One of the things I learnt from riding in the winter is the importance of visibility. I've been conscious in the past, that despite my large old style lights, I was not visible enough. I supplemented them with bright modern flashing LED lights because when I'm driving a car I notice the flashing lights of cyclists (assuming they are bright enough).
In summer, things are different. Without lights and with brighter weather, we assume we are able to be seen much easier. Often though, the reverse is true. Sunlight creates contrasting bright and dark patches along a road and drivers' eyes will automatically adjust to the brightest area of vision. They may be wearing sunglasses. This makes seeing into the shadows more difficult and it is easy to overlook a cyclist in the shadows. I try and counteract this by wearing bright clothing but often wonder if it is enough.
In summer, things are different. Without lights and with brighter weather, we assume we are able to be seen much easier. Often though, the reverse is true. Sunlight creates contrasting bright and dark patches along a road and drivers' eyes will automatically adjust to the brightest area of vision. They may be wearing sunglasses. This makes seeing into the shadows more difficult and it is easy to overlook a cyclist in the shadows. I try and counteract this by wearing bright clothing but often wonder if it is enough.
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