Visibility aid cycling clothing: flashing light-emitting diode (FLED) configurations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate drivers’ differing psychological perceptions of cyclists’ conspicuity according to active visibility aid configurations on clothing. Design/methodology/approach – The flashing light-emitting diodes (FLEDs) were positioned on the major joints (shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles) in eight configurations and pre- and post-surveys were conducted. Findings – The results indicated that there were significant differences among the eight configurations in observers’ detection and recognition of cyclists, contributions of FLEDs, and visibility of cyclists ( p <0.001). Among the eight different configurations on joints, FLEDs on the hips, knees, and ankles were the most detectable, recognizable, and visible. Originality/value – Most of the previous studies have investigated passive visibility aids and there is a lack of research on FLED configurations on major joints for cyclists. Thus, this study is expected to be beneficial to designers when developing active visibility aid clothing for cyclists.