I Feel Invisible

Sure, I have a higher powered headlight and a blinking red rear light. BUT, motorists still seem to be blind and oddly, driving too fast down narrow streets in pitch black darkness. The last week+ has been a bit unnerving. Anyone else experiencing night blind motorists and less safe conditions since the time change?

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Permalink Reply by Alex Z on November 14, 2018 at 7:25am

I have NOT noticed as much, but I feel your pain. One wonders if we can hope to see dramatic change in our lifetime or if our streets will continue to be populated with reckless motorists.

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Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on November 14, 2018 at 8:03am

Do you wear safety yellow at night, either a vest or jacket? I've been wearing it for over a year now around the clock, and it seems to help for the most part. Of course there are a handful of clueless idiots out there that can't see beyond the hood of their vehicles.

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Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on November 14, 2018 at 8:05am

I have a bright bike backpack with a reflector strip on it.

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on November 14, 2018 at 9:51am

Maybe if cyclists looked more like smartphones, drivers would notice us better.

They are looking down at theirs anyway.

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Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on November 14, 2018 at 5:52pm

This is hilarious: one message option looks like it ought to be

“if you can read this, you’re too close!”

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Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on November 14, 2018 at 5:55pm

I hadn’t connected it to the time change, but i notice people seeming more oblivious every year when the weather turns cold, and the last week has been typical that way, yeah. :P

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Permalink Reply by Dave Jacque on November 15, 2018 at 3:27am

Seems to me that a lot of drivers are staring down at the road about 10 feet in front of their vehicles, oblivious to anything farther ahead or to the sides. Surprise! Where'd that bike come from!?

That might be due to the time change and having to re-familiarize themselves with driving in the dark. Or, yes, they're tapping away on their phones. That LOL isn't going to send itself, right?

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Permalink Reply by Nora FW on November 15, 2018 at 8:41am

I was behind a guy in a Proviz Reflect360 jacket last night on my commute home and wow was he bright. I'd been considering one before and seeing how well his seemed to work may have convinced me. I wish I'd had a chance to ask him how he liked it as a jacket.

I checked out my GoPro recording and conveniently there's a place where he was next to someone wearing safety yellow, he's that big bright spot. It helps that he didn't have a backpack covering any of the jacket though. Bonus Via delivery driver in the bollard-protected bike lane.