If hi-vis jacket/vests are made compulsory, will you comply?

[Berries]

Choice!

My vest has worked 189,043 times in the last three years.

That's how many cars have gone past me without hitting me so far...

You should get off your 6L and ride at normal speeds then. Nothing worse than bikes holding up traffic.

[Ocean1]

Would they be legal in Wanganui???!?!?!?

A(h)s l(h)ong a(h)s t(h)hey w(h)eren't o(h)n a(h) g(h)ang p(h)atch.

[Hitcher]

I think that the biggest problem with hi viz jackets is that people who wear them think that these make them more visible and ride accordingly. Hi viz jackets do little to improve a rider's visual impact. Most bikes obscure most of what a rider wears, and I've seen many riders wearing backpacks over their hi viz gear, completely negating its impact. The most effective thing a rider could do to improve their visual impact would be to ride naked. And that would only work until all bikers rode naked.

[Smifffy]

I think that the biggest problem with hi viz jackets is that people who wear them think that these make them more visible and ride accordingly. Hi viz jackets do little to improve a rider's visual impact. Most bikes obscure most of what a rider wears, and I've seen many riders wearing backpacks over their hi viz gear, completely negating its impact. The most effective thing a rider could do to improve their visual impact would be to ride naked. And that would only work until all bikers rode naked.

[ac3_snow]

I'l wear a hi vis if and when, any driver who has been in any sort of accident in the last 5-10 years has a bright yellow hi vis stripe painted right around and over the top of their car.

sounds fair?


edit: I'm not disagreeing with hi vis vest as such I think they serve a great purpose, I am however disagreeing with them being compulsory.

[jafar]

I SEE constantly bikers (pedal power) at between 6am and 7am... on the road, with NOTHING ...no lights, no viz... zip.

I see them earlier than that, nearly nailed one just last week on the main highway just south of hamihole

You want to be seen then drive a friggen truck its the only thing that seems to work these days.

Car drivers can't see those either, you'd think a nice BIG white truck with a 15 metre long trailer & lit up like a xmas tree would be seen aye. You would be WRONG

Its all about too many bad drivers / riders!

[Swoop]

Reflective patches - Fuck yeah!!

Now the is a conundrum for the paper-pushers and lawyers.
A reflective patch that would be required to be worn by law, that is illegal to wear in Wanganui.
I can hear the lawyer's cash register ringing already.

[Ocean1]

And that would only work until all bikers rode naked.

Oh I duno, a finer body of dudes/dudets is hard imagine, well worth a second look.

[R-Soul]

Car drivers can't see those either, you'd think a nice BIG white truck with a 15 metre long trailer & lit up like a xmas tree would be seen aye. You would be WRONG

Yup, as pointed out on the other thread, cars manage to "not see" 1000 ton freight trains coloured red and bright yellow, with about 1300 Watts of lighting on the front, with a hooter close to the strength of a ship's foghorn, moving on a set track, and going a lot slower than us.

If they are not going to see this, they are not going to see us. End of.

We have to rely on our own wits and nous alone - the quicker we learn t pick up tehtell tale signs of a dumbass driver, the better. Look for erratic driving, swerving, indicators being pit on and off again, front wheel movement, and ride like they are trying to kill you. Give all cars LOTS of space.

[mattian]

I know high viz works well in certain conditions. I didn't just "imagine" it one day, I learned it from experience. Sitting at the lights, rush hour traffic, middle of winter around 6.00am. Pitch black. Traffic starts moving, and suddenly, theres another biker behind me. Could barely make him out at all. Covered head to toe in black. Only reason I knew he was there is because I could pick out his headlight out of all the other headlights around me......only just.
It dawned on me. This is exactly how I must appear to other road users at this time of morning. It put the shits up me just how much I just couldnt see him properly.

[steve_t]

I know high viz works well in certain conditions. I didn't just "imagine" it one day, I learned it from experience. Sitting at the lights, rush hour traffic, middle of winter around 6.00am. Pitch black. Traffic starts moving, and suddenly, theres another biker behind me. Could barely make him out at all. Covered head to toe in black. Only reason I knew he was there is because I could pick out his headlight out of all the other headlights around me......only just.
It dawned on me. This is exactly how I must appear to other road users at this time of morning. It put the shits up me just how much I just couldnt see him properly.

Was there another biker with hi vis on next to him that you could compare visibility to?

[mattian]

Was there another biker with hi vis on next to him that you could compare visibility to?

Admittedly, there was not. You do make a good point.

[vifferman]

I know from first hand experience that they don't make a difference.
I was wearing a full on big orange construction jacket on the bike over my bike jacket 'cos it was raining and I thought this big fuck off jacket would not only keep the rain off on the way to work but also that it would make me more visible. Apparently not.

No.
On the Mrkn VFR forum there's a Police Oroficer who was almost taken out while wearing a full fluoro yellow suit. (Car bumped him, but he was unhurt).

[bogan]

anyone watch highway patrol? some plonker tried to run, top to toe in high vis, needless to say he didn't escape their attentions

[grbaker]

Won't make a jot of difference....

Real life example.. my ride a Suzuki GS1200SS has twin head lights and orange running lights always on.

On day I change to the left lane (slow rush hour traffic) get along side a Ford Serria (ugly thing) which flicks over to the left hand lane just as I am accelerating past the front fender. Result I scrap down her left hand fender.. almost no damage to the bike (keep it up-right too ).

We pull over.. first thing she says..."That is your fault." (err)
Second thing she says "Why does this keep happening to me..? I just got that fixed."


I can't say I saw her indicate or checked that she checked that there was a gap for her to move into... but there wasn't cos I was in it.. She didn't look, insurance company argued that too.

Damn if I'm gonna die wearing a gay glowy orange thing around me chest. Get f'd.