Hi-Vis or Not
 

As the winter is setting in, I wanted to get people's opinions/thoughts on the Hi-Vis vest option? The reason I ask is because I see so many people riding mopeds and such wearing dark clothing that i wonder why they risk it.

Secondly, I was on the A40 riding back from town towards Hanger Lane and saw a moped had been hit with a girl lying on the floor - lots or people pulled over so I parked up and went over to help. I don't mean to sound harsh, but she was wearing no protective clothing, no high-vis at all and it was wet and dark. Luckily an ambulance was passing by and helped. I had my hi-vis on so helped to direct traffic into other lanes til they had her off the road.

So what are your thoughts? do you wear the vest and look like a bus driver or play it cool and try to blend in with the night?

Re: Hi-Vis or Not
 

Personally I don't where high vis but its hardly to try and 'play it cool'. I'm on a big bike, if a car driver has missed the headlights, noise of the exhaust etc etc then I can't see high vis makes any difference.

I do however always wear full protective gear whenever on the bike, I don't bother with high vis stuff because I don't see the point, plus I find it damn irritating.

There is always the factor that wearing high vis can give a biker a false sense of security, they make assumptions that they have been seen by the car driver. Personally, I assume that I'm invisible at all times and ride accordingly.

Re: Hi-Vis or Not
 

To quote my DAS instructor

"Hi-Vis is a waste of time. Too many people wear it, so people dont see it."

He then went on to say it was not a total waste of time, but not as good as you would think/hope.

Next time you are out, look at the proliferation of Hi-Vis, and see if it stands out or fades away.

David

That said - http://www.hivis.net/133/High-Visibi...Saturn-Yellow/ looks useful if for no other reason than my leathers dont have pockets.......

David

Re: Hi-Vis or Not
 

Me, no Hi-Vis in town when commuting, mainly because of the streetlights and because it would be covered by my rucksac.

I would consider it if undertaking longer trip out of town after dusk so long as I wasn't using my rucksack.

I should point out that my rucksack and the sleives of my jacket have reflective panels and that I'm careful to keep my lights clean even if the rest of the bike isn't.

Re: Hi-Vis or Not
 

Agree with Kate. Its like anything else, it can help but you shouldnt rely on it to do so.

Hi vis tbh probably wont help you with drivers at junctions looking at the front of your bike - most of it wont be spotted due to tank/bars/tank bags and any fairing if you have it. Where it can help is in the dark or bad weather with cars behind you [assuming youre not wearing a rucksack :wink: ]

I should point out that my rucksack and the sleives of my jacket have reflective panels and that I'm careful to keep my lights clean even if the rest of the bike isn't

how come you nearly hit that cyclist then :?

:lol: :lol: :lol:

When it starts getting dark and the weather sets in I will be wearing my high-vis, so when they do hit me I can say... Look, my lights where on and I was wearing a high-vis are you blind!

If its good enough for police, road works and such its good enough for me...

Oh and I wear a Respro High-Vis like this:

http://upload4.postimage.org/1269235/hiviz_1_.jpg

I wear it in the winter, however I do not rely on it.

This is £4.70 plus £8.17 postage :shock: (regardless how many)
Anyone want to buy in a group purchase? to share the postage?

I will wear when weather is bad (rain/fog etc) and when the nights set in. It does make a difference to me, as in I notice other bikers more because of the high viz vest. Although I know it's expecting a lot for a cage driver to notice anything other than there make up/radio/mobile phone.

can we get added a little 'sv650.org' badge... lol...

Sign me up Stu!

Just let me know the size you want.

I've bought a couple of these jackets from this company.

They are ex-Police jackets with the Police logo removed back and front.

The difference wearing one on the road can be massive. Suddenly you get drivers slowing down to the NSL and moving over to let you past, all because they think you're the Police.

You obviously still get a few drivers who are totally oblivious to you, but in my opinion, jackets like these can be a lifesaver.

A potentially huge benefit for looking a little less "cool"....allegedly!

I'd rather wear one and be safer than be splattered across the road with a car driver saying he never saw me.

Highly recommended...in my opinion.

My 0.02 worth is that on the bike a Hi-Viz vest is not always going to be much use as from the front your headlamps will probably wash it out and in my case from the back I'm usually wearing a rucksack or have a big tailpack on the pillion seat.

On the other hand...

If for any reason you need to get off your bike e.g. to render assistance to a fellow biker or just to recover your errant tailpack, it can be a lifesaver.

to be a little safer it cant hurt can it? forget the bike fashion when its dark.

I use a hi vis bomber jacket for commuting - it is warm, waterproof and keeps all the crap off my leathers.

I think they make a difference to visibility, as Tigerrrr said, they do make cagers think you are Police which can't be a bad thing :-)

If the chick comes with the vest I'd be very interested!

That's exactly what you see on building sites up and down the country n'est pas? :roll:


:lol: :lol: :lol:

Anything that makes you more visible,even 1%,has to be a bonus. That 1% could be the difference between life and death
My textile jacket that I wear over my leathers[soft armour] has hard armour and relective material in the sleeves and back but it was not cheap and even with double armour is still very flexible

My thoughts... Hi viz when you're on the bike may or may not help. Hi viz if you bin it on a dark country road, could be the difference that stops a truck driving over your face.

Just don't buy rubbish. If you do want hi-viz gear, get the real thing, not just whatever rubbish Motrax or Oxford sell in your local dealers. They're just yellow with barely-reflective stripes, very poor.

another one here ,iv been thinking about the whole hi-vis thing and thinking 'is it worth it'after reading here my minds made up ,count me in for a medium :wink:

Hello Stu,

I'd like one too if thats ok. I'm 6ft aswell and around a 44" chest so a medium if you think that would be alright.

Let me know what to send you.

Cheers

when it starts getting to this time of year and the nights are drawing in i normall wear some hi-viz of some sort, like i have a hi viz bomber style jacket, a hi-viz vest with sleeves and if i feel it really necessary i have some hi-viz trousers.
so just about every eventually covered.
As said if it makes you 1% safer on the road then it's worth wearing

I'll have one.

Bargain at half the price. As my nan used to say.

I'll probably go for a medium or large, not sure which. :? Whats everyone else going for?

Let me know what to send, and where! (See how we have elected you to sort it all out :D )

lol, I've had the "sorry, didn't see you there lurve" when I got rear ended at a pedestrian crossing (forcing me to bunny hop onto the pedestrian crossing, only just missing the person on the crossing).

Having been splattered across the road, hi-vis still wouldn't have helped in my case, the driver would need to be awake to see it.

Yup, sign me up. Medium I reckon...

Just use your marshal jacket :)

Lol. Doesn't have the sleeves though, and I think it would make a good cycling jacket.

For a second, I thought that said "use Marshall's jacket"

http://upload4.postimage.org/584349/IMAGE_00094.jpg

Yes, I know it's technically a shirt.

Good Lord!!! :shock:

aaaaaah! my eyes!!!!!

I wear one when the weather/light is crap.

Have done ever since I saw two bikers near each other on the M25 in the rain, one was wearing hi-vis, one wasn't. The one with hi-vis stuck out a mile.

I can't help but think that especially when filtering, even though the cage drivers aren't going to be making much of an effort to spot me, I'm a bit more likely to be caught in the corner of their eye if I'm bright yellow.

Oh, incidentally, JJB sports are selling hi-vis vests for a measly 2 to 3 quid.

Maybe they're not the 'real' thing but they look pretty bleeeding bright to me.

All high viz compliant gear for health and saftey will have the British standards kite mark in it, so anything with the kite mark has to be ok with regard to reflective quality

I waer a high vis vest but mines extra special... :D
Has "WARNING, FEMALE RIDER WITH PMT!" on the back in reflective letters....car drivers keep well back.. :lol:

Worn one since I passed my test 7 years ago.

Like Northy said, on a late commute back from Leeds I swear it was the difference between minor bruises and concussion and a dead biker when I came of after being caught out by black ice.

The truck driver who stopped said if I hadn't have been wearing it he would probably have driven over me as I was unconscious on the side of the road. :shock:

Want one of those ! :twisted:

PMT, PMSL more like :) Thanks for that one :)

David