Is Wearing A Reflector Necessary During The Day Or At Night Only?

Hi. I am not such an active cyclist but i just got a new job that requires that i commute on a daily basis. I usually don my head gear plus other safety gadgets but since i report to work late in the morning, i was a bit hesitant to wear my reflective jacket. Is it all too necessary to wear one given my situation? Please advice.

 

If you're riding in a city then I would say definitely wear one. I don't commute or try to ride anywhere near a city if I can help it. Too dangerous at peak times. What I do for my rides day or night is have my rear light on flashing, sometimes the front as well if it's a bit gloomy or the road is narrow.

 

Yes, I'd suggest you always have something that makes you visible. Even in the day there are places where it may be necessary like perhaps in tunnels.

Funny story that concerns safety: My brother bikes to work every day (yay to me for converting him) & he has decided, since getting into an altercation with a driver, to attach a pool noodle underneath his seat & across his back tire to create a buffer zone. I wish I had video of him riding. Aerially I imagine it looks like someone upside down on a crucifix. Similar to this but MUCH longer.

 

What? Hasn't he been pulled over from obstructing traffic? On a lighter note, that buffer zone must surely enhances his safety. Thanks for the tips on where to don my reflector. I really appreciate.

 

I had no idea you are supposed to use a reflector for day riding too. Maybe I need to take advice from this thread as well. I guess it isn't much of an inconvenience depending on what you have. Plus, it is better safe than sorry.

 

As far as I know it's necessary to wear a reflector during the night (only).

 

If you ride near lots of cars (ex: city), then I suggest you wear one. However, during the night I find it essential for a cycler to wear a Reflector, due to safety reasons. You need to be visible!

 

Has he been pulled over? No, not at all. However I'm sure that's because we live in a city riddled with crime & no one wants to stop someone who has a pool noodle on their bike when there are murders & robberies aplenty.

 

I have been using my road bikes in going to work for a few years, and I would say that it's only really necessary at night. The point is for the incoming cars and motor vehicles to see you in the dark roads even when you're still far away. At day, it's not as needed because road users can see you very clearly.

 

Black kit is the go these days, don't use reflectors.

 

Nothing wrong in having reflectors even at daytime, I would say. I am always on full gear even though I'm biking at daytime. You never know when it will come handy. Also, the more visible you are on the road, the better. There's no such thing as overdoing it as it is only for your safety. Also, you have to consider that there are also certain drivers whose vision is not so good, so having all those gear on to tell them you are there will definitely help a lot.

 

I don't really have those reflector shirts but I think it is nice to wear those things all the time because it is better to be safe than sorry. I think drivers will notice people wearing bright color more than people who are wearing your normal clothes. That's why, even during the day, reflector shirts will make you as noticeable as well. Another alternative is to wear your normal clothes that have bright colors anyway such as neon green or bright orange. If reflector jackets are such a hassle, then at least those shirts are quite easy to wear.

 

As many people say, I'd suggest wearing them. Atleast one would do nicely. I myself dont wear them, because 90% of my ride consist of riding on safe bike lanes and other 10% on street where there are not many cars, plus I only ride on daylight. So I dont wear them myself, but people who only ride on streets should definitely have them. Its better to take care of yourself earlier than think about what you could have done before

 

It is necessary to wear reflectors especially at night when you are coming home from your work since you stated that you need to commute on a daily basis. During the day I don’t usually use reflectors because drivers can see me and they will just reflect sunlight to the eyes of fellow motorists which may blind them and post even higher risk of accidents. At night, I use reflectors at the back of my bike and also wear helmets and jacket which have reflectors or just some clothing that has a small area which is somewhat glowing in the dark. I suggest that you wear and equip reflectors at night for your safety.

 

I don't wear reflectors in the day time, but there isn't that much traffic where I live. I don't think its really that necessary in day time because Ifnthebsun is out there is so much light it isn't realy going to stand out anyway. Reflectors are for night when they will jump out and make you visible.

 

I can say that it is necessary to wear reflector either in a day or night. The reflector can give attention to car drivers to make them aware that there is someone using a non 4 wheel vehicle. However, it is most useful in the night because drivers can hardly grab their attention to a person using a bike for a transportation specially when the road is dark.

 

Never ever used reflectors during the day time before, only during peak morning hours or during the night time hours. Yes I would agree wearing them alerts any drivers of your presence better than if you didn't have one. Not sure if it was mandatory to wear one during the morning or not though. I will do more research on that!

 

I think it depends on comfort levels, I wear a light during the day and when it's dark. I only use a reflector at night. I have friends who use a reflecting accessory during the day and at night, and I see people around town wearing a fully reflective jacket during the day. Whatever floats your boat, and makes you feel safe.

 

You are the only one who can make a judgement. You should not be making that judgement as a one off decision. You should be assessing that decision constantly, depending on the circumstances there and then on the day. It is a continual assessment of what is going on around you and dependent of so many factors that you have to look back on each and every situation and ask yourself if you could have done something differently to have helped matters. So if the weather was bad that day and you hadn't worn the top, should you have done? Would it have helped to stop at a certain point and put the jacket on? Was the weather OK when you set out, but deteriorated to the point where you needed the top later on? Would stopping to put the top on have helped make you more visible?

I personally hate wearing hi-viz jackets but if it is raining, drizzling or foggy/misty then it is on. Sometimes there are other conditions that dictate it, but my decision is never if the top is off or on for the entire journey. I continually assess the situation and am not afraid to stop and remove the top or stop and put the top on and your journey to and from work should have enough time built into it to take into account that you may need to stop and repair a flat tyre or other issue, so stopping to put on or take off a top should not be an issue.

 

I think it is useful during both day and night. I do think that it is quite useful and totally helpful. I think one should be really careful.