--- "Bill S." <kb7vkl@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Have you ever been going down the interstate at
> night and seen a big
> rig that just got passed by another big rig flash
> its lights? That
> lets the passer know that it's clear for him to go
> ahead and pull back
> into the right lane. In other words; flashing
> headlights like that
> mean go ahead and go. That's not the signal you want
> to send.
The reason the bike makers have included this feature
in the newer models is for safety. It tend to make the
biker more visible to the average automobile driver. A
flashing light catches the eye better than one that is
one steady because the human eye is drawn to movement.
A flashing light draws this attention. That's the
reason most emergency vehicles have a relay switch
installed (I think its called the wig wag switch) to
alternately flash the headlights to attract attention.
This type of switch can be installed and when
activated causes the headlights to rapidly flash.
That's not what I want to do. I'm worried about cross
traffic pulling out in front of me. You're right about
the truckers though. I flash my headlights for them as
well because its hard sometimes for them to gauge when
they are clear. When a trucker goes by me on my bike,
I make sure I can see him in his mirrors so I know he
can see me. I also make sure to ease up a bit so I
know he's clear before he starts to move over and I
also try to make sure I have an escape route, just in
case. The difference is a trucker is a professional
driver. With the requirements for a CDL, he has to be.
He understands the deal with flashing lights. I
believe the average motorist goes "Huh? Whats that
light flashing for?" and takes a moment to look closer
and as a biker that has lost friends to "cagers" that
what I'm looking for. That monentary second look.
Also, I have a riding bud back on the east coast that
has a newer Triumph that has the "flash to pass"
switch installed from the factory. I've been riding
with him and seen a car start to pull out in front of
him and he flashed his headlight with that switch. The
car stopped dead in its tracks. When we stopped for a
break a few miles down the road, the driver of the car
stopped in beside us and apologized for almost pulling
out in front of him. He said he hadn't seen the bike
until he saw the headlight flashing.
.
.
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