Safe Speed Forums

I personally think it is just to make them more conspicuous and the older machines are probably owned/used by older guys like me who think more about their own visibility and safety. It's not unusual to see bikers, and cyclists for that matter, wearing Hi Viz jackets for the same reason which was unheard of years ago.

Don't know about the cars but from the link I provided it looks like a case of when, not if, they go down the same route. From that same link it has made me think about the bad effect that will have for cyclists and bikers but, just as with speed cameras, they will doubtless make a case for it being good without proper research into the bigger picture.

Their answer and approach is always to look at the fault not the cause. If drivers with poor vision or distraction are causing accidents, let's make everyone look like the Tango man, instead of addressing the poor vision and distractions.

So eventually everything will be made bullet proof, protected and slowed down so we can all drive around like bumper cars but at least we will be safe. Mission accomplished Not!

Well mine has a parking position on the ignition key if I want to leave them on without the key in. They are also always on to double up as extra visibility, not that it makes much difference to some drivers.

My bike is six years old and I imagine the bikes were like mine, without a dedicated light switch, for some years before that.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I've thought the same Graball. You would think that couldn't get through the legislation in some way.

I've also thought the same with motorcycle indicators in a different way. Both the OEM, but especially aftermarket indicators, have shrunk massively over the years and some of them are now so small you could easily miss them in sunlight. But it's okay, I have an answer..

Instead of making them bigger, like they used to be, the problem is obviously with me so I need to go on a course which will cost me £100 whereby I have to pass a simulated observation driving instruction test, or SODIT. Each time see an indicator flash I have to press a thumb switch. If I don't get a 90% pass I have to take the test again after a month until the certificate ‘proves’ my observation is sufficient.

Indicators the size of a garden pea are not the problem!

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Mind you, so few people use indicators these days, I can imagine them becoming obsolete soon anyway.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

You'd have to be sure that the black indicators were original equipment. The type approval process for a lamp is pretty onerous. Depending on what light it is, there are requirements for colour and intensity - the latter being measured at various angles above and below, inboard and outboard of the line passing through the "centre of reference" (often the bulb filament). On top of that they have wear, UV, and chemical attack tests to pass. Other than a slight whinge about indicators that are closer to white than yellow, I haven't got much of a problem with most OE lights. HOWEVER, as any maxxed-out chav in McDonald's car park will tell you, there is a bewildering array of aftermarket stuff available. I don't know how much of it has been anywhere near a photometric lab, mind!

The ones that I'm thinking of seem to be fiited to a lot of low end rovers and puegots and seem to be blackish with horizontal lines running through the lense so don't expect them to be aftermarket lenses. They work in normal condtions but at certain angles in bright sunlight they are almost invisible, certainly no where near as bright as orange lenses.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

I'm with graball on this - not just the black lenses, but allthe clear glass with orange bulb lights, they're just not as good as orange glass ones in daylight.

Yes, after all pedestrians rarely bump into each other and look how many stops and turns they do without ever indicating their intentions.

While on the subject, to be serious for a minute, I think manufacturers could do a lot better to make the idiot light on the console more visible to help prevent drivers forgetting to turn them back off.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I'm pretty sure they are aftermarket lenses and not original equipment. I know what you mean – very popular on Rover 25s and Peugeot 206s.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

If you're sad enough, look for an approval mark. There will be one moulded into the surface of the lens for each lamp. It is likely to start with a lower case letter "e" in a rectangle an upper case "E" in a circle, followed by some letters and numbers.

Hey come on Mole, my eyesights not that good, I have trouble spotting the indicator, without standing any chance of reading the approval number and serial number...lol.

yep I know what you mean, if I see one parked up I'll see if there is an E mark on it.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

There are aerosols for sale to DIY black lights so there'll still be an E mark!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Savage-A195-Lig ... B0030EBT4O

Indeed. I have had to fit a buzzer on my wife's Yaris as the warning light is so so inconspicuous.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

It's difficult because people then moan that they're too bright at night.

My old VW had a cunning scheme which allowed you to vary the brightness of the instrument lights.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Bet it didn't let you vary the brightness of the telltales though?!

No. But that was twenty-five year old design. I am lead to believe that technology has moved on since then

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

I don't think that even today, they can dim the telltales. The one that really bugs me is the main beam one. I find that too bright in most cars, and I spend a lot of time on unlit rural roads. I could do with that one being dimmer than all the others because I don't ever need to see it in the daytime.

Oh, come on! For my usual consultancy fee I will design the circuit for you, though Steve or Botach or Pete could probably make better job of it

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

I’d use a simple circuit incorporating an LDR and a PIC. Actually, forget the PIC.

KISS.

That wasn’t an offer btw.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Absolutely to be more conspicuous .... but if cars also have their headlights on then it all becomes over-lit and the contrast is gone for the biker. They would then loose their advantage and no longer stand out.
I agree with headlights for bikers but never main beam - that blinds people and that is bad for road safety.
I don't believe that a bike battery will last long, if it had to support parking lights. A bike is very narrow so it is less likely to need to highlight itself with parking lights in the first place. Do you see a need for it ?
I think a few tiny LED lights to help visibility, when absolutely necessary (perhaps broken down etc) would help on those very rare occasions. (And be very economic with battery life).

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