The Wall Street Journal’s July 1 article “How Cyclists Can Stay Safe on the Road” reported on recent research conducted by a Clemson University professor into how conspicuous certain apparel makes cyclists during daytime riding, and how conspicuous are tail lights during daytime riding.
The findings, planned to be submitted this summer to academic journals, according to the article, should be of great interest to safety-conscious roadies and other cyclists who ride during the day.
And they may lead to faster adoption of growing visibility trends in cycling apparel and lighting. (Some companies, including Trek and Pearl Izumi, already advocate lighting and apparel that follows earlier, similar research. And visibility has been a catchword among apparel makers for the past couple of years, at least.)
Rick Tyrrell, Ph.D., is a psychology professor who specializes in research “to improve our understanding of human visual capabilities and limitations” in an effort to “reduce societal problems that result from visual limitations.”
He and his team conducted two studies, both partially funded by Trek Bicycle Corp., titled: “An open-road study of the conspicuity benefits of bicyclist apparel in daylight.” And “An open-road study of the conspicuity of bicycle taillights in daylight.”
Experiment One: How Conspicuous is Certain Apparel?
In the first experiment, according to the WSJ article, 186 college students were separately driven on a route lasting 15 minutes and were asked to push a button each time they “were confident that they saw a cyclist.”
Somewhere on the route, the researchers had placed a stationary bicycle, with a rider wearing “one of four combinations of clothes, from all-black to nearly all-fluorescent yellow.”
To summarize the findings, according to the article: “…the fluorescent jersey didn’t make the cyclist significantly more recognizable as a cyclist than a black jersey. When the cyclist wore fluorescent leg coverings, however, observers recognized he was a cyclist more than three times farther away on average than when he work black leggings and a fluorescent jersey.”
“Humans are really good at recognizing other humans,” Dr. Tyrrell said.
The upshot is that, because of the fluorescent yellow being worn on the legs, which when pedaling a bike churn in a very obvious motion that humans easily recognize, the wearer is more readily identified as a cyclist.
It’s the key difference between a bright color being worn “statically” on the torso, for example, which moves very little when riding a bike, and that same bright color being worn “actively” on the legs, which are nearly constantly in motion when riding.
Experiment Two: How Conspicuous are Tail Lights?
It turns out, that same static-vs.-active dynamic holds when it comes to tail lights, according to the second of Dr. Tyrrell’s experiments.
This time, the researchers found, during the day, “that from a distance of 200 meters…a flashing tail light is significantly more conspicuous than an always-on tail light, which in turn is significantly more conspicuous than” no tail light at all.
But they discovered a type of light even more conspicuous — a solid (always-on) light attached to the back of each ankle. The researchers rigged their own custom ankle-strap lights for the experiment.
As a kicker, the WSJ article reported on a year-long cycling experiment in Denmark among 4,000 cyclists, which found “that those who used front and rear daytime running lights had 19% fewer crashes that caused injury than those in a control group.”
NEXT WEEK: AN RBR FAVORITES ARTICLE ON OUR FAVORITE LIGHTS
What Does All This Mean for Roadies?
If you’ve been a long-time RBR reader, you know that this topic is something I’m passionate about. I wrote Why Not Lights? a couple of years ago, some three years into using full-time flashers myself. In that piece, I made at least a couple of arguments (and cited my own anecdotal evidence) that these studies bear out. Namely, that a flashing rear light makes you more visible sooner to approaching drivers, and that static colorful clothing is not the panacea some make it out to be.
I urge you to read it (or re-read) that article, and I urge you to take heed of the findings of these studies.
They seem to me to clearly indicate that:
- Running full-time lights is safer than no lights at all.
- A flashing tail light is safer than a steady (always-on) tail light.
- A steady light worn on your ankle or heel makes you even more conspicuous.
- Colorful (and fluorescent) clothing is fine for the torso, but even better at letting drivers know you’re a cyclist if worn on your legs.
Assuming these studies (and others like them) continue to gain traction among cycling company’s apparel and lighting divisions, I wouldn’t be surprised to see an even greater push into colorful or fluorescent socks, leggings, and such elements as cuffs on shorts becoming much more commonplace. Likewise, I would not be surprised to see new ankle-strap lights or socks with built in lights. (Heck, I’ve had a pair of SealSkinz boot covers with built-in lights for a couple of years now. And there are numerous jackets on the market with built-in lights.)
I myself will continue to run my See.Sense Icon flashers (click to read my review) front and rear on every single ride. I will also look into what’s available in more colorful socks. I’ve long been a fan of less-colorful, mostly black socks. But I’ve also believed in doing whatever I can to stay as safe as possible on the road. If that means wearing some verging-on-garish socks, so be it.
I think all of this is fascinating and just sort of proves that (like many things) there’s no single 100% solution – but a combination of “right things” is the best approach.
What This Does Not Mean for Roadies
First, I do hope nobody “reads into” this that there’s zero difference between colorful kits and all-black kits. The research didn’t say that. Again, it’s the “static” nature of any color worn on our torso – which we try to keep as motionless as possible – that the researchers were keying on. I do believe colorful, and neon, is more visible in some instances, but it alone is not a panacea.
I also hope none of us roadies loses sight of the fact that distracted driving is the No. 1 most important safety issue of our time. No matter what we do to make ourselves more visible, if a driver is distracted (while texting, using an app, reading email, etc.), we are at risk. So in whatever ways we can support anti-distracted driving measures, we must continue that charge, individually and as a group, and at all levels of government.
I love my bright yellow/green socks! I also wear my flashing taillight on my helmet that offers some movement and places the light in a taller position which is necessary in the city. I will consider smaller taillights for the ankles. Keep the data coming John.
Agree. I am running See.Sense front and rear lights and anecdotally find that drivers give me more space and wait for me to pass instead of turning left in front of me. I run them in strobe mode whenever I’m rolling (more than 20 hours of run time before needing a charge). Those of us of a certain age will undoubtedly remember those ankle lights (red rear, white front) that took 2 C-cell batteries. It seems like the best path forward is vibrant heel colors for bike shoes. Whether you wear socks or not, or leg covers, everyone wears shoes and most wear some type of bike shoe. Making the heels more reflective and colorful would be a significant factor.
A study done some +/- 25 years ago by the Transportation and Road Research Laboratory in the UK examined the conspicuity of bicycles at night, and came up with a similar conclusion. Pedal reflectors were found to be far more effective than any fixed light, reflector or reflective clothing in identifying the bicycle to a vehicle approaching from behind.
I subscribed to the slow pulse mode ( as opposed to flashing mode ) for tail lights, because visually, the pulse mode replicates the brightening effect that occurs when a motor vehicle’s brake lights brighten under braking conditions. And the pulse mode allows continuous visual tracking, since partial illumination alternates with full brightness.
I used to train and commute in the pre-dawn hours, and in addition to lights, I had two very reflective velcro bands (that I bought at REI) fastened around my ankles. I think they were marketed for runners for wrists or ankles. I bought them because I had always noted that pedal reflectors would catch my eye and I figured they would be as effective or even more effective than pedal reflectors since they’d reflect from more angles. And my Look pedals didn’t have reflectors.
Makes me feel better about my bright yellow mavic road shoes!
The study seems very flawed IMO. “186 college students were separately driven on a route lasting 15 minutes and were asked to push a button each time they “were confident that they saw a cyclist.”
We don’t need to be “identified as a cyclist”. Rather we need to be seen! Period. They don’t even need to know we are a human, but rather “something” in the road or on the shoulder that they need to pay attention to.
I’m not even sure about that. If a distracted driver sees you at the last minute and you’re wearing bright colors, is he more likely to do something unpredictable and hit you as the result? After riding for 40 years, I’ve only found one thing. If you run bright enough flashers ‘some’ drivers will give you a little more room. My clothing color just doesn’t seem to matter, although I do wear reflective anklets after dark because they move up and down. Now there’s the rub, the drivers that give me more room we’re already paying attention just like these students, and i really had nothing to fear from those drivers. The rest fell into the inattentive/belligerent category.
Yes, I am tired of taking responsibility for my safety against the poor driving habits of motorists. The difference in these site distances wouldn’t even be a consideration if urban speed limits were more reasonable, laws were better enforced and people were genuinely in danger of losing their lisc.’s. You cannot cross most communities one minute faster at 45 than at 35. The odds of surviving a collision with a motorist go from 15% to 85% (NTSB). Is it really worth risking the lives of others to save a minute? We need to stop making it safer for motorists to crash and make our streets safer for everyone.
I am very most in favor of both head and tail lights, I use the strobe method on both and encourage everyone I ride with to get on board with lighting.
Stick-on reflective material can be placed on both crank arms, front and rear facing, so that the “up & down” of the crank arms causes a movement to catch attention. It also means I don’t have to find special shoes and socks or pants. They wear out, but they are also easy to replace.
Awesome article! This should be a permanent addition to the home page, I think bicycle safety is paramount. That being said, I think a follow up review would be nice for a particular piece of gear (something which I currently lack) – a good ankle light. I already have decent head and tail lights (Dinotte made in NH USA very tough and very bright) and you folks have reviewed many others. But what about a cheap ankle light? Or better yet a lower calf light? Something I can strap just above the ankle bone that has at least a 270 degree field of light, low power so batteries are small,fairly bright, steady on, waterproof. Being a year round commuter in New England it gets dark in the winter. I would mount it on the side of the leg both right and left legs, so cars coming out of side streets/ crossing in front of me/ cars behind me/ cars in front of me can all see the light. I say cheap because being the position they will be in I expect them to break by either falling off, water eventually penetrating them (road spray with salt will kill anything eventually), and the occasional battery leaking. Anyone know of such a product(s)?
I have worn knee-high bright colored stripped socks for years. While I just like them I figured they would be way more visible. Also I have used lights that strap around the knee that a motorist mentioned he recognized from at least a mile behind me.
I’m a bit confused by the clothing thing, if that is true what they’re saying then why do road workers only wear neon orange vests during the day instead of neon orange pants? I read that states that did a study on all of that found that the vest worked the best, and eventually those results moved all states to have their road workers wear neon orange vest during the day to keep workers safer.
One poster mentioned he would consider smaller tail lights for the ankles, keep in mind this is a daytime study, small tail lights put out very small amount of light at around 10 lumens, those lower lumens are completely washed out by the brightness of day. In order to put on a bright enough light on your ankles to be seen you would need at the vary bare bones least 70 lumens, and preferably 100 plus, I don’t think you would want a light of that size banging on your ankles as you ride, or the strap that holds it to be on tight enough to prevent the banging.
Also watch out for cheap generic lights sold on Ebay and Amazon with claims of high lumens, all of those lights are lucky if they put out even half of what they say they can.
SIGMA makes a bicycle brake light that mounts to your rear brake cable and lights up every time you hit the brake. Mine seem to work great. I use them along with my rear steady tail lights.
I read that another study found that flashing rear lights caused drunk drivers to target fixate or something. Steady was found to be safer. So sounds like the jury is still out regarding the steady vs. flashing safety issue. Also, ever been on a century behind someone you can’t pass when they are using their latest eye-searing lazer blinky? It will drive you nuts nuts nuts, ruin the view, and cause mental fatigue. At least it did for me.
I think pedal/leg motion and wheel reflective motion, whether reflectors or reflective tape, really makes it easier for me to tell it’s a bike at night when I am driving a car.
All road users need to pay attention.
Ron’s comment: “We don’t need to be “identified as a cyclist”. Rather we need to be seen! Period.” is especially relevant. It’s important that a driver recognize there is _something_ on the road that should be avoided.
Additionally, I’ll comment on clothing colors and lights. First, I was on a week-long ride in California several years ago where one of the leaders sometimes wore a dark purple jersey with a white vertical stripe down the center of his back. This drew attention every time i saw it, as a different type of object at needed identification. Thats a good first step in safety. Second, I use a very bright random flashing rear light on rides. During installation I intentionally positioned it so that it would point toward drivers at some distance behind me and not toward other riders in the group. I;lladd a third point as well – a flashing from light can be very useful for visibility.
[quote=Anonymous]SIGMA makes a bicycle brake light that mounts to your rear brake cable and lights up every time you hit the brake. Mine seem to work great. I use them along with my rear steady tail lights.
I read that another study found that flashing rear lights caused drunk drivers to target fixate or something. Steady was found to be safer. So sounds like the jury is still out regarding the steady vs. flashing safety issue. Also, ever been on a century behind someone you can’t pass when they are using their latest eye-searing lazer blinky? It will drive you nuts nuts nuts, ruin the view, and cause mental fatigue. At least it did for me.
I think pedal/leg motion and wheel reflective motion, whether reflectors or reflective tape, really makes it easier for me to tell it’s a bike at night when I am driving a car.[/quote]
I woud like some more discussion of the target fixation issue because I dont think this is really clear. It is well known that you shouldn’t look at (fixate on) where you dont want to go, but this hi viz and flashing lights do exactly this. Stopped police cars on the side of the road apparently often get hit for this reason. See, e.g. https://janheine.wordpress.com/2014/04/12/when-more-visible-≠-safer-target-fixation/
Great input from all of you on a very important subject . I have been an advocate of brighter riding gear and lighting for years. The information about lights on the ankles is very helpful Thanks.
Fred, I think the difference in cyclists versus road workers is the motion that is being performed. A cyclists torso is typically stationary while their legs are moving, and it is often opposite for road workers. Hence the study found brighter clothing on the legs of a cyclists to be more beneficial.
Trying to find hiviz winter socks, knee warmers. Everything for winter is black or at least dark!! Those who use battery powered lights need to realize that alkaline batteries start losing power as soon as you use them. The light will flash but it will not be visible from any real distance.
I have been using Garmins Biike Radar and it definitely helps…not only for the Driver visibility , but also for the rider who can see how many cars back! It does not take the place of the mirror, but it is a great compliment to avoiding accidents!
Just because a manufacturer finds it more economical to produce dark, even black, clothing to sell us to wear in darker weather does *NOT* mean that we should buy it. Vote with your wallet, or even better, take a moment and send an email to Rapha, Assos, Pearl Izumi, Castelli, Giordana, etc. to tell them your thoughts are their business decisions to put *YOU* at greater risk. Yes, you can always buy a different product but, really- how much choice do we really have when most cycling jerseys and jackets are dark or even black.
I had to really search to find a bright fluorescent orange outer jacket.
Now if you are on the 10 Most Wanted list and need to hide, then by all means buy dark-black-cammy outer wear. However, if you do not want to hit/killed by a car then by all means do not wear dark outer wear, especially in low-vis conditions. So there. 😉
If you want to wear bright colored clothes and put lights on your bike, great, but don’t rely on them. Your best line of defence is to ride like you’re invisible because you are to most motor vehicle drivers
Never assume a driver will do what their supposed to do,period. That has saved my **s many times. Any senairo you can imagine,beware!
After riding for 25+years I really feel safer with white front blinking and rear red blinking lights in a faster motion. Get the ones that are USB charged, fully charged for a 3-4 hour ride. I also wear bright shirt/jerseys but I believe the lights catch the driver’s attention the most. When I get close to a driver I always look for their eyes and watch the movement of their front wheels.
Funny story… In the early 70s I often road in the dark with a light on my left calf. It had an amber lens on the front and red on the back. The local police actually pulled me over for not having a light on my bike. Being a smart ass teenager I asked if he saw the light when he was approaching me for behind. Yes, he had. So I then commented that upon seeing the light bouncing along he must have immediately thought “I don’t know what that is. I think I’ll swerve toward it.” Yes, that was the wrong thing say at that moment.
After yet another close call by drivers paying more attention to their damned phones than their driving, I decided to create a side visibility light by fastening a rechargeable yellow LED road flare (with a user-replaceable battery) to a velcro water bottle bracket that I found on clearance at a big box retail store. This allows me to hang the road flare horizontally from the underside of my top tube to help give me wide angle side visibility, especially when I choose the “chase light” rotating flash pattern on the road flare. As with my existing LED headlight and tail light, all of these lights are also easily removable so that I can take them with me and avoid “feeding the thieves”.
Great article. I just started road biking and love it. I did get lights front and back, and they work great. I have not used the brand you recommended, as I already had them when I saw your article.
I have not seen ankle lights yet.
How about asking numerous questions on any DL test, written or practical, relative to drivers and bicycles?
I know the (negative) answer already. It has to do with bureaucracy.
DMVs are all about bicycle interaction with motorist safety…..riiiiiight.