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Bickering about bicycles, now with occasional tips about motorised vehicles
The Seldom Killer:
Just a comment on that then.
http://road.cc/content/news/95353-study-says-cyclists-should-make-themselves-seen-reflective-clothing-not-hi-vis
The highlight from that is that is hi vis is not really effective at night. Retro-reflective, like the piping and flashing on my otherwise non hi vis jerseys and jackets is what really works. Also, in urban environment, moving hi viz lacks the consistent contrast to really distinguish a rider from their background. Out in the country, hi vis orange trumps hi vis yellow although all this is trumped by a pale blue. Riding defensively and out in the middle of the lane is commonly the easiest way to get noticed by drivers, both on the same road or junctioning on to your road.
Flashing lights are generally good but again experience visibility issues in urban environments over rural. Flashing lights also make it harder for a driver to gauge distance and closing speed. They also have issues with hypnotic disregard where a driver following them for a length of time stops really being able to pay attention to them.
Of course the other highlight from that article is that 61% of accidents on the road are attributable to driver inattention. Now obviously it's difficult from a scientific perspective to say that at any given time two thirds of drivers aren't paying sufficient attention to safely operate a motorised vehicle, but sometimes it really does feel that way.
As for me, I don't habitually wear hi vis. On the occasions that I have, I haven't noticed in difference in the behavior of adjacent motorised traffic. I'm also of the opinion that if it's legal for someone to do something (i.e. wear normal clothing while riding a bicycle), it shouldn't be unreasonable to expect people to do that. An expectation of wearing special clothing starts to be a barrier to people doing that thing which for day to day activities like riding a bicycle shouldn't be considered a reasonable expectation.
Dalillama:
--- Quote from: jwhouk on 11 Oct 2014, 17:58 ---Do you KNOW why we live "out in the middle of fricken nowhere"?
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT 2/3RDS OF THE COUNTRY IS.
--- End quote ---
But not, and this is rather the point I was getting at, 90% of the jobs, housing, amenities, etc. Those are all in cities. And if you want to enjoy those things and the bonuses of living in the country, via a long commute by automobile, then you're going to have to, essentially, pay extra. In the context of the discussion where you brought up living out in the boonies, you were complaining about someone's proposal to allow persons with lower qualifications to drive a class of small compacts. You complained that said compacts would not have the range you wanted, and wouldn't let you get to the city (although you were shown to be incorrect in this assertion). Under such a set of rules, though, you would simply have to meet higher qualifications to get licenced to drive the large cars you think you need and feel entitled to. That is simply the cost of trying to have it both ways.
--- Quote from: GarandMarine on 11 Oct 2014, 18:11 ---Spoken like a city slicker up there who'd never left the environs of the same.
--- End quote ---
No, seriously, I grew up halfway to the ass end of nowhere, and my husband's from all the way out in the asshole of nowhere. That doesn't take away even slightly from my actual points. Indeed, it reinforces them.
GarandMarine:
The better and more humanist solution is to do away with cities, they drain resources and generate nothing.
bhtooefr:
I'm gonna need citations for that assertion.
downtowneddie:
(Urban political scientist here.) Two books worth reading to shed some light on the city / urban vs rural debate, most likely available through your local public library or bookseller: 1. Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier by Edward Glaeser and 2. A Country of Cities: A Manifesto for an Urban America by Vishaan Chakrabarti. I have led urban-centric book club conversations using these two texts as our basis.
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