On Tue, 21 Mar 2017 10:44:21 -0700 (PDT), Andre Jute
wrote:

Is there any research that breaks down conspicuity (`for instance bright
clothing) and "active" devices like flashing lamps?

Probably, but I couldn't find much online that would be considered
relevant. There's plenty about the effects of camouflage, which
todays fashions seem to emulate. The problem here is that in order to
obtain statistics on visibility and accidents, the clothing and
illumination of the bicycle rider would need to be documented. To the
best of my limited knowledge, this has not been done. In order to
prove my point that inattentive losers are the drivers that most often
cause car+bicycle accidents, the mental state of the driver would need
to be determined. Since that is most often volunteered by the driver
involved, the data would inconclusive. About all I can add to my
contention is that of the 3 local bicycle riders that were killed on
the highway, all died as a result of a drunk driver.

It seems to me that,
without disagreeing fundamentally with your eminently sensible argument
that accidents are caused by the self-impaired losers, that even losers
would some of the time catch a strong enough blinky in their peripheral
vision, jerk the wheel and slam on the brakes, and perhaps kill themselves
before they kill a cyclist.

Based on my personal experience as a rather marginal driver, I would
guess(tm) that the collision would be over well before the inattentive
driver even realized that he had just run over or hit a cyclist. The
local bums and transient tend to ride their bicycles without much
concern about getting hit by vehicles. The bums expect car drivers to
do something radical in order to accommodate their erratic riding
style. This has happened to me several times while simply exiting the
driveway from my office at very low speeds. I would come very close
to hitting one of these black clad and unlit cyclists, which required
me slamming on my car brakes and coming to a panic stop. If the
timing had been only slightly different, I would have hit the rider,
and only then realized what had happened. If that's the case (as I
contend) with many accidents, enhanced lighting or clothing would do
nothing because the driver literally has not seen the cyclist BEFORE
the accident.

However, your contention that an inattentive driver might be brought
out of their slumber by the use of attention getting devices such as
flashing lights, flare guns, loud noises, concussion grenades, etc
seems possible for some circumstances. If the driver is drugged,
drunk, or otherwise running on reduced capacity, I would guess that
the accident would be over before they respond to such stimuli. If
the driver is sleepy, then response time is slowed, but at least
there's a chance of getting their attention. If they're distracted by
a cell phone conversation, it takes time for them to change context
and analyze the situation. In other words, I think it's possible, but
unlikely for a driver to react sufficiently quickly.

But, what about riding down the road with a flashing light that could
be seen for miles? Wouldn't that get a drivers attention long before
they need to react? I don't think so. People tend to follow set
patterns. In this case, drivers know what to expect on the road. For
example, I got hit by a dentist in his Pontiac while I was riding on
the wrong side of the road. He was operating at full capacity, yet
didn't see me because he didn't expect to see anything in the wrong
way bike lane. It's much the same with blinking lights on bicycles.
Drivers do not expect to see these which causes the driver to make
them disappear until it's too late. At best, they might take extra
time to identify this unusual and strange flashing apparition, which
only increases their reaction time.


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558