TheUngeek: There is just no way you can safely ride in an urban area without facing your head towards other road users

GregV: It comes down to the consideration of the cyclist, so please don't lump us all together.

cgreenwood:

Reflectors are all that is needed to see a cyclist in the dark. The light is meant to be for the cyclist to see the road. Period.

That could not be more wrong, any cyclist relying on reflectors to be seen in the dark has a death wish. Lights are primarily to help you be seen, some people use them to help see too.

keewee01: 
Right and wrong - a red light on the rear is to help be seen, but a light on the front is primarily to see the road surface immediately in front of you. If you need to have something else on the front to make you visible then mount something with a moderate flash on your handlebars, but don't mount or wear something with such a stupidly bright flash that flashes so rapidly that it is strobing. That is over kill and more than likely (by what others have posted) illegal due to it distraction and blinding effects (from the NZTA website: Your lights can be a hazard if used incorrectly. You must not use cycle lighting equipment in such a way that it dazzles, confuses, or distracts so as to endanger the safety of other road users.).

jfanning:

keewee01: 
Right and wrong - a red light on the rear is to help be seen, but a light on the front is primarily to see the road surface immediately in front of you. If you need to have something else on the front to make you visible then mount something with a moderate flash on your handlebars, but don't mount or wear something with such a stupidly bright flash that flashes so rapidly that it is strobing. That is over kill and more than likely (by what others have posted) illegal due to it distraction and blinding effects (from the NZTA website: Your lights can be a hazard if used incorrectly. You must not use cycle lighting equipment in such a way that it dazzles, confuses, or distracts so as to endanger the safety of other road users.).

A front flashing light is not illegal, using any light to distract other road users is, don't restrict your statement to cyclists, this relates to all road users, it is no different than a car driver leaving their lights on full.  In saying that the law doesn't say what the maximum brightness of a light can be.

• Your lights can be a hazard if used incorrectly. You must not use cycle lighting equipment in such a way that it dazzles, confuses, or distracts so as to endanger the safety of other road users.

keewee01:

Oh definitely it relates to all road users. Urban drivers with lights on full are far and few between (certainly around the Hutt Valley) - I've not seen one in months - but yes, the same does apply to them. In those same few months I have been blinded on several occasions (by what I assume were seperate/different cyclists) because they were in different places/situations; I have been highly distracted by strobing, bright LEDs on a bike, and I have seen a cyclist light up a ridiculously huge area with his bike light. I have also seen an insane amount of people who have a car headlight broke! I saw 3 in 30 seconds last night alone, and another 60 seconds later. (Again most probably don't realise, but should start to wonder why people are flashing their lights at them)

No, the law doesn't say what the maximum brightness can be, but from my very first post the NZTA say

• Your lights can be a hazard if used incorrectly. You must not use cycle lighting equipment in such a way that it dazzles, confuses, or distracts so as to endanger the safety of other road users.

It is highly likely that many of those who are offending have absolutely no idea they are offending, a small number will know and won't care, but most probably don't realise. They should start to wonder though why other road users are flashing their lights, etc at them.

GregV:
Which of these do you consider more dipped?

jfanning:

keewee01: 
Reflectors are all that is needed to see a cyclist in the dark. The light is meant to be for the cyclist to see the road. Period.

So whos fault is it when I am cycling with front and rear (handle bar mounted for the front) lights on, reflective jacket on (hi viz), and reflectors on the bike, on a main road (ie well lit) yet cars still try and run over me?

Fred99: I wonder about the overall safety of strobing head/tail lights used by cyclists.
I'm certain that I've read a detailed paper (from USCG?) relating to use of strobing "man overboard" lights in marine rescue. a particular problem identified was that although the strobe allowed brighter light/longer battery life and potential greater "range", there was a significant problem in rescue as the strobing interfered with human depth perception / distance estimation, for example making it extremely hard in pitch-black (and probably in other ways inclement) conditions to locate a MOB with strobe, and manoeuvre a rescue boat for pick-up. I believe the paper also noted that without some other visual reference at night, it was much harder to pinpoint strobe location from rescue helicopters. I believe that the conclusion of that report was that it was still better to have a strobing light with those limitations, than a non-strobing light with insufficient range - or a flat battery.

My gut feeling is that it's the same for cyclists at night - sure you notice the strobed light, but estimating distance is not easy unless there's another visual clue.