- Now hopefully it's clear to all cyclists
that it's really really important to use good lights
when riding at night to make sure
that you can be seen by other road users,
especially cars, and avoid being run into.
- What isn't immediately so obvious though,
is that bike lights can also reduce accidents
in the daylight.
- But how's that?
I mean, surely if it's daylight
using bike lights won't add to your visibility.
Well this is why.
(relaxing electronic music)
Bontrager have asked us to take a look
at their brand new flare and ion RT lights.
And to be honest, we were perfectly happy to do so
because having looked at the research
we agree that daylight running lights
really do make us safer on the road.
- Bontrager have been pushing really hard
to make cyclists realize there is a merit
in using at all times.
These have been thoughtfully designed
to increase cyclists visibility both day and night.
- Now safety and visibility
are actually quite hard to illustrate,
so what we thought we'd do
is take a look at the research,
and then do some science.
- Can we test for light visibility
at daytime and nighttime?
Sounds a little bit dangerous Emma.
(percussive electronic music)
Okay, the research.
One project carried out in daylight
showed that daytime running lights,
or lights used all the time,
do indeed reduce accident rate by up to 19%.
For their new range of lights,
Bontrager drew upon research carried out
at the Clemson University over four years.
The researchers showed that flashing lights
significantly increase visibility.
In other words, the distance at which cyclists
are seen by other road users.
- This was a properly controlled experiment
on a statistically significant number of cyclists.
3,845 to be precise,
of which 1,845 had permanent running lights
mount into their bikes,
and the accident rate for both groups of cyclists
was monitored over 12 months.
They then studied in real detail
exactly what kind of flash pattern
is most rapidly recognized by other road users.
And they found that it is actually
an interrupted flash pattern.
That means an irregular pattern,
and in the case of the flare RT,
it has a more powerful, initial flash-pop
that comes into the pattern.
Now the way that the researchers
at Clemson University tested the visibility
of cyclists with different lights
or no light set ups,
was the drive volunteers around
a secure, closed, road loop
at constant speed and measure the distance
at which the volunteer saw the cyclist.
- Now unfortunately,
we don't have 200 plus volunteers.
Nor do we have the time to conduct
a statistically valid experiment.
- No.
So instead, what we're gonna do,
is we're gonna try and see if we can measure
the light emitted from an approaching cyclist
using this exciting, hand held digital light meter,
which measured from zero to 200,000 lux
to an accuracy of 3%.
So in terms of methodology,
what we're gonna do is that one of us
is gonna stand with the light meter,
looking over our shoulder
and trying to see if we can see on the screen
in terms of lux measurements
when the other person is approaching
with their lights on.
Only slight problem is that
my swanky light meter has stopped working already,
and I swear it was working just a little while ago.
We tried to change the batteries,
and I just don't know what to do.
Really?
What, you can use an app on your phone?
You mean I didn't need this?
Typical.
Well that's great.
The day is saved.
(exotic electronic music)
- Once we prepared the experiment,
how about we take a closer look at the lights?
And more specifically, what is it
in a daytime running light that you should look for
if we use these flare and ion lights as an example,
and following on from what we learned with the research,
we know that the lights need to be bright,
and flash in a disruptive pattern.
The standard measurement
for the brightness of a light is lumens.
However, don't be fooled
into thinking that more lumens are better,
as that actually refers to the total amount of light.
And Bontrager say that these lights are visible
at up to two kilometers in daytime flash mode,
in addition to their nighttime settings.
Now, I'll be honest.
As well as increasing my visibility,
the vanity of having a light on my bike at all times
is also a consideration.
And while this won't matter for some of you,
for those of us who do care,
it should be small, discreet, and light weight.
Like this one for example, which weighs 23 grams.
It's lighter and smaller than it's predecessor,
while being brighter and with a longer battery life,
which is also a big consideration.
In fact, ease of use is a good thing.
With that in mind,
these lights feature AT&T Plus,
and Bluetooth, so they connect to your on bike computer.
Which means, that the second you start riding,
they turn and you'll be able to see
your battery life that's left in the lights.
The next feature they have is really cool.
They have an in-built ambient light sensor,
which means they're able to adjust
to the lighting conditions that you find yourself in
to make you safer.
So if you ride into a dark tunnel,
or it all of the sudden becomes dusk,
you'll still be visible whilst out on the road.
I'm all for making things as easy as possible,
so that really is a bonus to me.
Right then.
Let's get back to the sign, shall we?
(ornate chimes)
- I really don't understand it,
I mean the lights are so bright,
I can see them from ages away,
and yet I don't really get a change in measurement
until Chris gets pretty close.
- Well, allow me to shed some light on that
for you Emma.
It's not so much to do
with the total amount of light,
but more to do with recognition
and the way our brains process
the information that they're seeing.
- That's a good point Chris,
and that's actually what the researchers
at Clemson University showed in the research they did,
which Bontrager based their light design on,
that flashing lights are far more easy to see
than steady lights.
Further research also shows that lights mounted
on moving parts of your body,
like your knees or your ankles,
can be seen at greater distances than lights
mounted on static parts of your bike.
- And it's part of the growing body
of evidence that supports the concept of bio-motion.
Human perception that is sensitive to joint movement.
Basically, we're all looking out for each other.
- Yeah.
In fact, they've shown that if you have a flashing light
mounted in your knees or your ankles,
it's seen at 5.5 times the distance
than a steady light mounted on your seat post.
5.5 times more stopping distance,
that is not a number I would ignore.
- [Man] That is considerable.
- I hope this video has helped
to convince you how to be more visible and safe
on the road.
We cyclists do have a right to use the roads,
but the more visible we are
and the safer we are, the better.
- Let us know in the comments
if this video has helped convince you
to use daytime running lights.
And of course, don't forget to share this with your friends.
- If you'd like to see more videos
on road safety, why not click down here.
- And if you'd like to get your hands
on some of this kit,
why not click on the shop down here.
- Give us a like.