With so many municipalities in the U.S. having to make cuts due to tax reduced revenues, street maintenance is one of the areas where cuts are being made, and "really strong" headlights would be helpful for those riding bikes at night, since, as I mentioned earlier, those holes and cracks in the pavement can be annoying to automobile drivers, but can also be life-threatening to bicyclists.

Having a strong light pointed far out into the distance doesn't help with seeing holes and obstacles, but, as you say, it can be VERY confusing to others on the road.

Here in the U.S. there are few cyclists who don't drive, though there are many drivers who don't cycle.

Not too long ago, I heard an inteview on the radio. The reporter was interviewing a spokesman for the cycling community, and that spokesman was reinforcing many of the beliefs of non-cycling drivers, that cyclists want to be exempted from having to obey traffic laws. It happens that I personally disagree with the notion that cyclists should be permitted to ride on the sidewalks, run through stop-signs and red traffic lights, and be exempt from taxation, licensing requirements, and liability for damage that they cause. I understand that when a car and bicycle collide, the cyclist usually pays the heavier price, but I've seen, so often, that cyclists do things that are entirely stupid both in terms of their own safety and in terms of public relations. They disregard simple principles of common courtesy on the road, which, after all, they're required to share.

It would not upset me to have bicycles and their drivers be registered and licensed, pay taxes on the roads they share, and pay fines comparable with those paid by automobile drivers when they're caught violating the traffic laws. They should be required to stop at stop-signs, yield to pedestrians in the crosswalks, and obey the traffic signals lights just as an autombile driver would be required to do. Further, registerijng and licensing bikes and their operators would probably help reduce the number of bicycle thefts and subsequent sale of those stolen bikes. Requiring cyclists to signal turns would help prevent unanticipated turns by cyclists that result in serious injury to, guess what, the cyclist, and requiring them to have to meet a minimal requirement of lighting and reflectors would do the same.

People have argued that such restrictions would be an unfair burden on young bicycle riders. I disagree. Youngsters should learn from day-1 that there are traffic laws and they are required to obey them, just as they're required tp obey other laws. 5-year olds don't have the judgment to be out in traffic anyway, so they should simply be required to be accompanied by a licensed adult. This will probably never happen, but I think it would be a good thing for everyone.

RE