5 ms·

5. Biker not using lights at night "because they are in a bike lane".

by rjsw 11y ago

monksy 11y ago
I never considered the usage of lights, because I've never seen them used in Chicago.
- strictnein 11y ago
  Really? That's surprising. They're widely used in Minneapolis.
  - monksy 11y ago
    My suspicion is that its due to all of the streetlights in Chicago.
panglott 11y ago
Bike lights are far more important safety gear than a helmet is. But not having a helmet attracts more negative attention than not having lights does.
- maccard 11y ago
  That depends on where you are. I was stopped at 5am one morning cycling across Dublin city (my light died on the way) by the police.
- Eric_WVGG 11y ago
  I used to consider lights “optional,” but since bicycling has grown in popularity, I have observed more lightless riders — or failed to observe, rather — and now quite agree. I’m amazed that I got away with riding effectively invisible, with no incidents, for as long as I did. Now I’m baffled by the fact that lights aren’t built into the frames of all non-competitive road bikes…
  - mcv 11y ago
    They are standard on all Dutch bikes. Is that not true in other countries? Bikes without lights, rear reflectors and reflectors on the wheels or tires are far, far more dangerous than not wearing a helmet.
    - panglott 11y ago
      Reflectors are standard in the US, I think, but not lights. Reflectors are in no way enough.
      - mcv 11y ago
        You are right, just reflectors is not enough (though tire reflectors are amazingly effective for traffic coming from the side). Lights really should be standard.
- umanwizard 11y ago
  Is this true? I assume anyone riding without lights at night is a gigantic moron. I barely notice people not wearing helmets, which is much more common (sadly, they are both fairly common).
  - apendleton 11y ago
    Among cyclists, not having a light gets noticed, but the non-cyclist narrative about crashes in, say, a newspaper, is almost always "X was/was not wearing a helmet" and almost never "X was riding without lights in the dark."
- mcv 11y ago
  > But not having a helmet attracts more negative attention than not having lights does. Not true. At least not universally. It all depends on how many and what kind of idiots live where you bike.
Mithaldu 11y ago
And police doesn't stop and ticket for that?
- monksy 11y ago
  Police RARELY ever ticket bikers. I've seen it only happen once, it was so surprising to the biker: the cop had to cut him off because he wouldn't pull over.
  - JoeAltmaier 11y ago
    We had a crowd of a dozen get tickets for blowing through a stop sign. Its embarrassing to responsible cyclists when clubs get an arrogant crew, above the rules of safety.
  - Mithaldu 11y ago
    That is completely insane. Here in Germany cops will intentionally park themselves in the winter season on paths popular for kids to get to school to stop them and give them a talking-to if they rolled through without lights on. And adults without working lights will get ticketed, as well for much smaller offenses. (I once got ticketed for heaving radio ear plugs in on both sides.)
    - mcv 11y ago
      In Amsterdam, cops regularly organize a big light check point where they stop all bikers without lights, and let them choose between a stiff fine or buying (much cheaper) lights right there. Most people choose the lights, which goes a long way towards solving the problem.
- panglott 11y ago
  Traffic policing in the US is insane in general. Everyone driving takes the speed limit as a speed minimum that should be exceeded by 10-15 mph, and everyone runs red lights all the time (the drivers try to make the light and fail, while the cyclists at least stop to check and make sure there's no ongoing traffic). It seems like police almost totally ignore cyclists, unless an individual cop wants to harass someone for being on the road at all. In Louisville, when the police show up at an auto-bike collision, they think they cannot cite a driver unless they personally witness the accident, no matter how egregious or reckless the accident. http://bicyclingforlouisville.blogspot.com/2009/02/tour-de-frankfort-stage-1-results.html http://bicyclingforlouisville.blogspot.com/2009/02/tour-de-f...
lorenzhs 11y ago
Lights are mandatory in Germany. Every bike needs to have them installed to be road legal, even if it's only used during the day. (There are some exceptions for racing bikes)
- mcv 11y ago
  Lights are also mandatory in Netherland (at night, at least). That doesn't mean everybody actually has them.

5. Biker not using lights at night "because they are in a bike lane".

by rjsw 11y ago

5. Biker not using lights at night "because they are in a bike lane".

monksy 11y ago

I never considered the usage of lights, because I've never seen them used in Chicago.

strictnein 11y ago
Really? That's surprising. They're widely used in Minneapolis.
- monksy 11y ago
  My suspicion is that its due to all of the streetlights in Chicago.

panglott 11y ago

Bike lights are far more important safety gear than a helmet is. But not having a helmet attracts more negative attention than not having lights does.

maccard 11y ago
That depends on where you are. I was stopped at 5am one morning cycling across Dublin city (my light died on the way) by the police.
Eric_WVGG 11y ago
I used to consider lights “optional,” but since bicycling has grown in popularity, I have observed more lightless riders — or failed to observe, rather — and now quite agree. I’m amazed that I got away with riding effectively invisible, with no incidents, for as long as I did. Now I’m baffled by the fact that lights aren’t built into the frames of all non-competitive road bikes…
- mcv 11y ago
  They are standard on all Dutch bikes. Is that not true in other countries? Bikes without lights, rear reflectors and reflectors on the wheels or tires are far, far more dangerous than not wearing a helmet.
  - panglott 11y ago
    Reflectors are standard in the US, I think, but not lights. Reflectors are in no way enough.
    - mcv 11y ago
      You are right, just reflectors is not enough (though tire reflectors are amazingly effective for traffic coming from the side). Lights really should be standard.
umanwizard 11y ago
Is this true? I assume anyone riding without lights at night is a gigantic moron. I barely notice people not wearing helmets, which is much more common (sadly, they are both fairly common).
- apendleton 11y ago
  Among cyclists, not having a light gets noticed, but the non-cyclist narrative about crashes in, say, a newspaper, is almost always "X was/was not wearing a helmet" and almost never "X was riding without lights in the dark."
mcv 11y ago
> But not having a helmet attracts more negative attention than not having lights does. Not true. At least not universally. It all depends on how many and what kind of idiots live where you bike.

Mithaldu 11y ago

And police doesn't stop and ticket for that?

monksy 11y ago
Police RARELY ever ticket bikers. I've seen it only happen once, it was so surprising to the biker: the cop had to cut him off because he wouldn't pull over.
- JoeAltmaier 11y ago
  We had a crowd of a dozen get tickets for blowing through a stop sign. Its embarrassing to responsible cyclists when clubs get an arrogant crew, above the rules of safety.
- Mithaldu 11y ago
  That is completely insane. Here in Germany cops will intentionally park themselves in the winter season on paths popular for kids to get to school to stop them and give them a talking-to if they rolled through without lights on. And adults without working lights will get ticketed, as well for much smaller offenses. (I once got ticketed for heaving radio ear plugs in on both sides.)
  - mcv 11y ago
    In Amsterdam, cops regularly organize a big light check point where they stop all bikers without lights, and let them choose between a stiff fine or buying (much cheaper) lights right there. Most people choose the lights, which goes a long way towards solving the problem.
panglott 11y ago
Traffic policing in the US is insane in general. Everyone driving takes the speed limit as a speed minimum that should be exceeded by 10-15 mph, and everyone runs red lights all the time (the drivers try to make the light and fail, while the cyclists at least stop to check and make sure there's no ongoing traffic). It seems like police almost totally ignore cyclists, unless an individual cop wants to harass someone for being on the road at all. In Louisville, when the police show up at an auto-bike collision, they think they cannot cite a driver unless they personally witness the accident, no matter how egregious or reckless the accident. http://bicyclingforlouisville.blogspot.com/2009/02/tour-de-frankfort-stage-1-results.html http://bicyclingforlouisville.blogspot.com/2009/02/tour-de-f...

lorenzhs 11y ago

Lights are mandatory in Germany. Every bike needs to have them installed to be road legal, even if it's only used during the day. (There are some exceptions for racing bikes)

mcv 11y ago
Lights are also mandatory in Netherland (at night, at least). That doesn't mean everybody actually has them.