Be seen - be safe!

If you're cycling between dusk and dawn, or in poor weather, are you doing enough to make sure you're visible when riding your bike? Some food for thought:

• It is illegal to cycle without lights (white at the front and red at the back) when it's dark, which is broadly between sunset and sunrise. Use your common sense and switch them on when it starts to get gloomy. The police can give out £30 fixed penalty notices to cyclists who break the law. The rules are explained in detail here by the CTC.
  
  
• It is not true that you don't need lights if you ride on the pavement... riding on the pavement is also illegal, unless it is designated as a cycle path. In any case, you should use lights when it's dark.
  
  
• On roads with streetlights, you still need bike lights to help other road users see you. Bright and/or flashing lights do the job.
  
  
• There is a huge variety of lights available, with the brightest and most energy efficient today being LED-based lights. Halogen lights are also very bright but the batteries don't tend to last so well. Think about the type of night riding you tend to do - on lit streets your main priority is to be seen, but if you're on country roads you will need a broad, bright beam that lets you see the road ahead clearly.
  
  Flashing lights are now legal to have as your main light, and are excellent for making you obvious to other road users. However, make sure they are bright - don't rely on the cheap ones which tend to be weak and a yellow-green colour rather than white.
  
  Many lights now are rechargeable, and you can get rechargeable versions of most common battery types. There are even very bright wind-up lights! If you have to use standard batteries in your lights, get used to roughly how long they last, and carry spares. Don't wait for batteries to die completely before you charge or change them, as dim lights are next to useless. Lights tend to be brighter when first turned on after the batteries have "rested", so check them at the end of your journey.
  
  Don't forget to remove your lights when you park your bike, if they are removable. Otherwise someone else might...
  
  
• Reflective items (that shine brightly in headlights) are best at night, but bright/fluorescent clothes help you to be seen day and night, and in all weather. Many high-visibility items like coats and vests include both fluorescent and reflective parts, and safety gear comes in many varieties, from ankle bands and "Sam Browne" belts (waist belt and diagonal strap) to full waterproof jackets and trousers. It's not especially fashionable, but you don't have to be head to toe in neon yellow. Wear something bright - it might just save your life.
  
  
• You can also get a variety of reflective stickers and other reflectors to put on your bike, clothing, rucksack, helmet and so on. Some tyres have reflective stripes around the rim. Legally, your bike should always have clean, unbroken front, rear, spoke and pedal reflectors. But these are no substitute for lights!
  
  
• Where to buy: Lights and reflective/fluorescent clothing can be bought from a variety of places, including the Post Office on campus, the Dr Bike stall, most bike shops, and online such as from Wiggle. For clothing, you can also try work/safetywear shops and more general stores and markets - items marketed specifically at cyclists often have inflated prices. For example, fluorescent/reflective vests in the Post Office can be over £10, but we have seen very good ones on sale in Roy's (Magdalen Street) for just £4.99! While you do not have to pay the earth for a set of lights either, beware that cheap ones may not last as well.

Please remember - be seen, and be safe! If you are not clearly visible, you are endangering others as well as yourself. Other cyclists, motorists and pedestrians may have to take avoiding action if they don't see you until the last moment - possibly putting themselves and others in danger. Or they may not take avoiding action at all if they just don't see you. The behaviour of "stealth" cyclists also causes annoyance and turns other road users against bike users.

Last modified: 27th January 2010