Much of my commute is on unlit A and B roads with a particularly dodgy 3 mile section of dead straight Roman road. Consequently I need front lights to actually see where I am going and rear lights with enough clout to show up at range. I use a Lezyne mega Drive up front, now 2 years old and going strong, and a combination of Knog Blinder R and Exposure Flare R at the rear. I find that the brighter the rear lights get, the wider the cars pass.
unlit A and B roads...rear lights with enough clout
The darker it is, the less clout your rear light needs. Being seen from 10 miles away is pointless, you just need the driver to see you in time to take whatever action is needed to avoid mowing you down, which is about 300 yards at most.
Much of my commute is on unlit A and B roads with a particularly dodgy 3 mile section of dead straight Roman road. Consequently I need front lights to actually see where I am going and rear lights with enough clout to show up at range. I use a Lezyne mega Drive up front, now 2 years old and going strong, and a combination of Knog Blinder R and Exposure Flare R at the rear. I find that the brighter the rear lights get, the wider the cars pass.