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@Greenbank
Indeed, my lights for a London commute were a very different setup to the lights I'd use on a long distance ride.
On Paris-Brest-Paris (1200km Audax) flashing rear lights were specifically banned in the regulations, and marshals would stop people leaving controls (and en route) if they spotted any. I think this was mostly due to the fact that it was easier to mandate "no flashing" than the ideal goal of "flashing but not obnoxious".
For visibility bright things that move about a lot catch the eye better than fixed lights (as in fixed mounting, they could be steady or flashing or both). It's one of the reasons I used to use Shimano Click'r SPD pedals on my bikes as they have built in reflectors (and are double sided, single sided SPDs are a pain). I'd also double up with some retro-reflective 'slapwrap' ankle straps as the retro-reflective bits on the backs of my SPD shoes weren't that great (but still helped).
Pedal reflectors are surprisingly visible and there are many times I've been driving out in the sticks and passenger/driver has said "what are those weird lights moving around way up ahead?". I'd instinctively marked it as a cyclist but plenty of non-cyclist drivers don't recognise them from a great distance and this can be a good thing.
Of course, there's nothing much you can do for someone in a car behind you that just thinks "Fucking wanker cyclist ahead, I'll close pass them to teach them a lesson." There but for the grace of the Sky Fairy go I.