On being safe, and visible - and a PLONKER!

**Fatt Max** · 19th November 2008, 11:46

With you on that one,

For some reason there is a woman in my street who high beams all the time, morning, noon and night. Might have to 'ave a word, know-wot-i-mean

**sunhuntin** · 19th November 2008, 11:55

i keep my high beam on mostly when riding through town, past schools that are going in/coming out and when on the open road. when following a bike, it gets dipped and stays there until that bike has gone again. it also gets dipped when its overcast or raining due to reflection off the road being a hazard to other drivers.

i have actually noticed that the high beam has saved my skin more than once. thats why i leave it on during "rush hour" traffic where visiblity in general is bad. makes me stand out just that little bit more and has stopped many a stop sign rolling vehicle in its tracks.

**slimjim** · 19th November 2008, 13:02

so if you were riding your bike....why the fuck didn't you slow enough to allow you to speak and mention that their light was on high and was causing a problem....many knock the switch housing with gloves or whatever the case is....but you just mainly rode on mutting and bitching yet did "what".

**vifferman** · 19th November 2008, 13:07

Originally Posted by sunhuntin

i have actually noticed that the high beam has saved my skin more than once. thats why i leave it on during "rush hour" traffic where visiblity in general is bad. makes me stand out just that little bit more and has stopped many a stop sign rolling vehicle in its tracks.

But how would you know? There is no way to prove that having it on high beam was any more effective than having it on dipped. Even if the person had said, "OMIGOD thank goodness you had your light on high otherwise I would've run you over!" it wouldn't be proof of that.
There might be purely anecdotal 'evidence' that you noticed more near misses when your light was dipped than when it was on full, but that doesn't take into account that it might just be that there were more tards out'n'about at that time.
What you're really saying in effect is that having your light on full makes you feel safer because you're doing something to increase your visibility.
Perversely, sometimes feeling safer makes you less safe, as you subconsciously rely on your "safety blanket".
Having a glarey annoying headlight may well get you noticed more by virtue of being "in your face" to other motorists, but it's illegal and as others have said, makes it hard for people to see clearly, let alone judge how far away you are or how fast you're traveling.

**vifferman** · 19th November 2008, 13:15

Originally Posted by slimjim

so if you were riding your bike....why the fuck didn't you slow enough to allow you to speak and mention that their light was on high and was causing a problem....many knock the switch housing with gloves or whatever the case is....but you just mainly rode on mutting and bitching yet did "what".

Sounds good in practice, but it's not that easy in D'Auckland's "rush" hour traffic. The best I would've been able to achieve would have been to pull over, then follow the miscreant to their place of employment. At the time, although I did consider motioning to them, I was too busy concentrating on riding and getting to work on time. I was actually going to let him/her go past and follow, but they turned off and I couldn't be bothered doing a u-turn and seeing where they went.
Besides, it's not the KB thing to do summat practical: you're supposed to come on here, post some drivel, and wait for the CyberGodz to conflab with the BikerGodz and come to some arrangement between themselves.

**slimjim** · 19th November 2008, 13:39

dude... some people don't always realize that they are causing a problem...cause noone tells them that they are...pity you were hard out looking ahead...may very well helped another biker in allowing knowledge that high beam aren't so bright...lol

**dipshit** · 19th November 2008, 13:45

Originally Posted by sunhuntin

when following a bike, it gets dipped and stays there until that bike has gone again.

So if you realise it is annoying for other motorcyclists - then why do you feel it is okay to annoy other road users?

**vifferman** · 19th November 2008, 13:51

Originally Posted by slimjim

dude... some people don't always realize that they are causing a problem...cause noone tells them that they are...pity you were hard out looking ahead...may very well helped another biker in allowing knowledge that high beam aren't so bright...lol

Yeah...
My bad...

Should I hunt them down after work?

**Jacko2** · 19th November 2008, 16:08

Haven't read whole thread but, I find I can't see anything behind a bike with lights on full.

**vifferman** · 19th November 2008, 16:12

Originally Posted by Jacko2

Haven't read whole thread but, I find I can't see anything behind a bike with lights on full.

Hmmm... had to read this a few times, coz it sounded like you were talking about following a bike with its lights on full. Then I clicked - you mean, if a bike with its lights on full is approaching, you can't see what's behind it, due to the bedazzlement? It's almost like mobile sunstrike, innit?

**Jacko2** · 19th November 2008, 16:15

Yeah, when I've had a bike following me with lights on full, can't see f/all behind that bike.
I find I like to know what's going on behind as well as in front.

**vifferman** · 19th November 2008, 16:18

Oh, I see.
I just found it really fucking annoying, as even without looking in my mirrors, I was getting bright flashes in my eyes, which meant it was hard seeing where I was going.. I had to move my body and arms a bit to try to block it. Then I had the cunning idea of slipping a car between us by zipping in front of one, but that only lasted about a minute before it turned off.

**Jacko2** · 19th November 2008, 16:31

Ah! a not so 'cunning plan' haha

**McJim** · 19th November 2008, 16:34

A very bright light also destroys the human brain's ability to perceive distance therefore other road users will have no idea how fast the rider is travelling. Therefore high beam will probably cause more accidents and near misses - not less.

Darwin should sort the problem out in due course.