Beware unlit cyclists on Monday evening...
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
It's THIS weekend
(26 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
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Thanks for the reminder!
There are already plenty of unlit cyclists on Mayfield Road. I awarded the prize to the guy dressed in black, coasting unlit down the hill one-handed in the dark as he chatted in Spanish on his phone in the other hand. Seemed enviably laid back about it all.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Got a shock yesterday when I realised it was this weekend as I had it in my head that it was on the 31st this year!
Lots of unlit cyclists around at the moment, especially between 6am - 7am. Mind you, there seems to be a corresponding number of drivers who have failed to put their lights on or have a single sidelight working/on only. Last week I tried rapidly covering and uncovering my front light with my hand to attempt to 'flash' them before pointing at their lights and mouthing 'LIGHTS' - but not one took the hint. (More likely that they probably thought they'd encountered a raving lunatic on a bike...)
Posted 9 years ago # -
More likely that they probably thought they'd encountered a raving lunatic on a bike
I love playing the raving lunatic on a bike. Drivers give you a wide berth that way.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Mornings will be lighter (for a while anyway) so unlit at 7am should be okay again. It's the evening runs to watch out for. Luckily I am sorted :)
Posted 9 years ago # -
"More likely that they probably thought they'd encountered a raving lunatic on a bike..."
Maybe they rely on automatic sensors to switch their lights on when the manufacturers' sensor-calibration whims are satisfied, though I always assumed this was the reason why loads of cars' lights go on too soon, resulting in the reduced perceived visibility of unlighted cars in otherwise reasonable lighting conditions.
My wife's just bought her parents' old car off them - the 'new' one (though only two years newer than the old one) has sensor-based sidelight-and-wiper-activation options, to which I've still to find out how to restore manual control (if manual control is possible, seeing as there is only one control stalk). Fortunately it didn't rain on either journey last weekend when there was a bike rack in the way of the rear wiper, though perhaps it also has a bike-rack sensor. The lights were kicking in when going through tunnels of trees in full daylight.
Posted 9 years ago # -
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@trafficscotland: The clocks go back an hour at 2am, don't be this person! #dontforget #extrahourinbed https://t.co/egTswudN31
"
Posted 9 years ago # -
wingpig,
Day running lights on new cars have been mandatory in the UK since 2011.
I've got bike lights which turn on automatically.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Wee folding bike, check out my trip to the shut university cAfe on the spotted thread.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I was there on Thursday night. Gino rolled up in a '78 4.2 litre straight 6 Daimler. It had been his dad's. I was a little over come.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Glad to see some people have been using the extra hour well.
Never seen so many posts before '9' on a Sunday!
Posted 9 years ago # -
As posted a year ago -
"Beware unlit cyclists on Monday evening..."
Best not to be one of them.
Posted 8 years ago # -
There were a fair few out last night, wearing of course the idiots uniform of choice, ninja black (makes seeing signals difficult, man cycling up Yeoman Place at 8 pm with flashing red light on the front, no rear light).
Posted 8 years ago # -
Why is black the idiots' uniform? They're just clothes and there's no legal requirement for hi-viz. Have a go about lights, but let's not have a go at people in normal clothes.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I agree with mgj.
I also agree with Harts Cyclery.
My beef with people wearing ordinary clothes in the dark is that those clothes tend to be very light-absorbent, which means you rely on occultation of background light sources in order to see people. Places like the canal tow path make it especially difficult because there aren't many background light sources.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Police Scotland advice on (children) walking, copied from FB:
"
The clocks went back an hour last night, making it darker in the evenings. Keep your children safe when walking home from school by following this advice:- To be seen in the dark, it’s good to wear reflective clothing. This reflects light straight back at drivers so that they can see you.
Attach reflective items to school bags and/or jackets.- Cross the road at pedestrian crossings where possible. Before you step off the kerb at crossings, make sure any oncoming vehicles have come to a complete stop.
- Don’t cross the road when distracted, for example, while using your phone. Pay full attention.
- Remember, it’s harder for drivers to see you in the dark so give motorists plenty of time when you’re crossing the road.
- If walking when it’s dark, make sure someone knows where you’re going and when you expect to get to where you’re going.
"Posted 8 years ago # -
Because the police never victim-blame when it comes to road safety, obviously... Where's the advice for drivers when the clocks go back?
Drivers are responsible for LOOKING. No one is responsible for being seen - everyone is visible. If drivers think they might not see a pedestrian or cyclist, they need to slow down or stop until they are sure the way is clear. In any case, a cyclist with legal lights and reflectors is plain to see, regardless of what they're wearing
Posted 8 years ago # -
My Dad ran over a guy walking across a junction in black tie a few years back in Stockbridge at night, obviously. No harm done, he just bumped onto the bonnet and stood up. Guess who was 100% responsible for that?
If it's any consolation, they guy's belt (who wears a belt with black tie? I digress...) put a hefty scratch in my Dad's bonnet as well.
Posted 8 years ago # -
" Where's the advice for drivers when the clocks go back?"
here you go...
"
Evenings are set to get darker earlier as the clocks go back an hour tonight.If you're a driver, here's some advice on driving safely in the dark:
- Switch on lights as soon as it starts to get dark.
- In urban areas use dipped headlights. Use full beam on other roads at night but dip them when there is someone in front or coming towards you.
- Be aware that pedestrians are harder to spot in the dark and may not be visible until they are very close.
- Take care when driving near schools and in residential areas, where children may be walking and cycling. They are especially vulnerable as they are both hard to spot in the dark and may act unpredictably.Find out more on our website http://www.scotland.police.uk/…/road-saf…/winter-road-safety
"Posted 8 years ago # -
Our pedestrian children get 5 points, driver adults get 4. Yet it's the drivers that kill people. Seems a touch unbalanced, not to mention the rather fluffy language...
I hate how perverse 'road safety' is in this country.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Our pedestrian children get 5 points, driver adults get 4.
This is a rather simplistic criticism, no?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Perhaps. But the fact is that the level of advice (volume and content) is not commensurate with the threat they pose.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Its not about threat, its about actions cyclists can take to reduce the risks to themselves. Or is fitting a lock to your front door victim blaming?
its about signals not being able to be seen and lights on the wrong end of the bike, in yesterday's example. Yes, drivers have to look, but if its dark, cyclists in black are more difficult to see, particularly signals (his right turn was certainly not obvious from his road position in the door zone).
Posted 8 years ago # -
Thanks to the two cyclists I followed last night up the Water of Leith path who had very good front lights and lit the way ahead nicely.
The first overtook me where the canal joins the Water of Leith and I followed closely behind, before they turned off at Colinton Dell. The second I caught up around Woodhall and I followed until I turned off in Currie.
My commuter light didn't cut it. New "big" lights arriving this week.
Posted 8 years ago # -
It was surprisingly busy on the way home on the towpath last night, although I did leave a little earlier than usual. Most cyclists had lights, which were apparently far better than mine since I was overtaken by several! Fewer of the pedestrians had bothered with lighting or reflectives, and there were a few unlit cyclists who had presumably been caught out who were pushing their bikes.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Several properly-lighted people on the NEPN yesterday evening. Only three notable unshaped-beam-in-your-face people.
Posted 8 years ago #
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