What Flashing Tail Light are Members Using?

[Rockroy]

Proper use is that you use the flashing mode during daytime hours, and use a solid light at night. Most of the decent rear lights can do that, and some do so automatically.

My seemee 150 does that.

 

[JGcycle]

Thanks for all the great info everyone--I really appreciate it.

 

[jabberwocky]

Cygolite Hotshot for reasonably priced and good. Dinotte Quad Red for expensive and excellent.

 

[sc00ter]

I bought the Cygolite Hotshot front/rear package off Amazon. Pretty nice quality and value.

 

[Gazzy]

Another happy Cygolite user here.

 

[m@Robertson]

I’ve never heard that before but makes sense and I will start doing that, thanks for the info. Good news is with days getting longer my ride home from work is still in daylight!

The studies that have looked at the specific phenomenon (I'm aware of two of them) have two consistent findings: 1) A blinkie improves the conspicuity of the rider (I was unaware this was a real word until I saw it in the conclusion abstract). 2) A blinkie decreases an overtaking motorist's ability to track the blinking object's motion.

No provable connection yet exists between safety (increased or decreased) and any of the conclusions reached. There has been no follow-on research to see if the blinkies do any actual good versus any other light method, or no method.

While there is no research to back this up, I think you have to acknowledge blinkies piss off motorists.

There IS one additional concern with blinkies vis-a-vis intoxicated drivers, that has yet to be proven but is noted as needing further study: Blinkies can create a moth effect, where an intoxicated or diminished driver fixates on the blinking light - and drives into it rather than avoiding it. The theory for eliminating this effect centers around the use of an interruptive (unsteady) blink. This is the basis for Bontrager's use of an interruptive blink with the Flare RT. Bontrager notes they have performed research with a companion university on visibility but they do not share methodology or in fact any specifics.

Both studies (the only scientifically valid ones that exist as far as I know) were conducted not with bicycle taillights but with municipal snowplows, in an attempt to determine how to optimize crash avoidance with motorists. I put a link to the most recent one here.

Which Front Bicycle Lights Should I Use?

What front bicycle lights give the best beam pattern? Are blinking lights safer?

talesontwowheels.com

The original study was widely available for years but seems to have dropped off the internet. I wish I had saved a copy when I had the chance. It was done in Holland, if I remember correctly. If you look at the References section in the linked paper/study, there is a little more on human perception of strobe-type lighting that you can dig thru if you are motivated to picking understandable bits out of scientific research papers.

Most everything else you find on the internet regarding blinkers in terms of usage, limitations etc. is anecdotal/blog posts, and not research-based.

My own solution based on the research: I use an interruptive blink via a centered Knog Big Cobber, coupled to two Knog Blinder Square 100 lm lights that provide steady output and are used both day and night. On cargo bikes with wideloaders, I position the steadies as far to the right and left as I can, mimicking car taillights as much as possible. The thinking behind this is I gain the known benefit of increased conspicuity, while also not spoiling drivers' ability to track my motion thanks to the steady lights (I also use prismatic - street sign material - reflectors for a passive steady backup).

Incidentally, I tried the Bontrager Flare RT first. Its perhaps the best individual interruptive blink on the market, but its battery life over time didn't hold up.

 

[jabberwocky]

I commuted year round (which means at night from late fall through early spring) on some very bike-unfriendly roads for over a decade. I tried several lights and combinations, constant, blinking, you name it. In my experience, a bright, solid light produce the best results (by far!) at night. The key is to make sure its bright, and has a reasonably wide beam so you're visible even somewhat off-axis. I do think that off-axis is where a lot of cheaper lights fail, even if they are very bright by lumen rating and directly in the beam. If you're riding roads at night, especially with no shoulder and faster traffic, take care to aim the light so its doing you the most good. I liked a bright light aimed slightly down so its throwing light not only at approaching drivers, but illuminating a large swath of road behind me as well. But you should really mount up the light and stand a hundred years behind your bike and see what it actually looks like in the dark.

I do think a blinking light has its place in daylight. I'd try to avoid lights that blink rapidly like a strobe, but a nice slow blink does help get attention, and in daylight shouldn't inhibit the ability to actually figure out where you are and how fast you're going. If you're riding on multi-use paths though just set it to constant. Nothing more annoying than pulling on behind someone going about your pace and they have a blinkie you have to stare into until one of you turns off.

If you are relying on the light, its best to have a backup. I ran two headlights and two taillights in my commuting days. The second was generally turned off, there just in case the first one failed.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I can't really see the justification for a blinky on a multi use path, honestly.

In fact, if I am on a multi-use path and know I won't be interacting with cars for a substantial distance, I usually put the helmet away as well. Though that is another conversation.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I usually put the helmet away as well. Though that is another conversation.

My worst crashes happened on MUPs and the most often at zero speed.

 

[Gazzy]

The studies that have looked at the specific phenomenon (I'm aware of two of them) have two consistent findings: 1) A blinkie improves the conspicuity of the rider (I was unaware this was a real word until I saw it in the conclusion abstract). 2) A blinkie decreases an overtaking motorist's ability to track the blinking object's motion.

No provable connection yet exists between safety (increased or decreased) and any of the conclusions reached. There has been no follow-on research to see if the blinkies do any actual good versus any other light method, or no method.

While there is no research to back this up, I think you have to acknowledge blinkies piss off motorists.

There IS one additional concern with blinkies vis-a-vis intoxicated drivers, that has yet to be proven but is noted as needing further study: Blinkies can create a moth effect, where an intoxicated or diminished driver fixates on the blinking light - and drives into it rather than avoiding it. The theory for eliminating this effect centers around the use of an interruptive (unsteady) blink. This is the basis for Bontrager's use of an interruptive blink with the Flare RT. Bontrager notes they have performed research with a companion university on visibility but they do not share methodology or in fact any specifics.

Both studies (the only scientifically valid ones that exist as far as I know) were conducted not with bicycle taillights but with municipal snowplows, in an attempt to determine how to optimize crash avoidance with motorists. I put a link to the most recent one here.

Which Front Bicycle Lights Should I Use?

What front bicycle lights give the best beam pattern? Are blinking lights safer?

talesontwowheels.com

The original study was widely available for years but seems to have dropped off the internet. I wish I had saved a copy when I had the chance. It was done in Holland, if I remember correctly. If you look at the References section in the linked paper/study, there is a little more on human perception of strobe-type lighting that you can dig thru if you are motivated to picking understandable bits out of scientific research papers.

Most everything else you find on the internet regarding blinkers in terms of usage, limitations etc. is anecdotal/blog posts, and not research-based.

My own solution based on the research: I use an interruptive blink via a centered Knog Big Cobber, coupled to two Knog Blinder Square 100 lm lights that provide steady output and are used both day and night. On cargo bikes with wideloaders, I position the steadies as far to the right and left as I can, mimicking car taillights as much as possible. The thinking behind this is I gain the known benefit of increased conspicuity, while also not spoiling drivers' ability to track my motion thanks to the steady lights (I also use prismatic - street sign material - reflectors for a passive steady backup).

View attachment 147139

Incidentally, I tried the Bontrager Flare RT first. Its perhaps the best individual interruptive blink on the market, but its battery life over time didn't hold up.

Thank you, your post is very informative. I've looked at this issue for a while, although not to the depth that you have. I've seen the posts about blinking decreasing the driver's ability to judge distance, but always wondered whether the increased conspicuity (yes, great word!) outweighs the interference with judging distance. Read the dutch study, which did not answer this question. My solution has been, and still is, to rely on my own experience when I am driving a car: blinking lights on bikes get my attention far sooner than steady lights, and I have not noticed any inability to judge distance. I'm sticking with that.

 

[scottsdalecommuter]

Thank you, your post is very informative. I've looked at this issue for a while, although not to the depth that you have. I've seen the posts about blinking decreasing the driver's ability to judge distance, but always wondered whether the increased conspicuity (yes, great word!) outweighs the interference with judging distance. Read the dutch study, which did not answer this question. My solution has been, and still is, to rely on my own experience when I am driving a car: blinking lights on bikes get my attention far sooner than steady lights, and I have not noticed any inability to judge distance. I'm sticking with that.

Agree, as a driver I notice the blinking quicker even though it is slightly annoying. I do appreciate it catching my eye especially at dusk which is the hardest time to see bikes and usually around commute home time. Stay safe all!

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I think one of the reasons you aren't going to find a study that a blinky decreases the risk of accidents is that study would be a hard one to design and conduct, and there would be confounding factors that I suspect would be hard to eliminate.

That said, my own experiments have convinced me that a blinky is a good idea. In foggy raining conditions, and conditions with bright sky and dark ground, I can see a bike with a blinky about 2km away. In the same conditions without a blinky the bike is invisible until I am much, much closer. Sometimes to within a hundred yards or so -- which is uncomfortably close to the reaction time + stopping distance of most drivers at highway speeds.

Brightly colored clothing, safety flags, and the like helped but were nowhere near as effective as a blinky and making a cyclist visible.

I'd argue strongly that you want to be seen as far away in poor conditions as reasonably possible, because the greater a distance you can be seen translates to more time for a possibly distracted driver to notice you and give you a respectful amount of space.

I've also noticed that if I am wearing a GoPro on a helmet motorists are much more respectful, which argues to me that the issue is not distracted or clueless drivers but rather drivers who don't give a rip about murdering cyclists if they can get away with it.

 

[indianajo]

I make my rear light blink. I think the reason motorcycles are invisible (news story yesterday on WAVG-TV) is that a single light gets blanked out as a porch light. IE a stationary object. SIngle lights are everywhere, mostly non-threatening.
Per the motorists with bad intent post 32, Louisville had a bicyclist killed riding on the parking lane of I264 last week. A vehicle swerved right onto parking lane and went right over him/her. Another car caught it on dash cam. Having a motorist in prison for murder by auto doesn't bring the cyclist back.

 

[Calcoaster]

My Garmin Varia radar tail light is the best accessory I’ve bought for a bike. It has been 100% reliable and my Garmin computer turns it on and off for me when I start and end a ride. I don’t get false positives, sometimes it picks up a car in the other lane that isn’t a threat, but I’d rather have that than to miss one. If a vehicle behind me is pacing me at the same speed as me, it won‘t show up, but it wouldn’t be a threat in that case.

 

[indianajo]

My Garmin Varia radar tail light is the best accessory I’ve bought for a bike. I don’t get false positives, sometimes it picks up a car in the other lane that isn’t a threat, but I’d rather have that than to miss one.

My Varia warns me of trucks on Interstate 65 300'; to the left through a chain link fence. There is a truck every 5 seconds for about a half mile. It warns me of cars approaching a stop sigh on a cross street at a 90 degree vector I passed 3 blocks ago. It warns me of combines harvesting out in a field by the road. It is ****. Reliable taillight though.

 

[Deacon Blues]

What happens with the Garmin Varia, when you're riding on a road with a lot of traffic?

 

[m@Robertson]

I can't really see the justification for a blinky on a multi use path, honestly.

I don't use mine on paths if I can avoid it. Unfortunately though, a route that is half on and half off-path means I just let the things run.

The biggest, bestest illumination tricks I have in my arsenal are not taillights. I use COB (Chip On Board) LED strips that I have set up to shine straight down to the pavement. That effect bathes me in a halo of white light as I move down the street. It also lights up my bicycle frame like a billboard. It provides some level of illumination ahead of me, but thats not its job. You can see a muted version of the effect in these two shots but since its not fully dark you don't get the effect, which borders on astounding in pitch dark in an area with no streetlights.

Next is my reflective jacket. Picture this: A jacket that doesn't have a reflective strip on it... every bit of it is reflective, just like the strips. You become a beacon. I have had oncoming cars in a turn lane stop dead and just stare rather than turn in front of me, as well as drivers roll down their windows at intersections and exclaim how incredible the jacket is. Just a couple of days ago I got my first flat in a couple of years (loaded after a Costco run), and the buddy who drove a repair part to me said "When you said I couldn't miss you, you weren't kidding!" It was especially helpful as the raincoat version I wear breathes like a garbage bag, and so in really cold weather (it was below freezing after dark) it does a great job keeping me warm.

Pictures don't do it justice. It is a Proviz Reflect 360 rain jacket. Here's a review.

Proviz Reflect 360 Jacket

Comfortable commuter friendly jacket for those night time rides thanks to highly visible reflectivity

road.cc

 

[m@Robertson]

I've also noticed that if I am wearing a GoPro on a helmet motorists are much more respectful, which argues to me that the issue is not distracted or clueless drivers but rather drivers who don't give a rip about murdering cyclists if they can get away with it.

Yes. Big time! You can see an obvious camera high up on the green bike. Unfortunately I had no choice on the white one but to put the camera hanging down in the center due to the much smaller handlebars. I may change those bars for that specific reason.

I recently decided to add a rear-facing camera. Most of the reason is what you describe: People clearly take notice of the camera and adjust their attitude knowing it is there. In fact, the rear mount and camera are arriving some time today if Amazon is to be believed. I took this image from the product page for the mount:

That, with the operating camera's blinking red light, is going to be noticeable. Not from a distance, but the target audience is the driver who is near me and going city-street speeds that aren't a whole lot more than I am (speed limits in the Monterey and Pacific Grove area are all in the 25-30 mph range). Camera is an Akaso V50x I got on an Amazon lightning deal for US$79. Same model as I already have on the front.

 

[Calcoaster]

What happens, with the Garmin Varia, when you're riding on a road with a lot of traffic?

I am lucky to live where I am away from any congested area in ten minutes, then on rural highways and roads for the most part. In the most congested areas my Varia does pick up traffic that would not be a hazard. Even then I like that it shows the concentration of traffic and its relative distance from me. I imagine if one rides in heavy traffic with lots of cross streets and parallel traffic areas it would be less useful, but it works great for me. I use the second brightest random flash mode and I charge it along with my garmin computer and polar heart rate monitor after 10 hours or so of use.

 

[sc00ter]

I loaned someone my electric kick scooter for awhile and they got me this as a thank you. The headlight is great quality. The remote seems well made and the tail light does cop lights!