"i'm Afraid They Won't See Me." Whine, Whine.....

[Trusting]

Married? If so, you'll relate to this. You know how it is when the wife gets an idea in her head and no matter how you try to reason with her you couldn't blast it out with dynamite?

In my case a main reason I want an Elio is to reduce the miles she puts on her Xterra. (Just this afternoon she's driveing it 100 miles round trip to spend a couple of days with the grand kids!) My theory is, it's better to spend $8,000 now on the Elio than to spend $30,000 on a new SUV after she's worn out the Xterra. Of course this theory only works if she'll actually drive the Elio.

"People won't see me.", "they'll run over me." "they'll hit me from behind.", "They'll hit me from the side.", "they'll change lanes into me.", "they'll run over my front wheels" etc., etc..... I've heard just about everything except they'll fall on the roof.

So, here's the thing. How do I make an Elio more visible to other drivers? I don't feel the front and side views are a problem, it's the view from the rear that's the weak spot. The only things I've come up with so far is an LED light bar above the top of the hatch which comes on with the brake lights and some reflective tape on the rear end and the backs of the fenders. Tape looks bad but might help (see image). If any of you have a good idea I would love to hear it. Of course, coming up with an idea is only half the battle, next I'll have to convince the wife. Thanks much.

 

[John Painter]

Married? If so, you'll relate to this. You know how it is when the wife gets an idea in her head and no matter how you try to reason with her you couldn't blast it out with dynamite?

In my case a main reason I want an Elio is to reduce the miles she puts on her Xterra. (Just this afternoon she's driveing it 100 miles round trip to spend a couple of days with the grand kids!) My theory is, it's better to spend $8,000 now on the Elio than to spend $30,000 on a new SUV after she's worn out the Xterra. Of course this theory only works if she'll actually drive the Elio.

"People won't see me.", "they'll run over me." "they'll hit me from behind.", "They'll hit me from the side.", "they'll change lanes into me.", "they'll run over my front wheels" etc., etc..... I've heard just about everything except they'll fall on the roof.

So, here's the thing. How do I make an Elio more visible to other drivers? I don't feel the front and side views are a problem, it's the view from the rear that's the weak spot. The only things I've come up with so far is an LED light bar above the top of the hatch which comes on with the brake lights and some reflective tape on the rear end and the backs of the fenders. Tape looks bad but might help (see image). If any of you have a good idea I would love to hear it. Of course, coming up with an idea is only half the battle, next I'll have to convince the wife. Thanks much.

I've never had a problem being seen on my motorcycle, though for the past several years I've warn high viz jacket and helmet, I'm not concerned with Elio's lights, but in this day and age it's ridiculously easy to plaster LED lights anywhere, the whole tail end could be lit up. I think if one wanted to put some lights on those cowlings, some 8mm adhesive wire and stick it to the upper control arm and run it on the outside of the cowling to the back of it and put on an adhesive LED strip or some such set up. Just the same I'm comfortable with motorcycle lights, and the ELIO has way more than my XR so I'm leaving it stock.

 

[Inigo93]

FWIW... You can get reflective tape in more colors than just orange. My wife had some on her motorcycle that was *black*. Seriously, to just look at the bike you couldn't even tell it was there, but shine a light on it....

....Yeah, you get the picture. Point being that you absolutely should be able to put reflective tape on it without it looking like ass no matter what your definition of ass happens to be.

 

[KenK]

I think drivers are more likely to crash into each other while they gawk at her Elio. At least until they are more common place. Not sure what can make a safety-cone orange Elio stand out more than it does already during the day, but maybe this will help her at night:

 

[John-b-gone]

I think drivers are more likely to crash into each other while they gawk at her Elio. At least until they are more common place. Not sure what can make a safety-cone orange Elio stand out more than it does already during the day, but maybe this will help her at night:

Looks like a great product, I went to their web site only to be discouraged by this: "The spray disappears when washed". A possible replacement and much less expensive, tho I have no experience with it is this: http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-21...xgy_200_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1DV16P4GQYKG3492KHAK

 

[Sethodine]

My plan is to put some of THIS STUFF onto my Elio:

An actual photo of the stuff in action:

 

[Coss]

Looks like a great product, I went to their web site only to be discouraged by this: "The spray disappears when washed". A possible replacement and much less expensive, tho I have no experience with it is this: http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-21...xgy_200_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1DV16P4GQYKG3492KHAK

Does this make any sense; they state 1 can $5.94 or 6 can $50.07
Umm with my old style math 6x$5.94=$35.64
That has to be that new core math to come up with $50 for a 6pk.

 

[Coss]

My plan is to put some of THIS STUFF onto my Elio:

An actual photo of the stuff in action:

Think I would rather have this LED Paint

 

[Sethodine]

Think I would rather have this LED Paint

I've heard about that stuff. Once they have it in a form that can be applied at home I'd definitely go with that! But for now, the reflective tape is pretty easy to put on

 

[John-b-gone]

Think I would rather have this LED Paint

My introduction to the Elio was on the TV program " The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation". They had that LED paint on that same program. I've been recording that show ever since.