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bright colors make us safer?



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 22nd 04, 06:46 PM
Frank Knox
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Default bright colors make us safer?

Do any of you know of any evidence that bright colors make us safer?

Some thoughts on color and safety from an officer of a cycling club:
"It may seem intuitively obvious that brighter colors
would be more visible than darker colors to drivers of
cars and trucks. I am not certain that there is any
scientific evidence that wearing a brighter color
reduces the likelihood of a cyclist getting hit. Are
some colors better than others? Everything I have
seen is anecdotal. So, while a brighter jersey maymake you feel better, it
may not make you any safer."


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  #2  
Old November 22nd 04, 07:15 PM
B i l l S o r n s o n
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Frank Knox wrote:
Do any of you know of any evidence that bright colors make us safer?

Some thoughts on color and safety from an officer of a cycling club:
"It may seem intuitively obvious that brighter colors
would be more visible than darker colors to drivers of
cars and trucks. I am not certain that there is any
scientific evidence that wearing a brighter color
reduces the likelihood of a cyclist getting hit. Are
some colors better than others? Everything I have
seen is anecdotal. So, while a brighter jersey maymake you feel
better, it may not make you any safer."


Oh, great. Now's there's gonna be a run on gray-beige jerseys and shorts.

And blinkies???
--
BS (no, really)


  #3  
Old November 22nd 04, 07:20 PM
do not spam
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Default

In article ,
Frank Knox wrote:
Do any of you know of any evidence that bright colors make us safer?


I know when I am driving my car during the day, cyclists in neon colored
jerseys are much easier to see. Cyclists wearing dark colors can be
almost invisible on a shaded forest road or in cloudy or rainy weather.
At night, bright lights are more important than bright jerseys.

I don't know of any formal accident statistics, or if that is even possible.
  #4  
Old November 22nd 04, 07:26 PM
Mike
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Default

You don't think that seeing a rider on the road will help avoid accidents?
I'd say there has to be some corralation between accident rates and
visibility. Besides, there has to be some study out there that proves or
disproves this. Have you checked the DOT?



"Frank Knox" wrote in message
...
Do any of you know of any evidence that bright colors make us safer?

Some thoughts on color and safety from an officer of a cycling club:
"It may seem intuitively obvious that brighter colors
would be more visible than darker colors to drivers of
cars and trucks. I am not certain that there is any
scientific evidence that wearing a brighter color
reduces the likelihood of a cyclist getting hit. Are
some colors better than others? Everything I have
seen is anecdotal. So, while a brighter jersey maymake you feel better,
it
may not make you any safer."




  #5  
Old November 22nd 04, 07:36 PM
Frank Knox
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Default

"Frank Knox" wrote in message
...
Do any of you know of any evidence that bright colors make us safer?

Some thoughts on color and safety from an officer of a cycling club:
"It may seem intuitively obvious that brighter colors
would be more visible than darker colors to drivers of
cars and trucks. I am not certain that there is any
scientific evidence that wearing a brighter color
reduces the likelihood of a cyclist getting hit. Are
some colors better than others? Everything I have
seen is anecdotal. So, while a brighter jersey maymake you feel better,
it
may not make you any safer."


"Mike" wrote in message
.. .
You don't think that seeing a rider on the road will help avoid accidents?
I'd say there has to be some corralation between accident rates and
visibility. Besides, there has to be some study out there that proves or
disproves this. Have you checked the DOT?


Yes, checked the DOT. Also, tried hard to find such info on the net.




  #6  
Old November 22nd 04, 07:50 PM
mrbubl
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Default

Frank Knox wrote:
"Frank Knox" wrote in message
...

Do any of you know of any evidence that bright colors make us safer?

Some thoughts on color and safety from an officer of a cycling club:
"It may seem intuitively obvious that brighter colors
would be more visible than darker colors to drivers of
cars and trucks. I am not certain that there is any
scientific evidence that wearing a brighter color
reduces the likelihood of a cyclist getting hit. Are
some colors better than others? Everything I have
seen is anecdotal. So, while a brighter jersey maymake you feel better,
it
may not make you any safer."



"Mike" wrote in message
.. .

You don't think that seeing a rider on the road will help avoid accidents?
I'd say there has to be some corralation between accident rates and
visibility. Besides, there has to be some study out there that proves or
disproves this. Have you checked the DOT?



Yes, checked the DOT. Also, tried hard to find such info on the net.





http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sullivan/bike/colorbv.html is another opinion
on color.

I know that when emergency vehicles are painted that chartreuse color it
is supposed to be the most "attractive" color to the human eye and would
assume that goes along with being noticed. The principal of blinking
lights is also operating on the premises of being seen.
  #7  
Old November 22nd 04, 08:12 PM
Rich Clark
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Default


"Frank Knox" wrote in message
...
Do any of you know of any evidence that bright colors make us safer?


Let's do an experiment. Who wants to be one of the subjects that wears
black? Please go ride 5000 miles and report back in a year. Thank you.

RichC


  #8  
Old November 22nd 04, 08:15 PM
Rich Clark
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Default


"Mike" wrote in message
.. .
You don't think that seeing a rider on the road will help avoid accidents?


Who knows, maybe the accident-reduction of bright colors is offset by
injuries inflicted by hostile drivers who aim at bikes, or drunks who tend
to steer towards the brightest object in their field of view.

RichC


  #9  
Old November 22nd 04, 08:20 PM
loki
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Default


"Frank Knox" wrote in message
...
Do any of you know of any evidence that bright colors make us safer?


What you really should be asking is if more brightly coloured helmets
reduce head injuries.

*ducking*




--
'We'll be singing, when we're winning:
I get knocked down But I get up again
You're never gonna keep me down.'
-chumbawamba


  #10  
Old November 22nd 04, 08:21 PM
Ron Hardin
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Default

Works for me. The point is to gather attention well before cars get
to you. I don't know if it works in heavy traffic, but when it's
isolated it's good to let the dozing driver know that something's
way up ahead there, many many seconds before he really has to notice
it.

I guy on a bike wearing a brown jacket and jeans is pretty invisible
against trees or in shade until cars are almost on top of him.

That said, the best color is white; and unless you only cycle in the
day, non-dayglow. Dayglow relies on UV, which it reradiates in the
visible spectrum, thereby looking bright. But there's no UV in
headlights. (There's lots in twilight though, which is where dayglow
really shines.)

So anyway, in the winter, I wear a white sweatshirt and sweatpants,
which works against almost every background, except snow when we have
that.

I have a dayglow slow-moving-vehicle triangle on the back of the milk
crate, which catches the daytime duty. Sweatshirt for night.
--
Ron Hardin


On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.
 




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