Bike Safety at Night
Bicycling in traffic is an inherently dangerous activity. Bikes are smaller, lighter, slower and fewer in number than their two-ton counterparts. Some hardcore cyclists refer to cars as "death machines" for good reason. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, 716 cyclists perished on U.S. roads in 2008 and 52,000 were injured in 2007. For obvious reasons--just close your eyes--the stakes are raised at night.
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The Law
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Most states have laws mandating the use of lights and reflectors when you bike at night. While laws vary from place to place, California's law is a representative example. According to the California Highway Patrol, you must outfit your bike with a white front light, visible from 300 feet away. California, like many other states, as of June 2010, does not require a rear light. Rather, they legislate use of a red reflector on the back of your bike, along with reflectors on your pedals and wheels. Relying primarily on reflectors, though, might not provide optimal nighttime bicycling safety.
Misconceptions
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Writing at the late bicycling expert Sheldon Brown's website, John Schubert claims that reflectors simply do not cut it. It's not that they don't work at all. When a vehicle's headlight, for example, shines on a reflector, it does its job. It makes your bike visible. The problem, according to Schubert, is that reflectors have limitations. If they are tilted at the wrong angle or outside of a vehicle's headlight beam, they do very little, if anything. Reflectors emit a narrow strip of light that could be outside of a driver's field of vision. Plus, if the weather is foggy or a car's headlamp is burnt out, your reflectors simply don't function properly.
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On Lights
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Lights are the best option to keep you safe when bicycling at night. Randy Swart, director of BHSI, makes a good suggestion. He uses a car headlight. He conceded that his contraption is heavy, but contends that drivers are conditioned to notice and respond to car-style lights, not the pinpoint light common to many bicycle headlights. You might not need to go this far, however. LED technology has come a long way for both front and rear lights. Lights are brighter and take a while to burn through batteries. Some are even rechargeable. Most importantly, as Swart indicates, make your lights cause a scene with flashing, blinking, multiple lights moving up and down.
Considerations
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There are other ways to make yourself visible. Many bike shops sell lights that mount to a bicycle helmet. For additional lights, attach a few to your backpack or messenger bag--the more the better. Wear bright clothing when you ride. You can also purchase reflective strips that attach to your bike or your person. When you ride alone at night, you put yourself at greater risk. Try to ride with at least one other person, if not in a group.
Noise
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Reflectors, lights and special attire are not the only ways to stay safe when bicycling at night. Make noise. When you think you are about to be in harm's way or if you are already there, you have to do everything in your power to get a motorist's attention to avoid injury or death. While this applies during the day, it is even more important at night when cyclists can be tougher to see. Bells and whistles work fine, but your voice is a great tool to alert people. Yell. Make a bird call. Sing. You want to have the effect of an ambulance siren. Cause people to stop and look around. When they stop, you have a window to extricate yourself from a tricky situation.
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References
- Photo Credit bicycle light stop image by Derek Abbott from Fotolia.com
