irclean

I was riding along a MUP today and was flagged down by a cyclist coming the other way. After we stopped he pointed at my PB Blaze 1W headlight (which I had set on the strobe setting) and said, "I'm an epileptic and those strobe lights can cause me to go into seizure." It was so unexpected I could hardly form a response. I apologized and assured him that I would leave it on steady mode from now on. He also mentioned that he understood the strobe setting on the rear light (a PB Superflash), citing our city's traffic, and said he was okay with that.

It's automatic for me to turn on the front and rear strobes as soon as I get on the bike - day or night. Where do I draw the line; who's safety is of more concern, mine or his? If the strobe function on my lights can cause seizures in epileptics then why didn't they come with a warning? Don't emergency services (police, fire, ambulance) use strobe lights on the front of their vehicles when responding to emergencies? Now, if I was riding the MUP exclusively I would leave it on the steady setting out of consideration for my fellow cyclists and pedestrians, but I was on this particular one while using it to connect between city streets and it never occurred to me to change it from the strobe setting.

I plan to contact my national Epilepsy Society (assuming there is one) and inquire about this incident, but I wanted to post this here to start a discussion and to see if anyone else has had a similar experience. I would be especially interested to hear from any epileptics who use these forums and to learn from their experience.

Ride safe, everyone!

mustang1

I have the rear on flashing all the time. The fronts are always flashing unless I'm on a dark road where I'll leave it solid coz I get annoyed by the flashing myself.

CliftonGK1

I'm a recovering alcoholic and smelling the RedHook brewery on my commute home might cause me to cruise on over and relapse with a pint or three; but I don't expect them to shut down on account of it.
You can't treat the world like a giant grade school and take away everyone's peanut butter just because one person is allergic.

Mr. Beanz

It's true , I suffer from migraines which also can be triggerred by strobe type displays.Read it is a form of epileptcy (SP?). Watching some screen savers liek some of the older types, with firework type displays ahve triggred migraines in my case. Other things tht have triggered a amigraine, bright flash refection of the sun off of a windshield while driving.

Although it may be true, I'm not stupid so I don't sit and stare at such displays! Am I supposed to stop the world from driving or reflecting the sun.

Another thing is the graphics of some video games. I'd bet 5 bucks the dude is sitting at home playing Mario Brothers right now!

Tell the dude to look aways as you approach, and quit playing video games, that's what I do! They don't seem to trigger symptoms unless you sit there and stare at the strobe display, IMO.

Big Lug

Yeah I agree!! I think that if you were in constant contact with the guy his request would be justified. But being a stranger i think that he should look away!!!

youcoming

I wouldn't be too concerned about it. By the way you are the safest rider 've ever heard of flashing light front and back while on a MUP!

rumrunn6

I used to use strobes on the paved bike trails but then realized they were overkill if I was wearing a bright color. so now I only use the strobes in traffic when I'm on the roadway.

one day I was in bright gear and had the strobes going and a little kid who was just learning to ride and saw me coming at him - poor kid lost it and went down. Mom & Dad were right there so I didn't stop but I started thinking about how distracting I might be. plus I got tired of telling me my light was on ... hahaha LOL

HOWEVER! I did get lots of people noticing me from a distance and they would move aside - I'm talking about people loitering on the trail. the strobe helped give them some time to MOVE OFF THE TRAIL

1nterceptor

I came back from vacation to Asia last Jan. On the EVA flight I was on the crew made an announcement:
Because ONE passenger has a peanut allergy, NONE of the other passengers will be served nuts.
This was a full plane 777.

rumrunn6

I can't look at pictures like this without going berserk so I wish people would stop posting them!

emperorcezar

The front light is more important to be seen as it helps you avoid right/left hooks and being hit from the side. From the rear they have more time to see you because your relative speed is less. They also have headlights on you from behind. This is why some juristictions require front lights, but not necessarily rear lights.

I agree that contacting the Epilepsy Society is best as IIRC only certain frequencies can trigger a seizure.

CliftonGK1

They should be required to announce the passenger by full name and seat number, so everyone can stop by and thank them for that jackass manouver.
I understand that peanut allergies can be fatal. Hell, I keep an epi-pen with me for bee stings for the same reason. However, to demand that an entire 777 jetliner bow to the whim of your poor genetics? Dang. How self-centered can you get?

Maybe I should demand my apartment managers cut down the flowering whatever-the-hell-it-is tree in front of my apartment so I don't get stung by one of the 12 hojillion bees flying around it while I walk my dog.

snowman40

I don't like stobes, they trigger my 10000 yard stare and I become zombie like....not hypnotized, just completely detached.

and to avoid jackasses like that, I take my own peanuts.

1 more, how many 0's is hojillion? I think there are some plants in my complex that could rival that tree....

Bone Head

I wouldn't be too quick to have them cut down the tree but I would notify them of the allergy. Then if you do get stung, you could consult a personal injury lawyer and finance a whole stable of new bikes.

gitarzan

Me Too! cwmdocmwocmwom3mc. GRRREfeppp!emcvpempvmevm3comcs3kncvjebuvmjbv!!!

gitarzan

Actually I only use the blinkers on the road. On the MUP, I don't unless it's night.

Greg_R

I know! I can't believe that bike is missing pedals either...

Peter_C

+1

hibergen1256

What the rider told you is true. Most frequently the strobe could cause a Jacksonian seizure which is a Petit Mall seizure, but in some it could produce a Grande Mal seizure, the big one.

irclean

This is from the Epilepsy Canada website:

"Photosensitive seizures:

Often, you may notice warnings on electronic devices, lighting equipment (such as strobe lights), or video games. They may having warnings that the product may induce photosensitive epileptic seizures.

Photosensitive seizures are rare, even for people with epilepsy (less than 5%). These are not a distinct type of seizure, rather the result of a light-related stimulus that may induce the triggering of a seizure. Photosensitive seizures are often classified under the heading of “reflex epilepsy.”

They usually occur around the ages 8-20 with a higher frequency of cases during puberty. They may be triggered by both natural and artificial light – oscillating or moving patterns.

To avoid unnecessary risks, it is advised for children and adults with photosensitive seizures to sit more than 2m away from the television. This is due to the frequency of the refresh rate of the television monitor. While the incidence of television-induced photosensitive seizures is lower in North America than in Europe (due to the differences in refresh rates), people with epilepsy should still remain cautious. Computer monitors present very little risk for inducing photosensitive seizures. There are two types of monitors, CRT (cathode-ray tube) and LCD (liquid crystal display). Most CRT monitors have refresh frequencies greater than 70Hz (70 flashes/second). LCD monitors do not have full-screen refreshing and may be better in some instance for photosensitive people. However, since most people use newer model monitors, the problem of inducing photosensitive seizures is more related to software than the monitors themselves. Computer games and other programs with flashing lights and varying patterns may trigger a seizure."

So I guess the short answer is, yes - strobe/flashing lights can cause epileptic seizures, but according to this source it happens in less than 5% of epileptics. The website also encourages sufferers to take the necessary precautions. If I run into this guy again I will ask him what he does when an emergency vehicle goes by with its strobes flashing. In the meantime I will try to remember to turn the light to steady mode when on the MUP and save my strobe for city streets. After all, my safety is paramount to me and my family.

rthomse

It's not BS! I had the misfortune of going to an ambulance call for an unresponsive 10 year old.He had a history of seizures and Mom and Dad bougth him a Play Station or similar thing.With all the flashing graphics!!! I guess he didn't want to be the only kid without one. He had a seizure and died .

CliftonGK1

There's only 1 zero in a hojillion, but it's specific that you pronounce it like "oh" and draw it out, not "zero". As in "Ooooooooooohhhhh crap that's a lotta bees, puppy. We gotta get!"

gitarzan

At least it has a seat.

RedWhiteandRed

Shoot that thing straight in his eyes - wean him off of that notion. Get a bigger strobe.

Though - on a MUP I would hazard that the upside of the strobe mode would be diminished.

fc_

Seizure issues aside, I have seen cyclists coming towards me with bright flashing led lights, and in my opinion, it made it much harder to judge distance between myself and the other rider. Not a good thing on a multi use path going across a bridge that is just wide enough for two riders to pass each other. Granted, it was just past sunset, in the dusk hours, so I'm not sure if my reaction would have been the same during the day.

irclean

Oh, I'm sure it has validity - I heard about this when I first learned what epilepsy was as a kid. I would hate to think my light caused someone to have a seizure, but at the same time it keeps me feeling safer. Many a motorist has commented on how much more readily they could see me with the strobe working.

I agree 100%. Like I said I was just using that MUP to connect between city streets. Normally I would not use the strobe setting while on a MUP.