I’ve hated “hot takes” for quite a while but I’ve usually only dealt with one at a time. Some are creative and worth thought. Others, like the notion that flashing bike lights are more dangerous, are just plain silly moral contortions that deserve only to be chucked into obscurity as an attempt at coming off as intellectually superior while sounding just shy of nuts.
In the iteration above, some genius came up with the concept that blinky lights are more dangerous, and presumably shouldn’t be used, because they make the roads unsafe for other users. Why? Because motorists will pay more attention to those who use blinky lights than other road users who don’t use a blinky light.
Um, if they make roads unsafe for people who don’t use them, it’s because blinky lights freaking work! They make the road safer for those who use them.
In fact, if you look at any action photo of my wife’s or my (or our) bikes, every one has a Garmin Varia blinky attached to the seat tube. Every one, without fail. Because they work.
Now, ask me how I know they work. Please.
We’ve had police stop members of our group and tell us how awesome our Varia blinky lights are, that they can be seen from almost a mile away. Folks, it doesn’t get better than that for road safety.
This has been a public service announcement, brought to you by the best blinky light I’ve ever used, the Garmin Varia. Thank you Garmin. Enough said.
Hot take be damned. Asshats.
