SEA OTTER CLASSIC 2010 – Light & Motion debuted their new VIS 180 and VIS 360 commuter lights at the Otter. Based on studies they did with riders and drivers, the VIS series create 180º and 360º angles of visibility and light respecively, eliminating the side and angle “blind spots” that can decrease a driver’s potential visibility of the cyclist.
Citing their research that says 96% of cyclists claim their biggest fear is getting hit from behind, they made the rear lights super bright and reflective. Interestingly, L&M found that only about 30% of car-bike accidents are rear collisions, but that they are 4x more likely to be fatal. They also found that 62% of accidents happen after 4pm, indicating better lights could help prevent accidents by making the cyclists easier to spot.
Both lights charge by Micro USB, which means you can use any new cell phone charger now that M-USB is (thankfully) standard, or just plug it into your computer. They have a battery life indicator and will charge in about 4.5 hours.
More details, run times, pricing and pics after the break…
The VIS 180 uses two side lights and one central rear light along with a large red reflector panel to create 180º of illumination.  It weighs in at 110g, runs for 4 hours at 35 lumens and retails for $99.99.
It uses a locking pivot point and can mount either on a seatpost (left) or seatstay (right) and still be angled correction for maximum visibility. When angled, the light is locked into the mount, but once you park your bike, you can fold it flat and slide the light out of the mount to prevent theft without having to undo the mount.
The VIS 360 is a helmet-mount system that uses separate front and rear lights. Up front, you have a 110 lumen headlamp with yellow side marker lights.
In the back, you have a three-LED rear light with two separate side lights like the VIS 180 for maximum side visibility. This system weighs just 128g and runs for 2.5 hours on high per charge. It has solid and blinking modes for the front (blink only on the rear).
While you wouldn’t want to mount the light this way (it would make the side lighting useless), it illustrates that the light attaches to the mount at 0º and 90º, meaning you can strap the mount to your helmet in either orientation depending on what your vents allow, and the light will still be able to attach correctly.
MSRP for the VIS 360 is $169.99.
