mrjemm wrote:Sounds like you're arguing that because someone in hi-vis can be seen by a motorist, he'll get less space... despite making little sense to me, I think I'll stick to wearing hi-vis when I deem it suitable (i.e. when I remember or can be bothered); I'd rather be seen than not.
Which is fine except 1. the important thing is contrast not fluorescence (ride among the yellow sunflowers and other crops here while wearing yellow and you're not going to be seen); and 2. by visibly endorsing the idea that special clothes are helpful/safer for ordinary cycling you are helping to deter people from riding if they haven't spent money on the special gear.
Those two reasons combined with some informal testing of rides with/without hi-vis and counting the close passes (no significant effect, FWIW); and the general faff of remembering/carrying special clothes mean I put more reflective (which does seem to work, especially in low-light) tape on my bikes (because I forget the bike when riding) but rarely wear fluo any more.
Also, there was a small but not statistically significant reduction in the amount of verbal/horn abuse from other road users when not wearing hi-vis and helmet. Make of that what you will, but Ian Walker's research is probably more reliable than my counts.