The Case Against Bright-as-the-Sun Flashing Bike Lights

Next City – the Works

Daylight Saving Time is over. Darkness falls before you can start your evening commute. And all around the country, a scourge is rearing its ugly, eyeball-searing head.

I’m talking about the insanely bright, flashing headlights that are now standard equipment for bike commuters. During rush hour in bike-heavy Seattle where I live it is impossible to ride more than a few minutes at a stretch without getting blasted with another retina-shocking dose of flashing light from another biker heading in the opposite direction. I’m sure it’s the same in your city.

Flashing headlights are, of course, employed in the name of safety. Biking in the dark is incredibly dangerous if nobody can see you. But there is a line between personal comfort and the comfort and safety of the other people on the road. And when set on flashing mode, the current generation of overly powerful headlights is well over that line.

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