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?
The problem is, in some states they want to pass laws to make dress code mandatory. E.g. there’s one such bill in California right now. The same one that would also make helmets mandatory (with $25 fine for not wearing it).
I’m advocate for helmet use and being visible. However, I don’t believe in making these things mandatory. Because making them mandatory makes about the same sense as making it mandatory for car drivers. They die of head injuries in car crashes every single day too, and often low visibility colors of cars are big factor in car crash happening in the first place.
Didn’t think of it like this way about cars but yeah totally true. Especially since a majority of cars come in darker colors and sometimes some drivers don’t realize their lights are not on during a gray and dark day 🙁
Yup. There’s 3 reasons why race car drivers are able to walk out of high speed crashes that would result in fatalities if they happened to “ordinary” drivers in “ordinary” cars:
1) five point harness
2) roll cage
3) helmet
If you think about it, traditional colors for race cars are bright (like yellow or bright red). Because it makes them more visible for spectators, but also because it adds a bit of additional safety.
You generally won’t see any of those made mandatory for cars, because of reasons of convenience and aesthetics. No mater how many lives it could save every single day. Yet when it comes to cyclists, people who didn’t ride bicycle since they were kids (and some not even then) are all full of good intentions when proposing making these same things mandatory for cyclists.
There was actually bill to outlaw black cars (I think in California?). However not for reasons of safety, but ecology (reasoning was that it would reduce use of air conditioning in cars, thus saving fuel). It was shot down.
Bills mandating daylight running lights for cars are shot down regularly too (though from time to time they do manage to get passed into law). Often citing reasons that they would “blind” oncoming traffic. Which is nonsense. If anybody has problem with daylight running lights being “blinding” during day (not to be confused with low-beam lights you turn on at night, daylight running lights that are always on are lower intensity than low-beams), he shouldn’t have drivers license in the first place. Or at least have restriction that he can operate car only during daylight. Because something is wrong with his vision.
Like Megan I live in Christchurch NZ. I wear fluero pink for that very reason. Also lights. I consider Lycra and fluero to be two different things. I don’t wear Lycra cycle clothing I wear my fluero vest over my regular clothes. I don’t arrive sweaty from a hard out ride. If I lived in a sleepy country village I might dress differently but personally I’d like to get home at the end of the day not end up in ED.
I’m a rock and metal fan. I’m NOT wearing yellow. Period.
Unless of course there will be law that ALL traffic should appear in fluorescent colors: pedestrians, motorcycles, cars, trucks, etc. Why should the bicyclists have to wear yellow, but cars can be black as ever?
Oh, my e-bike turns ist lights on automatically, so I’m never invisible.
I find it refreshing to see other women who wear non-biking clothes to bike! Personally, I think the biking attire is probably very practical and efficient, but I like riding to be part of my normal life – not something I necessarily have to suit up for. In addition to longer distances on trails or roads, I also like to ride for leisure – to the post office or grocery store, or around my neighborhood. A friend of mine who rides in the high-viz, high-tech clothing won’t ride along with me on the more leisurely rides because he says it’s “not worth the trouble of getting into Spandex if it isn’t 50 miles or more.” That’s kinda sad. Riding should be for fun as much as it is for fitness and competition.