Bicycle Lasers to keep drivers at bay?

[morphix]

We were having a discussion on another thread over the last few days about motorists and their attitude towards cyclists.. Could this be the solution?! Laser beams!! Heh. This is one of the most bizarre things I've seen to go on a bike!

TWO HIGHLY VISIBLE RED LASERS provide lane markers on road

Amazon.com: X-Fire 5-LED Taillight with Laser Lane Marker: Sports & Outdoors

I purchased one of these about 3 weeks ago. The product does EXACTLY what it says it will do. A brilliant red laser beam is projected
onto the street on both sides of your bike. As you move the light follows with you. The visual effect is so dramatic that cars and pedestrians immediately take notice of your presence. I even had a car pass me then pull over into a parking space to watch me pedal by him. People also will ask what it is that is projecting the light.

I've seen those projector pointer device things that make red dots, but I've never seen anything capable of making actual visible laser beams before that runs off batteries.. it's a wonder the thing has enough power? I thought creating visible laser beams required massive amounts of electricity?

 

[Scimitar]

They're just visible when they strike the road and would only be visible in the air if it was smoky. We don't actually live in a James Bond set, you know.

 

[indalo]

This is one of the most bizarre things I've seen to go on a bike!

TWO HIGHLY VISIBLE RED LASERS provide lane markers on road

Amazon.com: X-Fire 5-LED Taillight with Laser Lane Marker: Sports & Outdoors

Now, that is an interesting piece of kit! Whether it's legal or not to use lasers on our roads, I really don't know but anything that assists vehicular traffic to easily identify a cyclist in darkness has to be a good thing in my book.

Provided it doesn't dazzle following drivers, I'd guess it's probably ok and if the beams are angled down to the tarmac, I can't see a problem. If, however, it is possible for the lamp to be adjusted so as to aim the beams directly at following traffic, that could be construed as dangerous and may well contravene any one of several lighting regulations.

Having said that, there are some very bright rear lamps already on the market which do an excellent job of making cyclists visible in darkness or murky weather and they don't cost as much as that one .

Indalo

 

[flecc]

These were shown on TV a couple of years back, can't remember the program, but it was thought the red lane markings on the road weren't showing up well enough under town lighting conditions. More importantly, they disappeared under the light from car dipped headlight beams, the latter apparently swamping out the red lines.

So seemingly a good idea but not so good in practice.

 

[halfer]

I couldn't see from the external link a power rating for the laser diodes. Ineffective ones may be less than the generally accepted 1mW EU limit (see here) - if there were two green ones on this device, it may be okay even in car headlight!

 

[OldBob1]

We have started to see cycles just lately with flashing LEDS and head lamps down our county lanes.
They tend to confuse drivers and blind them if on coming, where most would be better off with Hi-Viz waist coats or Jackets.
A continuous front and rear light in the country side shows to us that we have a bike rider.
Keep it simple!!!

OB 1

 

[halfer]

OldBob1,

In bright city riding conditions I switch my Magic Shine front lamp to flashing, since even its 900 lumen output isn't so bright against streetlights. In dark streets where there is no street lighting, I switch back to steady lighting - otherwise it is difficult to see where I am going!

I agree about hi-vis though. I use a jacket and also a rucksack cover made of this stuff.

 

[103Alex1]

OldBob1,

In bright city riding conditions I switch my Magic Shine front lamp to flashing, since even its 900 lumen output isn't so bright against streetlights. In dark streets where there is no street lighting, I switch back to steady lighting - otherwise it is difficult to see where I am going!

I agree about hi-vis though. I use a jacket and also a rucksack cover made of this stuff.

You need very good lighting to see where you're going on dark country lanes. I have one of those CREE 1000 lumen lights (Magicshine clone that's actually very decent) and fitted it with a diffuser, which has made it far more road/lane-friendly so never use the flashing function. It's easy to "dip" to low setting well in advance of of oncoming vehicles coming into view (let's face it you see their headlights and they see yours before you see each other with something that bright so it works just like a car would).

I have a BikeLight rear light which clips onto the side of one of my panniers and supplements the dynamo lights - it's bright enough and pretty much impossible not to see. Also fitted spoke reflectors front and rear plus one of these fitted to the rear wheel, which gets turned on at dusk and raises smiles from teenagers especially if set on "Blue"

http://www.monkeylectric.com/m210_bike_light/

It gets loads of stares from motorists at traffic lights - which I guess means mission accomplished as their attention has been captured. Add in wrist indicators, a reflective yellow beanie and some reflective details on clothes /shoes and I defy any motorist to say they didn't see me

 

[grldtnr]

Disappointed! when I read 'Laser' ,I thought some one meant the vapourizing type!

still sounds like a Idea.

 

[eddieo]

We have started to see cycles just lately with flashing LEDS and head lamps down our county lanes.
They tend to confuse drivers and blind them if on coming, where most would be better off with Hi-Viz waist coats or Jackets.
A continuous front and rear light in the country side shows to us that we have a bike rider.
Keep it simple!!!

OB 1

I have one of these powerful rear lights and anything that makes a driver slow down and recognise the fact that I am there is fine by me! front light points to road as it should do...more worried about those travelling same direction as me.