Date: 28-03-24  Time: 17:33 pm

Author Topic: Safety first... essential read  (Read 2254 times)

dickturpin

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Safety first... essential read
« on: 01 June 2019, 05:24:34 pm »
Safety first guys...I know the article linked below has been highlighted before but worth bringing to everyone's attention again...
https://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-pilot-teach-cyclists/
« Last Edit: 01 June 2019, 06:11:56 pm by BBROWN1664 »

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #1 on: 01 June 2019, 06:47:10 pm »
 One thing that concerns me is car manufactures obsession with touch screens, and loading them with more and more features.  To use a touch screen, you have to look at it, then with your finger bouncing about in a moving car you need to concentrate to hit the spot you want.  In other words take your eyes off the road.  Buttons and knobs that could be operated with out looking away from the road are now being replaced by these comprehensive touch screen interfaces.  I wonder how many serious accidents are now as a result of touch screen technology in cars.
 

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #2 on: 01 June 2019, 09:03:08 pm »
I've long thought that cars should have either Amazon echo or Google home type device built in. It would eliminate the need to touch any button at all while driving.
They could be a sensor that deactivated all buttons while the vehicle is in motion and then all features are voice controlled. Sat nav, radio, even lights could all be done with your voice instead of your fingers

midden

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #3 on: 01 June 2019, 09:12:38 pm »
I read this some years back and it explains well the effectiveness of flashing light. Unfortunately however I don't believe most cyclists with their annoying flashing lights really understand the reasoning for them,  I think they definitely started as a battery saving measure.



The flashing lights should by no means be a replacement for the solid state standard bicycle light,  the light which shows the bike to be a bike and also allows for speed and directional judgement for other road users including pedestrians.   

The flashing lights should be reasonably low down and pointing toward the road and not at oncoming drivers eyes.


Oh dear I've started lol   so I stop
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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #4 on: 02 June 2019, 01:05:14 am »
The problem with some of the flashing cycle lights is that they have a distinct "Off" period. This means that the eye can "lose" them in a saccade and then take a second to pick them back up again, by which time the cycle could have moved into a hazardous position.

When I bought my flashing lights I made sure they had a very rapid strobe to avoid this from happening.

midden

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #5 on: 02 June 2019, 04:54:50 am »
The problem with some of the flashing cycle lights is that they have a distinct "Off" period. This means that the eye can "lose" them in a saccade and then take a second to pick them back up again, by which time the cycle could have moved into a hazardous position.

When I bought my flashing lights I made sure they had a very rapid strobe to avoid this from happening.



Yes I've actually sat in traffic with lane bollards in place and noted how one cyclist's light was coincidently timed to flash at each bollard thus making itself invisible to me.
The answer though is not to go with these silly, strictly speaking illegal (should be no more than 3 flashes per second) and quite frankly dangerous strobing set ups. The answer is to have fitted to the front and back the standard solid state light with legal non offensive flashing light low down or even just below the solids.


Also further to this  where the fronts are concerned perhaps some of these flashers could go back to good old logic of defensive cycling and slowing down when crossing junctions or roundabouts instead of head and go, it's everyone else's responsibility to see me


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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #6 on: 02 June 2019, 10:56:41 am »
I was brought up to believe that any TV screen visible to the driver was illegal. Yet nowadays it is common to see cars driving along with smartphones stuck to the windscreen, often directly in the driver's sightline and often being "prodded" while the vehicle is in motion.
The sad fact to my mind is that legislation is required to educate drivers on this type of distraction.
Ever noticed in company that your friends become "deaf" while using their phones? The human brain, fantastic as it is, cannot cope with more than one high concentration task at once.
When mobiles first became commonplace I drove straight through a red light while chatting to a friend. I have never used a hand held phone in my car ever since.
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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #7 on: 02 June 2019, 07:09:09 pm »
often directly in the driver's sightline and




Yes  literally in in front of them,  it's almost like they believe in the force.   They are another kind of road moron

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #8 on: 03 June 2019, 12:38:28 pm »
The answer though is not to go with these silly, strictly speaking illegal (should be no more than 3 flashes per second)

Actually the law states 1-4 flashes per second (60 - 240 per minute), but I've seen some that go flash-flash-flash-off, flash-flash-flash-off which is even more stupid IMO!!

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #9 on: 03 June 2019, 01:39:43 pm »
I was brought up to believe that any TV screen visible to the driver was illegal. Yet nowadays it is common to see cars driving along with smartphones stuck to the windscreen, often directly in the driver's sightline and often being "prodded" while the vehicle is in motion.
Me too I remember when portable dvd players came out and migrated into cars and as you say you were not allowed to install them in the front. Fast forward to today and a stupit 7 inch wide sat nav slap bang in the drivers line of sight. Not only that - they also have a dash cam continually showing the lens view as they drive along - then they have also got all kinds of shit dangling off the rear view mirror, all that in a tiny little car with a very small window screen to start with.

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #10 on: 03 June 2019, 01:46:22 pm »
I've long thought that cars should have either Amazon echo or Google home type device built in. It would eliminate the need to touch any button at all while driving.
They could be a sensor that deactivated all buttons while the vehicle is in motion and then all features are voice controlled. Sat nav, radio, even lights could all be done with your voice instead of your fingers
Great idea. The one screen lcd dash thing is the stupidest- stupidest trend ever. To do any thing you have to "navagate" through pages to go from the radio to the air con and then tap tap tap up or down for the temp or radio sound. My car was the last in its model before they changed the dash to lcd and i know where the buttons are without having to look.   
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midden

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #11 on: 03 June 2019, 09:29:33 pm »
The answer though is not to go with these silly, strictly speaking illegal (should be no more than 3 flashes per second)

Actually the law states 1-4 flashes per second (60 - 240 per minute), but I've seen some that go flash-flash-flash-off, flash-flash-flash-off which is even more stupid IMO!!



Yes the ones with a long off are mind boggling stupid   as are the morons who ride with lamps bright enough to blind (atleast highly dazzle) in daylight.   
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dickturpin

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #12 on: 03 June 2019, 11:59:26 pm »
Interesting to read some of the responses here, I read the article and what stuck in my mind was how we don't see as we move our heads and the brain fills in the gaps. Whether on two wheels or in four I guess that's something we should all remember.🤔

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #13 on: 04 June 2019, 05:49:09 am »
Interesting to read some of the responses here, I read the article and what stuck in my mind was how we don't see as we move our heads and the brain fills in the gaps. Whether on two wheels or in four I guess that's something we should all remember.🤔



It's moving your head at with determination and speed.   One flaw in the flashing light theory is the more popular the flashing light becomes, the less the  brain will spot it as that changing feature  which alerts it mid motion.   I can't see a flashing bike light being effective down the Blackpool mile ;)
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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #14 on: 04 June 2019, 06:46:06 am »
Interesting to read some of the responses here, I read the article and what stuck in my mind was how we don't see as we move our heads and the brain fills in the gaps. Whether on two wheels or in four I guess that's something we should all remember.🤔



It's moving your head at with determination and speed.   One flaw in the flashing light theory is the more popular the flashing light becomes, the less the  brain will spot it as that changing feature  which alerts it mid motion.   I can't see a flashing bike light being effective down the Blackpool mile ;)


Wouldn't surprise me if Casino workers tend to block flashing lights out unintentionally too.
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midden

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #15 on: 04 June 2019, 02:54:52 pm »
There is also the trouble that when in traffic with a bike in front with only a flashing rear light I tend to find my head steering away from it as annoying rather than taking more care to look out for the bike with a solid state light.



As for the pavement wussies with flashing lights, what's that all about? making sure mum's with pushchairs see them in time to jump in the road out of their way.
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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #16 on: 04 June 2019, 04:28:37 pm »
What about a light that just dimmed, bright then dim but not off instead of flashed
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Grahamm

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #17 on: 04 June 2019, 09:36:21 pm »
There is also the trouble that when in traffic with a bike in front with only a flashing rear light I tend to find my head steering away from it as annoying rather than taking more care to look out for the bike with a solid state light.

Some years ago I was on the A32, southbound on a long straight section. I was lining up an overtake when I saw a bright light flashing ahead of me, coming in my direction.

Because it was a point source, I had no depth perception on it, so I had to back out of the overtake.

I waited and waited and eventually realised that it was a bicycle with a very bright flashing front light that had been at least a quarter of a mile ahead of me and I'd have had plenty of time to complete the overtake :(

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #18 on: 06 June 2019, 10:30:14 am »
All the science is all very well but motorcycles aren't pulling out on people left right and centre, I assume our eyes are the same as everyone else,s ..It comes down to how much it hurts when you get hit..so car drivers just aint careful enough

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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #19 on: 11 June 2019, 11:08:35 am »
IMHO it is also due to attitude. Most drivers approach hazards like junctions, traffic lights, roundabouts etc. with the intention of going. Personally I approach with the expectation of stopping?
The classic rear end shunt at roundabouts is an example of this flaw.
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Re: Safety first... essential read
« Reply #20 on: 11 June 2019, 11:19:46 am »
IMHO it is also due to attitude. Most drivers approach hazards like junctions, traffic lights, roundabouts etc. with the intention of going. Personally I approach with the expectation of stopping?
The classic rear end shunt at roundabouts is an example of this flaw.
Near me there is a big roundabout that they had put up wooden screens to block your view of the right on approach to the roundabout so you have to pretty much stop. But recently I have noticed that the screens have been taken down, I assume that it was causing more accidents than it was preventing.
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