"Almosts" just seem to happen. Richard, I try to be pretty humble on the road - AND *I* had an 'almost' this morning. Fairly busy road, about 11:30 am, four laner (2 in each direction). There is room on the shoulder for me, so I am not obstructing a lane. Commercial/residential area. You watch! You check the mirror, see who is coming. Watch for turners - right's taken in front of you, lefts from oncoming traffic. Sometimes it just sneaks up on you. I was approaching an intersection, green light, traveling with traffic, no turners coming up behind me. Just AS I was getting to this intersection a medium sized box truck passed me in the right lane. Man, as he crossed the intersection, an oncoming SUV lady was trying to make a left turn - she was crossing INTO me. Clearly she hadn't seen ME because the big box truck had hidden me from her view. She was looking off to her right too - beyond me at oncoing traffic behind me. I yelled, she slammed on brakes, no harm, no foul. Whew! Sometimes I think my last words in this life will be an inartuculate yell like that. The point being no matter how high viz I am, that truck obscured the view (he didn't mean to). Just a combination of bad circumstances that came together too quickly for me to recognize or react.

I've had a few near misses. I bet we all have. Heck, you know I've been hit, too. The more miles, the better (worse?) your odd's, I guess. I like to do all I can to lengthen those odds. The flag helps (if nothing but my peace of mind). Vigilance helps. Part of my selection of bikes is that I don't want to go so low that I can't see, or be seen.

But, as a friend says (I love this quote), "Nothing is foolproof for the sufficiently talented fool."

Be careful out there.

As Mark Twain is reported to have said, "You can make something foolproof, but you can't make it damn-foolproof."

I don't do anything more than front and rear lights and that's only at dusk and dawn. Like Mark said, I too get plenty of friendly (I think) honks and waves. Now, if I were on a Trike, that would be a different story. I would definately have something to help me stand out.

Walt

You can't stand on a trike, the back wheel would come up and hit you in the gazoonkus.

Some of my bents have the flag along with blinky lights, others just the light....I do feel much better letting people know I am moving. Some move over a lot and I wonder 'am I wobbling that much?................
peace