I use bright (static, non-flashing) lights for this reason. It's not that people cannot judge speed, but there seems to be an uncertainty principle at play tha

I use bright (static, non-flashing) lights for this reason. It's not that people cannot judge speed, but there seems to be an uncertainty principle at play that is created by the assumptions of the person. The key assumption is: "It's a bicycle and therefore moving at barely above walking speed.". So the 50ms glance is not repeated and no actual attempt is made to assess the speed (and direction - must be the predictable one parallel to the road!) of the cyclist. Using lights changes this. By making oneself more visible, even in bright daylight, to the point that the light catches the attention. Then the person looking will look for a longer period of time and get a sense of speed and direction. It's important not to use flashing lights as people tend to be crap at determining your location accurately and that throws off any calculation about speed and direction. As a cyclist the effect is very noticeable. Cars no longer pull out from side roads in my line of travel, and pedestrians wait where they previously would've thrown themselves into the road. I don't see why NY couldn't just mandate that all electric-assist bicycles be fitted with non-flashing lamps that must be permanently lit whilst the electric assist is activated.