19-01-12, 11:09 AM
Problem with claiming hi-viz is safer is that you will never know how many car drives have NOT pulled out in front of you because they have seen your hi-viz! If you are wearing hi-viz and 1 car pulls out on you, who is to say that 3 cars would not have pulled out on you if you had not been wearing it.
There is research (cannot find it now, but it was by a Uni in the States, Brown Uni I believe) that shows that there is a correlation to 'perceived' protection and faster driving. Put a bloke in a Mankini on a bike and he'll only ride fast enough to get away from his laughing mates. Dress same bloke in leathers, helmet, put foam on the outside of corners etc etc and he will ride faster. [the actual study was based on cars, but the pirnciple is the same]. Guess this could be taken to a rider in hi-viz will think he will be seen so will not react to the possibility of a car pulling out as readily (?).
I wear a hi-viz jacket in the winter for reasons that include the fact that the hi-viz can be cleaned/replaced a lot easier than an expensive set of textiles when it gets dirty. I don't wear it all year round and would object to being forced to wear one.
Finally, all that I have typed above (and most of the other replies for/against) do not seem to take into account that the French law is for REFELCTIVE clothing - not hi-viz. IMHO, reflective clothing does less than nothing during the day and lights (which most of us use at night) are better when it is dark. As refelective clothing only reflects lights, if a car pulling out from a side road there may be no light source for the reflective bit to reflect, so will not work.
There is research (cannot find it now, but it was by a Uni in the States, Brown Uni I believe) that shows that there is a correlation to 'perceived' protection and faster driving. Put a bloke in a Mankini on a bike and he'll only ride fast enough to get away from his laughing mates. Dress same bloke in leathers, helmet, put foam on the outside of corners etc etc and he will ride faster. [the actual study was based on cars, but the pirnciple is the same]. Guess this could be taken to a rider in hi-viz will think he will be seen so will not react to the possibility of a car pulling out as readily (?).
I wear a hi-viz jacket in the winter for reasons that include the fact that the hi-viz can be cleaned/replaced a lot easier than an expensive set of textiles when it gets dirty. I don't wear it all year round and would object to being forced to wear one.
Finally, all that I have typed above (and most of the other replies for/against) do not seem to take into account that the French law is for REFELCTIVE clothing - not hi-viz. IMHO, reflective clothing does less than nothing during the day and lights (which most of us use at night) are better when it is dark. As refelective clothing only reflects lights, if a car pulling out from a side road there may be no light source for the reflective bit to reflect, so will not work.