and Sandringham hospitals between December 2010 and November 2011.

Read more: Unlit cyclists face greater injury

Regards
Andrew

ironwood

I am amazed at the number of cyclists I see without lights or reflectors. They are invisible, well almost because I can see them sometimes; but there are drivers who can't see them. Older drivers with cataracts, for one example

enigmaT120

I don't like it when they pick statistics out of a pre-selected group of crash victims. For the numbers to be relevant, I would want to know the percentage of riders in each category, total, not just the ones that crash and go to the hospital.

Having said that, I run lights day and night. I don't see any point in giving the headsuptheirass drivers any excuses except for the "He swerved in front of me!" one.

dynodonn 

The last cyclist death in our area was an unlit cyclist trying to cross one of our local freeways (trying to merge across the lanes), on a stormy winter night. The cyclist had the single rear red reflector required by law, but it was not mentioned in the media reports if the cyclist had pedal reflectors on his bicycle at the time.

alhedges

I'm often surprised to see bikers on expensive road bikes with helmets and full kit riding home at dusk on busy streets with either no lights or the weakest possible rear flasher and no front light; they are very difficult to see.

FBinNY 

It doesn't take a genius or expensive research study to know that unlit cyclists are at greater risk at night. The number one excuse given by drivers after striking a cyclist is "I didn't see him". Add "in time" and you could probably account for 99% (hyperbole) of the accidents. Of course, in many cases the driver didn't see because he wasn't looking or attentive, but that doesn't change the fact that getting noticed is key to safety.

Getting driver attention is the cyclists responsibility, and being attentive the drivers. Anything that raises your visibility profile day or night helps drivers see you sooner, and gives them more time to adjust. I wear bright high contrast shirts or jerseys (Bold patterns, no gray, brown or forest green) and use both steady and flashing lights at night. I consider dusk to be the time of highest danger because there's less ambient light to make my colors work for me, and too much for my lights to show out in contrast. Also, early disk, cars are less likely to have their own headlights on to pick me out of shadow.

On my daily commute I'll change my route based on light conditions, looking for darker less traveled roads at night, so drivers don't have the glare of oncomming traffic blinding them, and so far that's worked fine for me.

wphamilton

I was thinking exactly the same thing, reading the article. The data presented is insufficient to evaluate the claims made, and because of that I have to wonder whether the study's author (Dr. Paul Biegler, PHD in Bioethics)is misquoted or just doesn't realize the inadequacy.

Fargo Wolf

/snorts Well that's a given. No lights = less likely to be seen. Less likely to be seen = a higher possibility of being hit.

atbman

Shock news - People falling out of 10th floor windows more likely to be injured than those falling off porch

prathmann

Agreed. Of course the conclusion is so non-controversial that the study is unlikely to be thoroughly scrutinized for such logical errors.

rekmeyata

Where I live in Fort Wayne Indiana, is the worst place I've ever lived for the number of cyclists I see riding around with no lights or reflectors. Personally I think they should be cited, but the law here is that if a car hits a cyclist at night that had no lights or reflectors it's the cyclist fault no matter what, even if the car ran a red light and witnesses said they ran the light it will be the cyclist fault.

Chris516

I don't give them any excuses period.

rumrunn6

I'm always suspicious of statistics because they don't tell the whole story, but this one helps me feel better about using the hi-vis clothing and lites that I use. sometimes I get looks as if I'm to Fredly and over-doing it, but Know that on any given ride there are several spots where my setup is absolutely perfect. it may be overkill most of the time, but those kill zones are what i'm protecting myself from.

dougmc

... says a 12-month study of 158 people who fell out of 10th floor windows who were admitted to The Alfred and Sandringham hospitals between December 2010 and November 2011.

prathmann

I remember a study like that conducted on cat falls. AIRC, they concluded that the most dangerous height was from about the 6th or 7th floor. They thought that falls from greater heights gave the cat sufficient time to get itself into an optimum body position prior to impact. I believe the highest fall for which they had data was from the 70th floor and the cat was fine.

BTW, these were all accidental falls - no cat was deliberately thrown out a window for the study.

rekmeyata

There are two main hi-vis colors that do stand out, lime and orange neons. But even though I know this I won't wear one on a bright day, I simply wear white because it white stands out pretty good and it keeps me cooler then other colors. If I'm riding when it's heavily overcast or foggy or at dusk into the night that's a different story, I wear a Neon Lime green safety vest with wide reflective strips. But I DO NOT rely on reflectors, I rely on lights.

gmt13

This is a telling point. There are a heck of a lot of road hazards that can cause a spill. Having "to be seen" lighting is good, but it's just not enough. I know that the cost inhibits most, and human nature convinces us that we really can see, but real lighting is worth it.

-G

jon c. 

The great majority of club riders who use the roads around my house don't use any lights. I ride the same roads and wouldn't think of riding them without lights.

ZmanKC

True. I've passed a rider the last three mornings at 6:00. The only place he's visible is when he passes under a street light.

nevermore1701

i ride very early in the morning about 4 am.i have 3 lights up front 1 in the back reflectors on both wheels and i wear a high vis vest.i see many bikes with no lights at all. the law here is funny.....only have to have lights in waikiki and cant ride on the side walk in waikiki. everything else is fare game i guess.i live and ride on the edge of waikiki i do everything i can not to be scrubbed by one of those big boys\m/\m/

RayfromTX

Lights are more important during the day. I have an extremely bright tail light. Brightest in the world actually. On it's brightest setting it produces 480 lumens and is visible for 3 miles on a bright sunny day. I generally use it on level 3 which produces 226 lumens and is visible for more than a mile in bright sunlight. A few months ago I completed a ride with three of my friends and one of them was teasing me about my tail light because it is so bright. He told me that his neon green jersey is very visible. The following Saturday he was riding on a 12 foot wide shoulder about 3 feet from the guard rail. An 85 year old man veered on to the shoulder to slow down for an upcoming right turn. In broad daylight he hit and killed my friend because he failed to see the bright jersey. He left behind a wife and three children and many many friends. He was 54 years old. My tail light would have saved his life without any doubt. Don't fool yourself into thinking that the blinkie from the bike shop with the aaa batteries is going to cut it. It's not. Mine is made by an individual that does limited production runs but the Dinotte 400 is a close second. Tail lights save lives and prevent serious injuries. If you ride on the road, go spend the money (200$+) and get one. If you get hit and survive, you will lay there, remember this post and will realize how foolish it was to not find the 200 bucks to make yourself as visible as all hell. Do it for your wife and kids.

spivonious

^ While I'm sure a tail light helps visibility, that 85 year-old man shouldn't be on the road if he can't see a cyclist in broad daylight.

delcrossv

It's the difference between visible and VISIBLE

enigmaT120

If money doesn't matter, buy two of them.

A couple of weeks ago I was riding my motorcycle to work and came around a corner. At least a half mile down the road I saw a flashing red light. I didn't know what the vehicle was until I got closer, but it turned out to be a bicycle. It was just a Planet Bike blinky. I was amazed how bright it was. Even riding east with the morning sun in my eyes it was easily visible.

I run two PDW Radbot 1000s on either side (about a foot apart, I bolted a light bar to my rear rack) of my generator hub powered tail light.

Chief

Study finds that ice cream melts when left out of the freezer!