Brian I agree with you and never assuming you can be seen. I too have a 12
volt system and I ride I bike I know I can not be seen by cars coming on to the
road way from a drive or an alleyway. I ride a low racing recumbent. I am below
window level and I know that drivers can not see through sheet metal. I also
know I can see their lights as they approach the roadway. I have found they can
see my light also. I slow down and they stop when they see the pavement lit up
by my lights.
When a driver is Pavlovian trained to stop when they see the
cross pavement lit by head lights. I have witnessed every driver stop,
that I have approached from the side at night with my 12 volt system. In
the world of dim low lumen bike lights, cars could not see you. Few people can
afford 12 volt high lumen lights.
Now there is a much more cost effective high lumen lamps out there. My
12 volt system cost $360 now led lights with similar Lumen output are $60
retail, $30 cost. My 12 volt system would last up to 3 hours on a huge
battery, now led lights with similar Lumen output last 300 hours on 4 AA
batteries.
My points are simple: Great lights are affordable by the masses now.
Point two: Most people do not know about the brighter lamps and choose lights
that keep them invisible to traffic because of the lack of education from bike
shops to their customers.
I like that lights are so much less money for the amount of light they put
out. I have a handle bar in the shop with 6 different lamps on it. I have a
customer go to the far side of the room and I turn on each light and let them
look at difference between older flash lights or blinking lights, and the new
more powerful advanced LED lights. Sale made. NO BS, Compare/ contrast and sell.
I also took photographs of all the lights aimed at a white wall 40 feet
away. I printed the photos and use that as a sales tool also. This is what the
light really looks like and how wide a beam it puts out at the brightness level
compared to the other lights I sell.
There will always be people that choose the $12 dollar lights, Given a
choice people will choose the brighter lights also.