# How is this supposed to help? (Dumb product **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 17, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077 "2013-09-17T18:43:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077/21 "2013-09-17T20:37:04Z")
I don’t see how that helps. If a car is changing lanes I don’t see them checking the asphalt in front & to the right of their car. I’d say the mirror is the thing to utilize and a headlight is best for that. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077/22 "2013-09-17T21:02:33Z")
Obviously, loud pipes are the answer. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077/23 "2013-09-17T21:32:51Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Obviously, loud pipes are the answer. 😃 Eat them beans! ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077/24 "2013-09-17T21:45:01Z")
I think the key to making cyclists safer on the roads is to put damned front and rear lights on all the bikes that don’t have any in the first place. All of my “oh shit, I almost hit that cyclist” moments have involved bikers with no lights. There are plenty of more than adequate lamps available already. Technology doesn’t solve the problem, a change in behavior does. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077/25 "2013-09-17T21:45:57Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Eat them beans! Damn. I as soon as I saw there was a reply to this thread I thought something along these lines, like “Taco Bell: the Serious Cyclist’s Safety Diet.” Excellent, ninja-san. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077/26 "2013-09-17T21:53:50Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Damn. I as soon as I saw there was a reply to this thread I thought something along these lines, like “Taco Bell: the Serious Cyclist’s Safety Diet.” Excellent, ninja-san. I do not need skid marks on the chamois, thankyouverymuch. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077/27 "2013-09-18T01:08:38Z")
I can see it being quite effective. As drivers get distracted wondering what that moving green glob on the road is, they crash into the _other_ cyclist who does not have a laser doohickey. Works like a charm! ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077/28 "2013-09-18T02:36:00Z")
I think I like [this one](http://www.thisiswhyimbroke.com/bike-lane-light)better, assuming it works. It projects a red bike lane to the side of your rear wheel and behind you. [This](http://inhabitat.com/xfire-safety-light-lets-you-create-your-own-laser-generated-bike-lane-for-safer-night-cycling/) might be the same one, or something similar. And [here’s](http://www.amazon.com/Pellor-Bicycle-Outdoor-Cycling-Camping/dp/B0087N1XXU) another one on Amazon. You have to click through their photos to see what it looks like on the street. It just seems that having “stay back this far” lines to the side and behind you would be more effective. I don’t bicycle, but I’d be more worried about what was coming up behind me that what was in front of me. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077/29 "2013-09-18T02:55:03Z")
What’s actually more critical is cars in front of you. The majority of bike/car accidents are caused by right hook/left hook situations where frankly a headlight is more important than some laser gadget. I can’t see how the tailight laser would do much good. A red tailight is more important than some arbitrary lane drawing. Being hit from the rear is actually pretty rare. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077/30 "2013-09-18T02:58:54Z")
I think it has potential. A bicycle is invisible to a motorist unless it’s the only thing on the road reflecting light back. by this I mean a bicycle tends to melt into surrounding lights. The Laser image on the other hand is going to be very distinctive and it will move back and forth with each little movement of the bike. It’s more likely to catch someone’s eye. As to blinding someone I suspect the laser is reflected against a spinning mirror so as to draw the image on the ground. However it’s done the light is spread out to create the image and will not be focused on one spot. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077/31 "2013-09-18T06:55:03Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Quote from the article: > > “While studying I knew the problem that I wanted to tackle very clearly: sideswiping or blind spot incidents where vehicles turn across a cyclist’s path.” > > So if a biker is riding alongside or slightly behind a vehicle it projects the light up where the driver might see it easier and not change lanes or turn into the bike. I think it’s a great idea to tackle this problem, but I think this product might actually make the problem worse - the most noticeable feature of the rider is now a spot on the road, some distance ahead of the bike - this could actually trick drivers into (not consciously) thinking that the time to pull out is the time when the green spot has cleared the intended path - i.e. just as the bike and rider are entering it. I’d have thought that something like a projected circle around the rider’s current position would be better. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077/32 "2013-09-18T14:42:08Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I think it’s a great idea to tackle this problem, but I think this product might actually make the problem worse - the most noticeable feature of the rider is now a spot on the road, some distance ahead of the bike - this could actually trick drivers into (not consciously) thinking that the time to pull out is the time when the green spot has cleared the intended path - i.e. just as the bike and rider are entering it. > > I’d have thought that something like a projected circle around the rider’s current position would be better. There’s a reason school buses have that arm that swings out from the front; to prevent little kids from crossing right along the bumper, where they are too low to be visible because of sight lines. Same thing with this, if it projects right in front of the car the driver turning right won’t be able to see it. However, there might be some benefit for a driver turning left. Personally when I ride at night, I’m lit up like a Christmas tree & can probably be spotted by airplanes, too. I use as many as 6 lights, including 3 strobes on my back & 3/2 strobes on front. I think that shining down instead of out won’t be as noticeable & I wouldn’t buy one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-supposed-to-help-dumb-product/669077.md?page=1)