Bright-as riding lights as well as your headlight helps with the visibility, especially if on of the riding lights 'jiggles' a bit!Do bear in mind those are all passive aids, not things to rely on. There are lots of positive actions you can take to ensure you can be seen and even more important, positive actions to take when you make the assumption that other road users may not see you despite all your efforts.
I also think there is some merit in our clothing having an impact on other road users actions.
I ride a big bike with lots of lights. I wear black gear with lots of reflective patches and flashes and a white helmet. The back of the bike has an auxillary tail and brake light. Also there is hatched reflective tape on the back of the top box. I am also the better part of 2m tall and 112kgs in my birthday suit.
The number of drivers who slow down when they see me, pull alongside me etc is quite funny at times, there is just enough about me and the bike to make them wonder if I am a patrol bike. It could be simply confirmation bias on my part of course.
Another decision I made was about hi viz vests. There are two hanging in my cupboard and they will likely stay there I spent a hell of a lot of money on gear that is guaranteed waterproof. Part of that is because the outer skin of the gear repels water and does not get saturated. If I were to put a hiz viz vest on it will not function like that and will get saturated in the wet. Come the hotter drier weather that same hi viz gear stops the venting system on my jacket working properly. Given how much of me is actually visible from the front and rear of the bike I have decided I am in fact safer being dry and warm or properly cooled than relying on some other muppet seeing me because I have a hi viz vest on. Instead I take positive actions to make myself seen and more importantly act as if I am not seen anyway.
There is a guy who has a blog/website called the Science of Being Seen, he came to Shiny Side Up last year and is coming this year. Check him out, he has a lot to say about being seen and its hard to argue with much of what he says.
Bookmarks