Riding Visibly and Safely: How to Be Conspicuous on Your Bike

1. Riding Visibly and Safely or How to be Conspicuous on Your Bike Rod Smith April 27, 2012

2. Agenda • Quick Exercise – Count off in 2’s • The Myths • The Stats • Countermeasures & Conspicuity • Exercise #2 • Recap and Raffle • Thanks!

3. Objective • The next 20 -25 minutes off your bike might be the most important minutes you can spend before riding your bike the next time • Find 1 thing that you are not doing, make a commitment to implement, and do something new

4. Myths • It can’t happen to me… • I know what I am doing… • I am taking all of the necessary precautions… • Biking is dangerous only in the dark… • I am an experienced and/or safe rider…

5. Myths • April 1, 2012, Levi Leipheimer near Bilboa, Spain • While on a training ride, clipped by a car from behind • “The bottom line is it was super scary and I am lucky to be alive.” • Diagnosed with a fractured left fibula • “It could happen to anybody.”

6. Myths • Sunday, 10:30am, March 9, 2008 • Stevens Canyon Road, Cupertino • Group of riders hit by Santa Clara County Sheriff’s patrol car • 2 Cyclists killed, 1 seriously injured

7. Myths • Sunday, April 29, 2009 • Highway 9, Saratoga • Ashleigh Jackson and her fiancé in a hit-and-run incident causing serious and permanent injury • Robert Schiro finally found guilty on February 15, 2012

8. It hits close to home! • February 27, 2008 • 11 Days after KOM • Intersection of Blossom Hill and Los Gatos Blvd. • Andrew Hale, an avid cyclist and KLA-Tencor executive was killed when he was struck by a minivan

9. The Data • NHTSA Data - Biking • 2% of All Vehicular Fatalities involve Cyclists • At least 43,000 trips to the ER every year involved cyclists • Passenger cars' average weight is 3,596 lbs. Compact cars are lighter, and SUVs are heavier.

10. The Cyclist’s Environment • Cars, Buses, Trucks • Cell Phones and Texting • GPS • Signs and Scenery • Pedestrians and animals • Weather & lighting conditions • Threat level highest in urban environments so APPLY Survival Conspicuity principles to YOUR RIDE

11. Do you feel like this?

12. Countermeasures – What you can do to be a safer cyclist • Follow the laws/rules of the road, and • Be conspicuous • Know your environment • Lighting, weather, etc.

13. Conspicuity • The property of being clearly discernible. • The state or quality of being clear or bright; brightness; conspicuousness. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/conspicuity

14. How to be more Conspicuous • Clothing • Accessories • Materials

15. How to be more Conspicuous • Clothing • Jackets, Vests • Jerseys • Gear/Gadgets • Materials

16. Identify the conspicuity items in this photo

17. Conspicuity and Clothing • Contrasting colors are best • Hi-Viz Yellow • Safety Orange • The two winners (In a 1994 study, “...fluorescent yellow was found to be best detected and fluorescent orange was found to be best recognized against any of the three backgrounds investigated.” (Zwahlen & Vel, abstract) ) • But these are of little help at night/low-light • Don’t get lulled into thinking you’re safer just by wearing these colors at night

18. Biological Motion (Biomotion) • Drivers see and recognize motion • Retroreflective material • Worn on moving joints

19. Survival Conspicuity - Biomotion is Important • Ankle, ankle, ankle - That’s about the only place on a cyclist that brings out the biomotion. • Rivendell makes big, fat, slick ankle bands. • They cover the leg and stick out a few inches. • DO NOT SKIMP ON ANKLE BANDS! • You want the “best and the brightest.”

20. How to be more Conspicuous • Clothing • Gear/Gadgets • Materials

21. Survival Conspicuity – Tail Lights • Which is more important? • Your fellow riders not liking your bright lights, or • Getting killed/hurt by a car because you did not have the brightest lights? • Always move up with the technology • Link available for recent consumer test of different lights • Should be used in daylight too • Many new lights are also USB-rechargeable

22. Survival Conspicuity – Multiple Tail Lights • “Volagi” mount (brake bridge) http://volagi.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/how-to-making-a-mount-for-a-planet-bike-superflash/ • Seat-stay mount • Helmet mount • Are many better than one? • Is this obnoxious? • Does it make you more conspicuous? • Yes, and that is more important than anything.

23. Survival Conspicuity – Front Lights • Have good ones • Have a back-up • Daytime running lights – an idea whose time has come • Always move up with the technology!

24. Survival Conspicuity – To flash or not to flash? • Cyclists must have A steady light in low-light and at night per DMV • Some cyclists run a steady light and one or several flashing • The point is to have good LIGHTS (plural)

25. Survival Conspicuity – Always Ride with lights on • Cars turn their lights on during the day • So can you! Increases conspicuity by day! • Many lights designed to be seen by day • Planet Bike Turbo Flash • Portland Design Works Radbot • Dinotte

26. How to be more Conspicuous • Clothing • Gear/Gadgets • Materials

27. Viz Quiz – the best way to boost awareness of a cyclist in broad daylight is: • 1. Rear facing horn___ • 2. “Share the Road” decal on top tube___ • 3. Clothing that uses black and colors found in nature like brown, green, eggplant, blue…___ • 4. Clothing that uses retroreflective material___ • 5. Clothing that uses loud colors like Hi-Viz Yellow, Safety Orange___

28. Daytime Riding • Helmet • + Ankle Bands • + Conspicuity Vest, Jersey, etc. • + Daytime Strength Tail Lights • + Daytime Strength Front Light • = SAFETY or greater safety

29. Vis Quiz – The best way to boost awareness of a cyclist in the dark/low light is: • 1. Blinking tail light ____ • 2. Solid tail light ____ • 3. Reflective vest ____ • 4. Reflective Sam Browne Belt ____ • 5. Rear facing horn ____ • 6. Reflective ankle bands ____ • 7. Reflective material on cranks and wheels ____

30. Nighttime Riding • Helmet • + Ankle Bands • + Conspicuity (Retroreflective) Vest • + Nighttime Strength Tail Lights • + Nighttime Strength Front Light(s) • = SAFETY or greater safety

31. Exercise #2 • 2 minutes • Make a commitment to your partner on something that you are going to do to be a more conspicuous cyclist • New lights • New clothing • Reflector tape • Join an advocacy group • Please follow up with each other in a week or two

32. A-N-C-L Checklist • A = Ankle bands for biomotion • N = Noggin for helmet to protect same • C = Clothing for conspicuity • L = Lights front and back, always on day or night • Do an ANCL check before each ride

33. Thanks • Jack Holmgren, Member, San Francisco Randonneurs • Aron Mason • Rick Ankiel • KTCC – Raffle Sponsor • Slides are available upon request

34. Countermeasures – What you can do to be a safer cyclist • Follow the laws/rules of the road, and • Be conspicuous • Know your environment • Lighting, weather, etc.

35. Raffle Redeem for Cygolite Hotshot 2-Watt USB Rechargeable Taillight with USB Cable

36. BACKUP SLIDES

37. Links • Ankle bands @ http://www.rivbike.com/ • 3 Feet Campaign and Jerseys @ http://www.3feetplease.com/ • Plus these guys are on Facebook • Jerseys @ http://www.elevengear.us/trafficmaster.html • Best tail lights study @ http://bicycles.blogoverflow.com/2012/03/tail-light-review/ • http://BicycleSafe.com

38. Survival Conspicuity – Organize! • Amplify your voice with a chorus by joining a coalition or several coalitions. • Support programs that lead to greater driver cognition and awareness of cyclists in daylight, at night, and in low-light. • Ride with others in low-light or at night. • Ride with others in daylight.

39. Survival Conspicuity – Organize! • States in green have passed a 3-feet law.States in yellow have passed a 4-feet law.

40. Survival Conspicuity – Organize! • Join a/several bike coalitions: • http://www.napabike.org/ • http://www.bikesonoma.org/ • http://marinbike.org/Index.shtml • http://www.sfbike.org/ • http://www.ebbc.org/ • http://bikesiliconvalley.org/group/santa-clara