Bonus:If blinking lights would be a good idea wouldnt cars also have them?
In my experience, the more harrowing near misses with cars have been where they don't seem to be aware that I'm there, rather than that I'm not moving at the speed they expect. If they know that they can't accurately assess my speed, they'll most likely be more cautious.
I wonder whether the best light is two: one which is always on and one which is flashing. Flashing lights are to get drivers' attention even when it is in peripheral vision, and the steady light is for speed/position estimation.
Patterns are also common e.g. strip of 5 LEDs with 2 on at a time, sequence changes a few times a second.
Anecdotal, but in my experience pulsing lights signfificantly reduce SMIDSYs over solid lights along. (I ride around 2hrs a day, in the dark in winter months)
Even more effective than pulsing lights is helmet lights. When you scan the road you're creating moving light and much more likely to be seen. A quick glance at a motorist waiting at a T-junction to pull out and you've maximised your chances of having been seen.
The most effective strategy I've found is to do a little waggle if you see a car ahead lining up to turn. The movement catches their attention and makes them realize you're not a car that's really far away
My instructor called it the "SMIDSY weave", but cautioned that the car waiting to turn might see your light going in/out of their vision as you flashing your lights and giving them permission to turn across you.
He also talked about creating a triangle of lights (headlight + 2 aux lights either side) as it helped people judge your closing speed, vs. the standard headlight alone.
Bicycle lights exists to be visible and draw attention so I don't kill you (last thing I want). That said, blinking lights means I can't guess your speed or whether there is more than one bike. Both matters.
Drivers don't need super accurate estimates of bicycle speed; the speed is generally "low, but perhaps faster than you might think, so pad your estimate".
Vehicles that need to be seen like police, fire, paramedic, road safety, all have flashing lights. Indeed cats have flashing lights to use when they're causing a hazard.
I suspect you're right WRT difficult to estimate distance/approach speed for vehicles with only a flashing light, but not sure about combinations of constant and intermittent lights.
Bonus: in UK cyclists may use flashing lights but only on clothing IIRC, at least they need separate constant lights on their bicycles.
At night your cycle MUST have white front and red rear lights lit. It MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85). White front reflectors and spoke reflectors will also help you to be seen. Flashing lights are permitted but it is recommended that cyclists who are riding in areas without street lighting use a steady front lamp.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-cycli...
In old times, police cars would have rotating lights, and I found those much easier to track. So if one uses flashing lights, there should also be some constant level of light to make positioning of the source easier.
Just spent a minute imagining my cat with his eyes brightly blinking on and off just before he jumps onto my cluttered desk and knocks things over, or starts rubbing up against my feet trying to trip me up; then sadly realised you meant cars...