I agree with this sentence above though: "In safety you are trying to
> stand out. Conspicuity is the key element, not brightness per se. And if
> everyone wears hi-vis, people tend to ignore you." - I can accept a
> roadworker or a blind man wearing one, but when you see one every couple
> of minutes, they get ignored. It's like daytime running lights, we no
> longer see motorbikes and pedestrians, because our eyes are drawn to
> every single car's lights.
They rely on the reflective strips that some have. These have glass or plastic beads that reflect light back in the direction of the light source.