Ok, let's say we mandate that all cyclists wear neon orange or yellow. Why should we stop there? Pedestrians are small. Motorcycles are small. Let's have everyone not in a semi-tractor/trailer wear neon. Heck, let's paint all the cars neon orange or yellow, so people can see them coming.

Every road user has a responsibility to control their vehicle and avoid hitting people or property. Mandating that certain road users are more visible would certainly help that, but it shifts the responsiblity onto the potential victim. It also engenders a false sense of safety. This is a bad thing. There are plenty of dangers that don't come wrapped in reflective paint that every road user has to watch out for - sharp objects, black ice, large holes or cracks in the pavement, etc. In limited visibility or at night, we're all supposed to be slowing down and being more careful. In my experience, few road users do, whether they have 2 wheels or 4 (or more).

My point is, we all need to slow down, be more careful and more aware. We all have a right to the road, but we also have a responsibility to be safe - we don't have the right to always travel the speed limit, and many of us forget that there is such a thing as "too fast for conditions". There are things in the night that are small, dangerous, and non-reflective. If you can't stop before hitting them, then you're driving (or riding) too fast for conditions.

Let's all come back alive, whatever we drive.