Visibility - what to wear

[MLMercer]

I had my first ever stack today - a car pulled out of a side road right in front of me and I had to swurve & break hard to avoid going strait into him - it was pretty wet (drizzling at the tim) and I ended up sliding out on my side at about 40kph - I have some nasty gravel rash, cuts & shock but otherwise ok.

I was wering a yellow netti storm jacket with reflective piping and had a 5 LED flasher going on the front of the bike with 2 red ones on the back of me - thought I'd done all I could to be visible but obviously not!

The guy stopped - thankfully - he wears he didnt see me. Here's the bit I am questioning - he was driving a yellow car and said that he often has people pulling out in front of him because yellow isnt a great colour for visibility...

I've seen some red wind proof vests and I am now seriously considering getting one to wear over the jacket...

Anyone else have any experience or opinion on what is the best/safest colour to wear on dull/wet days?

MM

 

[sogood]

Rubbish. Based on my experience as a motor car driver, yellow is the most prominant colour out there, especially in the rain. Of course, it'll depend on the background colour at any particular location, but I think that driver is just making up an excuse to blow you off. Or he has some visual defect that should invalidate his driver's license. Pretty pathetic really!

 

[SEAcarlessTTLE]

Wow, glad to hear you weren't seriously injured...sounds scary.

I'm w/ sogood and can't believe that red would be better. I remembered reading somewhere that flourescent lime green is best for visibility, which is consistent with the more recent trend toward firetrucks in this color. A quick web search turned up these possibly legit but not primary sources:

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/...ire_trucks_be_hint_on_fire_trucks_not_red.htm
http://www.visualexpert.com/Resources/colorfunctionality.html

I expect yellow is quite good, as well. However, I've always been skeptical of the value of reflective piping, which is typically very narrow and not all that reflective. I put reflective tape on my helmet, since my head is usually higher than the tops of parked cars and stands a chance of being visible to cross traffic.

Did this driver come from the side of the road you were on or the opposite side? After similar close calls and too many near-doorings, I try to increase visibility to vehicles entering from the right by riding further out in the lane, esp. if there's a second travel lane. I realize this pisses off a few drivers approaching from behind, but I mostly find that they pass more courteously (further away from me). I'm generally less worried about getting hit from behind than being doored or hit from the side...although I'll happily hear out opinions that I'm being an idiot!

 

[MLMercer]

Did this driver come from the side of the road you were on or the opposite side? After similar close calls and too many near-doorings, I try to increase visibility to vehicles entering from the right by riding further out in the lane, esp. if there's a second travel lane. I realize this pisses off a few drivers approaching from behind, but I mostly find that they pass more courteously (further away from me). I'm generally less worried about getting hit from behind than being doored or hit from the side...although I'll happily hear out opinions that I'm being an idiot!

Thanks for your replies I count myself very lucky not to have been more badly injured!

He came out of a side road into the road that I was on, and turned the corner in the same direction that I was travelling. Lucky he didnt come straight accross my path or I would have ended up right under the car or over it!

I also give parked cars a very wide berth whenever possible - I dont trust ANY drivers EVER especially not now - the only reason I didnt run into him was because I assume that every driver is a moron.

I have a lime green wind vest that I suppose I could wear over the top of the jacket but I already overheat a fair bit when I rug up against rain... As of yesterday I have placed a red LED flasher on the front left side of my back pack strap to increase visibility from that angle. Still wont account for blind morons though!

I think this guy just wasnt looking out for bikes ... what ever happened to the bike awareness campaigne we had in Aus a few years ago "look right, look left, look bike" I for one would like to see that brough back.