Copenhagen - Too Many Cyclists?

There a lots of perfectly adequate “be seen” bicycle blinkies that wouldn’t be noticeable in daylight.

what_the said :

The same reason it’s now compulsory on motorbikes, you can’t even switch them off and is part of ADRs – visibility. Not a real great stretch of logic I would have thought…

I’m not making any claims about whether they’re effective or not (the studies around seem to make the case for and against equally well), but daytime lights on motorcycles were only mandatory in Australia from 1992 to 1996; the ADR in 1996 rescinded this rule, and it has not been reinstated afaik

Grail said :

00davist said :

You’re one of those nuts who drives a dark or silver car in bad weather and dusk, with no lights, and only ever turns them on when they need them to see, right???

No, I’m one of those folks who rides a pushbike and wonders what difference it will make to ride with my lights on during the day. This is not dark cars in the evening, or motorbikes being run over by 4x4s we’re talking about. This is bicycles (relatively low speed traffic) on bike lanes or bike paths.

I already have a bell, and use it to warn pedestrians that I’m approaching. What benefit is having lights on going to provide?

The same reason it’s now compulsory on motorbikes, you can’t even switch them off and is part of ADRs – visibility. Not a real great stretch of logic I would have thought…

Grail said :

00davist said :

You’re one of those nuts who drives a dark or silver car in bad weather and dusk, with no lights, and only ever turns them on when they need them to see, right???

No, I’m one of those folks who rides a pushbike and wonders what difference it will make to ride with my lights on during the day. This is not dark cars in the evening, or motorbikes being run over by 4x4s we’re talking about. This is bicycles (relatively low speed traffic) on bike lanes or bike paths.

I already have a bell, and use it to warn pedestrians that I’m approaching. What benefit is having lights on going to provide?

Well as a driver I find cyclists with lights on much easier to see, even during daylight hours. There are things like shadows, sun glare, etc, which can impact on visibility.

Some drivers can’t seem to see an adult on a bike on the road directly in front of them in broad daylight. Cyclists shouldn’t HAVE to use lights in daylight – and forcing them to takes away the responsibility for drivers to stay awake.

Grail said :

00davist said :

You’re one of those nuts who drives a dark or silver car in bad weather and dusk, with no lights, and only ever turns them on when they need them to see, right???

No, I’m one of those folks who rides a pushbike and wonders what difference it will make to ride with my lights on during the day. This is not dark cars in the evening, or motorbikes being run over by 4x4s we’re talking about. This is bicycles (relatively low speed traffic) on bike lanes or bike paths.

I already have a bell, and use it to warn pedestrians that I’m approaching. What benefit is having lights on going to provide?

Motorcycles used to be required to have lights on all the time, but this was changed. I think because it was seen as ineffective in reducing accidents.

00davist said :

You’re one of those nuts who drives a dark or silver car in bad weather and dusk, with no lights, and only ever turns them on when they need them to see, right???

No, I’m one of those folks who rides a pushbike and wonders what difference it will make to ride with my lights on during the day. This is not dark cars in the evening, or motorbikes being run over by 4x4s we’re talking about. This is bicycles (relatively low speed traffic) on bike lanes or bike paths.

I already have a bell, and use it to warn pedestrians that I’m approaching. What benefit is having lights on going to provide?

Copenhagen is nirvana for cyclists. I remember riding around and being amazed at the sheer number of bicycles in that wonderful city. I went to a concert and there was a bicycle parking lot the size of a carpark filled. The city does have hills, some urban spread and chilly weather just like Canberra. The bikes really take a priority over cars in urban planning and the city is so much the better for it.

It’s much easier to keep building cycling facilities in Canberra now rather than wait until we get a lot bigger. Big cities that have outgrown the car such as London face a challenge adding cycling facilities.

Another factor, going into the future, will be the profusion of electric bikes. As much as they annoy us cycling purists, the reailty is that electric bikes are growing in popularity and need to be considered in planning.

Grail said :

darkmilk said :

Mirrors and lights (daytime) should be mandatory on bikes to use these lanes too.

What benefit do you expect to gain from bicycles having lights on during the day?

WOW, that question still needs to be asked?

You’re one of those nuts who drives a dark or silver car in bad weather and dusk, with no lights, and only ever turns them on when they need them to see, right???

I find the difference between the peak hour and non-peak hour trip between Deakin and Wanni is negligible, so I stick with the status quo despite there being a very high likelihood that my office would be perfectly happy for me to adjust my hours.