American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

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Ross
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American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby Ross » Thu Mar 01, 2018 5:37 am

http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/lates ... ory-370893
Cyclists in the US state of Iowa have reacted with anger after a bill that was originally designed to improve safety by making drivers change lanes to overtake cyclists has been altered with an amendment that would make it compulsory for cyclists to wear hi-vis clothing.

The HF 2341 bill was introduced to the state legislature earlier in February as a way of improving cyclists’ safety by forcing drivers to move onto the other side of the road when overtaking.

However a new amendment to the bill says that cyclists must also wear high-vis clothing on roads with a speed limit of 45mph or above, with this also applying to organised events such as road races where there are fewer that 500 competitors.

“If a person doesn’t have sufficient high vis clothing they could be found at fault even though they did nothing wrong other than not have the right clothes on. We don’t like that,” was the assessment of Quad Cities Bicycle Club president James Hudson, a view shared by many of his club’s members.

“Both me and my wife have been hit by cars, even when wearing hi-vis,” cyclist Dean Matthias told Our Quad Cities. “It doesn’t mean a single thing if the person in the car is not looking.”

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Mububban
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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby Mububban » Thu Mar 01, 2018 12:21 pm

Terrible idea that sounds good and logical in theory to those who know nothing about cycling. If the driver isn't looking for anything on two wheels, you can miss a 7 foot rider on a penny farthing wearing a bright orange gorilla suit. Hell, I recently saw a collision between two cars where the at-fault driver "didn't see" the big SUV she hit with her Commodore.
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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby bychosis » Thu Mar 01, 2018 12:43 pm

Mububban wrote:Terrible idea that sounds good and logical in theory to those who know nothing about cycling.
Yes, and they don't seem to be calling for pedestrian to be wearing hi-vis which is a logical step.

Hi-vis is becoming a bit of white noise while out and about. It's everywhere on people working outdoors and if there is more it is possibly less likely to be noticed.
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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby queequeg » Thu Mar 01, 2018 12:56 pm

bychosis wrote:
Mububban wrote:Terrible idea that sounds good and logical in theory to those who know nothing about cycling.
Yes, and they don't seem to be calling for pedestrian to be wearing hi-vis which is a logical step.

Hi-vis is becoming a bit of white noise while out and about. It's everywhere on people working outdoors and if there is more it is possibly less likely to be noticed.
Yes, Hi-Vis is the new Urban Camouflage. Throw on a bright yellow or bright orange vest and you can pretty much go unnoticed anywhere you go.
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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby Mububban » Thu Mar 01, 2018 2:28 pm

I still wear hi-viz when I'm commuting, partly because they're my oldest jerseys and I save my "nice" ones for weekend group rides. They're less noticeable, but I'm part of a large moving group (not that that stops accidents either :roll:

I am planning to buy some hi viz socks as apparently having fluoro on moving parts ala legs is much more effective than static on a jersey.
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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby eldavo » Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:00 pm

Rejecting the desire to criminalise cyclists for not wearing hi-viz, does not seek to dictate people can't choose to wear hi-viz.

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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby RonK » Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:16 pm

The almost universal adoption of hi-viz work wear has not prevented a spate of incidents where road workers were killed by motorists.
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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby find_bruce » Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:20 pm

A british cyling advocay group had a great image where all the things a car might run into were painted in hi-vis, but my google skills are letting me down today

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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby Neddysmith » Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:29 pm

Mububban wrote:Terrible idea that sounds good and logical in theory to those who know nothing about cycling. If the driver isn't looking for anything on two wheels, you can miss a 7 foot rider on a penny farthing wearing a bright orange gorilla suit. Hell, I recently saw a collision between two cars where the at-fault driver "didn't see" the big SUV she hit with her Commodore.
Not wrong, late last year i was travelling straight on a rd in overcast conditions but not dark with my headlights on and a driver pulled out approx 15m straight in front of me, tboned their A pillar and they had to be cut out of their car,as i was travelling at about 50k.

Their response, Oh i didnt see you, I was in a lifted hilux with headlights on driving basically directly at you :roll: :roll: :roll:

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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby bychosis » Thu Mar 01, 2018 6:39 pm

‘I didn’t see you’ appears to be a better admission of guilt than ‘I’m an idiot for not looking properly’.
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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby DavidS » Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:39 pm

Many years ago I remember when someone used the "I didn't see you" excuse when they ran into a decorated tram. I was a tram driver back then. He didn't see the decorated tram, which had 110 lights on it. The court bought this defence.

I would have thought the court should give them a choice: we will accept this defence but only if you agree that, given you clearly cannot see enough or don't pay enough attention to be driving a vehicle requiring a licence, you lose your licence for 10 years and must undergo an eye test to get it back in 10 years at which time you will, of course, be on P plates.

Seems reasonable.

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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby Patt0 » Wed Mar 07, 2018 2:31 pm

Neddysmith wrote:Oh i didnt see you, I was in a lifted hilux with headlights on driving basically directly at you :roll: :roll: :roll:
Further proving the point, that vehicle is usually driven by Fluro clad drivers.
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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby Tequestra » Wed Mar 07, 2018 3:29 pm

DavidS wrote:... you clearly cannot see enough or don't pay enough attention to be driving a vehicle requiring a licence ...
Reasonable and logical to my way of thinking. If there were more cyclists than car drivers in the electorates across Australia, I suspect that it might become acceptable for the judiciary to penalise car drivers with fines and/or license suspensions if their inattention or poor vision leads them to drive over or pull out on a bicycle and there is contact.

"I didn't see them", is no excuse for anyone in control of a tonne or two of heavy metal, and I'm glad to read that it has already been noted more than once here that hi-vis vest or not, if the car driver is not able to see a full-sized cyclist on a full-sized bike at 15-20m away, then they have confessed that they do not have the visual capacity to drive a car on public roads. Hopefully, six months off might help them to improve their eyesight (attention-span and care-factor), next time they drive?
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Re: American cyclists hit back over plans to make hi-vis clothing compulsory

Postby mikesbytes » Wed Mar 07, 2018 4:21 pm

Mububban wrote:Terrible idea that sounds good and logical in theory to those who know nothing about cycling. If the driver isn't looking for anything on two wheels, you can miss a 7 foot rider on a penny farthing wearing a bright orange gorilla suit. Hell, I recently saw a collision between two cars where the at-fault driver "didn't see" the big SUV she hit with her Commodore.
Perhaps cars should be painted in hi-vis paint
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