Originally Posted by
Reflector Guy
Reflectors work best at moderate or greater distances, whereas at close range they become lost amongst the specular reflectivity from the bicycle's shiny paint or chrome. But by the time the passing car is that close, they should have spotted the bike already. Actual illuminated taillights are best of course but they start to lose their effectiveness at the longer distances where reflectors are working their best.
As a kid, I was always fascinated at night by how far away a distant mailbox, signpost or bicycle was visible from the car's headlights bouncing back from the reflector. A mile perhaps.... Certainly more than a half mile on a dark night without a lot of other ambient lighting. Obviously the direction and angle of the light source matters; the reflectors on a bicycle crossing the road at an angle will be tougher to see than one riding parallel or perpendicular to the road.
Hmm, that hasn't been my experience as a motorist driving at night over the thousands of years I've been driving. Maybe back in the 70's and into about the early 2000's before LED ame out that may be true about reflectors being better since the lights back then at resembled a candle flicker! I still have, but don't use, one of those candle rear lights. I currently run 300 lumens on the rear, no refletor made omes remotely close to the brightness of this thing at night.
What you're saying is that a car with out it's tail lights on an be seen further distance than with them on, see how crazy that sounds? At night someone running without their lights on you can't even see their car and nothing reflects back. I know you've have had to seen that effect with cars with no lights on.