text: Yes, and I hate them. They make it very difficult to see down the block and determine whether or not a car is coming. They are the same wave lengths as modern bike lights, so we get lost in the glare, and even on the bike paths they are blinding. (Add in the fact that some idiot put them in what should be the clear-zone of the bike path so that they present a substantial additional hazard in the event of a mishap, and I'm really, really not a fan.)
  
  As far as cyclists being especially vulnerable, when all things are considered, being in a car is equally dangerous as being on a bike on a per hour basis, and much more dangerous from the standpoint of traumatic brain injuries. Crashes can kill or maim no matter one's mode, but cyclists have better ability to avoid them than motorists. We all have an interest in safe roads, but for some reason many motorists resist the low-hanging fruit of removing dangerous drivers by increasing patrols.