Flashing or fixed? Which bike lights work best?

The days might be getting longer, but we're still weeks away from the bike light-free commute. So the big question remains: Flashing or fixed?

LED lights offer increasingly complex lighting patterns, and have become the default choice, but might that in itself be counterproductive? Is it helpful for drivers to consciously, or subconsciously, associate flashing rear lights with cyclists?

Driver psychology is a fascinating area of research. For example, when professor of environmental psychology at Swansea University, Dr Ian Walker, monitored cars as they overtook cyclists wearing a variety of clothing, all outfits in the study (except the one with the word 'police') were treated exactly the same.

Before the advent of LED technology, static bicycle lights were pretty feeble. However, fixed beam rear lights are now at least as bright as a motorcycle's brake light. Might it be beneficial for a cyclist to be mistaken for a motorised road user in this way?

Whatever the case, flashing draws the eye and steady allows drivers to assess speed. In other words, why not enjoy the best of both worlds and run your bike with one of each?

The battle for blinkers

Campaigners lobbied against mandatory rear lights for bicycles for most of the first half of the twentieth century. The law aimed to improve safety, but campaigners feared it would mark a change in road culture. Their belief was that drivers have a responsibility to look out for pedestrians and other road users who are not illuminated. The campaign against mandatory rear lights is now little more than a historical curiosity, but it resonates with those who object to today's high-vis evangelism.

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The ethical choice

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