Yellow does not always improve your visibility

[DrBee]

Well, sometimes it doesn't.

I was riding yesterday morning and one of my coworkers was pulling out from his street onto the street I was riding on. I was approaching him and he almost pulled out and hit me. Luckily he slammed on his brakes and didn't pull out. I work at home on Tuesdays, so my first chance to talk to him was today. He said that the yellow jersey I was wearing blended in with the early morning sun (he was pulling out to the east - I was coming from the east). The thing that caught his eye was not my blinking headlight or my yellow gloves or yellow jersey, but my black shorts.

So I know many of us do early morning rides - especially with this heat. Be careful and mindful that you might be blending in with the sun and somewhat invisible. Scary!

[mimitabby]

sheesh. thank goodness for overcast weather!

[DebW]

Here on the east coast, the majority of people commute east in the morning and west in the afternoon. At certain times of year, the solar glare is a major problem and often responsible for traffic jams. Sometimes you end up biking into the glare and almost unable to see. Then you think: "If I can't see the road, drivers can't see me either". Scary.

[tulip]

Hi-viz yellow is supposed to be more visible in cities, while bright orange is supposed to be more visible in rural areas.

I think drivers should actively look for cyclists, however.

[pooks]

Sounds like a good reason to wear contrast -- yellow and black worked. If one thing blends in, hopefully the other won't.

[Veronica]

I think it's cool you got feedback. Yeah... I know it was a coworker. But he took the time to mention it, instead of just forgetting/repressing that he almost killed you.

V.