OK, that is a different situation. on the bike trail I ride frequently, at crossing such as you describe, the bike rider also has a stop sign which, I freely admit, I usually run.

In a technical sense, I routinely run stop signs, but,on the other hand,I treat all intersections as if I had a stop sign.I slow way down, and check before proceeding. My sense is that I have better control on a bike than if I were in a car, although the bike never completely stops forward motion.

If cyclists want a long and happy life, they should wear a helmet, light up their bikes in dim visibility beyond the legally mandated minimum, wear bright colored clothing always, and comply reasonably with traffic regulations. I have been regularly bike commuting since 1970, with a lot of recreational riding and extended during that time as well - no serious injuries in well over 100,000 miles (but two bikes lost in collisions).

Big +1. Around here, the biggest one they need to work on is bikes should be traveling with traffic on the right hand side when in traffic lanes.

I thought of this thread when I read this incident:

Zion National Park (UT)
Bicyclist Seriously Injured In Illegal Ride Through Tunnel

A group of eight bicyclists from Salt Lake City attempted to illegally bicycle through the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel in Zion National Park late on the afternoon of Friday, February 22nd. While doing so, two of the bicyclists apparently hit the tunnel wall and crashed.

One, a 51-year-old man, suffered significant head trauma and was transported to the hospital by the park ambulance. The second cyclist ran into the tunnel wall, sideswiping it and tearing his shirt. He refused medical care.

It is illegal to bicycle through the tunnel. To ensure the safety of bicyclists and that of passing traffic, bicyclists and pedestrians must be transported through the unlit, narrow, mile-long tunnel in a motor vehicle.

The bicyclists were part of a larger group of 12 who had arranged for a shuttle to take them to the other side, which is proper protocol. Apparently eight people in the group (including two minors) decided to ride through instead.

“As soon as we rounded the corner, it was like pitch black, and that’s where it happened,” said one of the bicyclists near the back of the group. “He was just lying there. They were in a bad spot, and only two of the bikers had little flashers. I thought, ‘someone else is going to get killed.’” He turned around and went back to the tunnel entrance to stop traffic from entering too fast.

“That was my first thought cause I didn’t want anybody else to get hurt,” he added. “It was really stupid what we’d done… I think we all learned our lesson and we now have to pay the price.”

“I just can’t believe that we put ourselves in that kind of situation,” said another member of the group.

Park rangers issued violation notices to group members.

[Submitted by Cindy Purcell, Chief Ranger]

Lights are a nescessity, but don't forget about clothing: A screaming yellow jacket or similar attention-grabber bright colors) is an important safety item. Reflective patches are good, too - but there is something about the neon yellow jacket that seems to grab the attention of even the most idiotic drivers, in particular in low light situations.


(Tbere is also a cult of cyclists who sincerely belive that wearing this yellow biking jacket will grant them legal immunity to traffic violations -- and magical powers, effectively making them invulnerable to the follies of motorists.)

Reflective clothes, stripes, tape, or whatever, is exceedingly more effective at night than any bright color. It reflects back light directly to the source with a much lower scatter rate than cloth ever will. Even a bright white shirt can be tough to spot at night. The same can be said for blaze orange, hi-vis green and yellow, etc. Hi vis colors are meant for daytime, and work well then, as they contrast against almost every other color.

Having been through that tunnel several times, all I can say is: Without lights? ARE YOU NUTS?

I usually think the NPS is overdoing the safety rules. For this and for requiring RVs to have an escort, I agree with them. Getting an RV through this tunnel undamaged with two way traffic requires a very good & experienced driver. Bicycles with lights would have traffic backed up until they reached the other end. IIRC there aren't any places where you can see far enough to be able to pass bicycles. There are several ventilation windows but I don't remember if you could use them for a bicycle turnout.

Reflective items are great,especially on the lower legs- gives instant ID...

In urban environment you have just too many blinking light sources -- it is really hard to make your reflexes and bike light stand out in that noisy environment: They are seen, but ignored among all the commercials, bling, street lights and other light sources...

On the positive side, in a crowded urban environment it will be plenty light to make that hi vis color jacket visible. It is immediately identified as a human torso shape, which even the most idiotic drivers are reluctant to run over. Unlike your average five-dollar tail light, which is just too easy to ignore if there's lots of other stuff moving about in the traffic.

The hi-vis jacket is no substitute for proper bike lights and reflexes -- it works along with them, and complements them.

If it's too dark for the jacket to be visible -- then your lights + reflexes are highly visible. And vice versa.

I just happened to run across this Wired article about a bike with a really interesting reflective paint. It looks like a normal, metallic paint by day, but at night, the entire frame and even the rims are lit up quite dramatically by any oncoming light source.

Doesn't particularly help your visibility when viewing the bike head-on or from the rear, but should be very visible and recognizable as a bicycle from any side angle, I would think.

It's wonderful to have this discussion about bicycle lighting techniques, but I still encounter too many with nothing at all for light. Just this morning, I was proceeding east on 118 before dawn.Suddenly there appeared a phantom cyclist, dark clothing, only a feeble rear blinky, and pedal reflectors. I was nearly abreast of the rider before I recognized him. Those are the folks who really need enlightenment.