Re: Daytime running light popularity

Am Tue, 22 Oct 2024 14:41:40 -0400 schrieb Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>:

On 10/22/2024 2:08 PM, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:

On a ride this past Saturday I was surprised to see between one-third
and one-half of bicyclists using some sort of daytime running lights.
 
I've used DRLs off and on for decades, but it seems around the time of
the pandemic they became more popular and are approaching mainstream use.
 
Has anybody else noted a similar trend? Any idea why now?

They've jumped in popularity around here.

I guess they became popular at the time when there was a switch from
halogen to LED. Hub dynamos and high-capacity batteries also play a
role. It's just become easier and doesn't have as many disadvantages as
it used to have.

I prefer to signal my presence by how and where I ride, not by some tiny
white spot.  Using available light under poor visibility conditions such
as fog or twilight is one thing, but training motorists to ignore
anything that does not flash or glitter is a bad idea.

>
Why? I think it's because the hobby gods demand tribute from time to
time. People think "What can I buy for my bike?" When a cute
advertisement pops up saying "Hey, why not buy a daytime light?" it
satisfies the urge to give another bit of tribute. When the ad includes
the magic word "Safety" a sale becomes highly likely.

Im not aware that bicycle lights have been sold specifically as "daytime
light", around here.  One of the early LED front lights that I bought
many years ago had a switch with three positions: always on, automatic
and off. Automatic meaning that the light was turned on with beginning
dusk.

Early this year I noticed a kind of randomly flashing lighs used by race
bike users during daylight- very bright, but short single flashes, some
lengthy, but arbitrarily varying pause, another flash, and so on.  This
means lots of brightness and visibility with small LEDs and low power
consumption.
  
I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I detest flashing
lights. On the other hand, when it comes to get some visibility in
exceptional situations, it might have a value - as long as it is used
sparingly and not everybody starts using it all the time.

--
Thank you for observing all safety precautions