Uniform
The other day I was riding to work when I happened to notice the other people riding bicycles around me.
This was more of a coincidence than typical of what I see everyday. But I wondered- does not wearing a fluorescent uniform make a person stand out more?
I agree that people should wear whatever they want, but I also agree that all this hi-vis clothing is generally overkill and sends a message that bicycling is dangerous. I just bike in regular clothes and have good lighting on my bike, and I’ve never had a problem being seen. I wish more people felt that wearing regular clothes is enough and that they don’t need special gear to be safe.
Same thing could be said about helmets. It’s a personal choice, really. I typically don’t wear high-viz on the weekends as much as I do on my commutes. I think lane position has a much greater effect on being seen than does the color of clothing. Used together, though, can be highly effective. Please have a look at this video, lane control combined with high-vis. Note how the color stands out in the overcast conditions:
Hi-viz colors in bright daylight probably don’t do much. But in cloudy, overcast conditions, hi-viz absolutely stands out like a sore thumb. When overcast, light and contrast between objects and their colors are somewhat muted or reduced. Hi-viz works to increase the contrast between itself and the surroundings.
Conversely, hi-viz at night does absolutely nothing. At night or in low-light conditions, you need reflective/retroreflective stuff, not hi-viz colors.
Imagine the pickle one would be in if the weather changes during the day from bright and sunny to overcast to raining to night; should a cyclist be required to bring high-vis clothing, reflecto-clothing, and regular clothing, and change with the weather?
For me, if high-vis clothing “works” (makes me feel safer) only part of the time, but looks ridiculous all of the time, then it’s not worth my time to buy and use it. I’d rather make my bike as visible as possible (see my other comments here) and bike in regular clothing. I bike at all hours and in any kinds of weather. I’m not going to invest in that stuff if it only works under certain conditions.
I wear high-viz jerseys and jackets that also have reflective bits. Also I just got a new helmet a few weeks ago and went for the high-vis version, also with reflective elements. I personally don’t give a crap what other people think about the way it looks. And neither should you.
My hi viz has reflective stripes. Best of both worlds
FYI, PatrickGSR, the ridiculous look of high-vis gear isn’t what dissuades me from using it; it’s the fact that it works only some of the time, as you pointed out. For me, buying something that works only some of the time, under some conditions is pointless when I ride at any time, in any conditions. My own helmet has reflective bits, too, added by me, with the same reflective tape on my bike. I wore it regularly only in the depths of winter this year when the snow mountains around MA meant that I needed a helmet-mounted light to be seen.
It was an overcast/foggy morning a few days ago, so I turned on my front & back 5-LED blinking lights I got at Target for $15. Problem solved, no special clothing needed.
Road workers started wearing hi-viz clothing because they were always wandering around the road construction area and would occasionally pop out next to the highway rather unexpectedly, so extra safety gear was needed. But if you’re biking in a predictable fashion (going straight, in your lane, no visual obstacles), there’s no need for special clothing to make you more visible.
When I leave for work it is dark. When I ride home there are more cars. I want to be seen. On the weekends I dress differently.
I bike commute 25 miles from the suburbs and given that I can be riding around dawn or dusk and I think it’s imperative to be seen. My credo is be so visible (lights, bright clothing, reflectors) that either I get hit directly on purpose or completely avoided.
I don’t mind people who wear high-visibility clothing (reflective and/or day-glo colors) if it gets them riding and feeling safe on a bicycle; however, I’m under no illusion that any of that stuff makes one more visible or safe than retro-reflective paint/tape on the bike, reflectors, and bright lights. My riding “uniform” is whatever I pull out of my closet for the day. I prefer making the bike more visible because they’re more-or-less permanent additions. I don’t have to remember to wear specific clothing when going for a ride. The reflective tape stays on the bike 24/7 and needs only a quick wipe-down to remove grime every month or so. My bright lights make me much more visible than any reflecto-wear ever will, and work day or night, rain or shine (unlike the high-vis stuff).