3 Useful Tips for Safer Night Cycling

On the whole, cycling is a safe mode of transportation. While it’s true that if a cyclist and a motorist collide it’s the cyclist who’s more likely to be injured, those collisions aren’t as frequent as you might think. However, accidents do happen, and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), most of those accidents happen at night and in urban areas. To that end, let’s go over a few useful tips for how you can cycle safely at night, particularly in urban areas with heavy traffic.

Use High-visibility Gear

High-visibility gear is one of your best defenses against cycling injuries when traveling at night. If it lights up, reflects, or otherwise indicates your presence to motorists, use it. Reflective tape, for instance, can be placed on your seat, wheels, gear, and even onto your clothing while you travel at night. When headlights hit the tape, it lights up and tells drivers you’re there. Flashing tail lights that clip or screw onto your bike are also advisable, as are reflective helmets and headlights.

Go Back to Basics

If you’re an experienced cyclist, you know the basics, but it doesn’t hurt to remind yourself of them once in a while. This is particularly true if you’re traveling in a riskier-than-usual environment, such as cycling at night. The League of American Bicyclists advises cyclists to use a system called “ABC Quick Check”. A is for air, B is for brakes, C is for cranks and chain, Quick is for quick releases, and Check is to check the entire bike over. Again, this might seem rudimentary to someone who’s been cycling for a long time, but it’s worth doing when heading out at night. The more responsibly you cycle, the less of a chance there is that you’ll get injured.

Stay On the Road and Be Vigilant

Many cyclists, even those with years of experience, feel tempted to ride on sidewalks at night thinking they’ll reduce their risk of getting hit by a car if they stay off the road. However, most cyclist safety guides, like those provided by the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, warn cyclists that riding on sidewalks can actually put them at a higher risk. The reason for this is that motorists are looking for cyclists on the roads. They don’t expect cyclists to be on sidewalks. When you’re on a sidewalk, you’re invisible, so if you suddenly have to go back onto the road or you fall off the sidewalk for some reason, they’ll never see you coming. Of course, that means they’ll have very little time, if any, to correct their course. Never assume the motorists can see you. Stay on the road, be vigilant, remain observant, and don’t let your guard down.

Follow these tips, and you can go a long way to preventing an accident when cycling at night.

Have you been involved in a bicycle-related accident? Contact us today for legal help. We’re here to help you.

 

Bicycle Safety Tips for Night Riding

Cycling is a great way to stay fit and healthy, and also offers transportation that is good for the environment. If you ride your bike to work, there is a good chance you have to ride at night, at least during certain parts of the year.

Bicycle safety is incredibly important but cycle safety at night is a must. It will be more difficult for cars to see you after dusk and you need to be proactive about your safety. There are other dangers when riding after dark, aside from vehicles, also.

Here are some important bicycle safety tips for night riding:

  • Don’t ride alone if you can help it.
  • use bike lights on the front and rear of your bike.
  • Be sure someone knows where you are.
  • Use reflective gear on your bike.
  • Wear reflective clothing.
  • Ride on a lighted bike path when there is one available.
  • Wear clear cycling glasses or safety glasses.
  • Go slow and be prepared for unexpected obstacles and even bumps in the road.
  • Add reflective tape to you and your bike.
  • Slow down. You may be experienced and fit enough to ride fast during the day but just like driving a vehicle at night, you should slow your bike’s speed when the sun goes down.

These are just a few basic tips to help prepare you for night riding your bike. You should always plan ahead, have the right bike and the right equipment for doing so.

Now that you have these tips, you are better prepared for riding safely at night. If you have other questions about bicycle safety or bicycle law, contact us today.

Stronger Restrictions on Nighttime Driving May Lower Teen Accident Risks

Some of the biggest risks for California bicyclists involve teen drivers. This is a high-risk category of motorists, and teenagers because of their lower experience, susceptibility to peer pressure, and delusions of invincibility, are more likely to cause bicycle accidents.

The risk of a bicycle accident involving a teen motorist is much higher, when a bicyclist is out at night. New research indicates that when there are stronger restrictions on nighttime driving for teen drivers, the risks of a teen driver accident drop.

The study was based in Massachusetts, and found that when stronger rules for nighttime driving by teen drivers were enacted, there was a drop in serious accident rates. In Massachusetts, in 2007, new regulations imposed severe penalties for unsupervised nighttime driving for teenage drivers between ages 16 and 17. When the researchers analyzed the data, they found that accident rates involving teenage drivers of this age group actually fell by 40% after the new rules were enacted. Overall, they found that there was a 19% drop in all types of accidents involving drivers between the ages of 16 and 17. Overall, these drivers were involved in approximately 29% lower nighttime accidents after the new rules came into effect.

As a bicyclist, you can reduce your risks of an accident at night, by simply avoiding riding after dark. If you have to ride at night, take precautions. You are less visible at night, so stick reflective tape on your clothes, helmet and bicycle to make sure that you are visible to motorists. Avoid riding at night wearing all-black clothing, and without bothering to make yourself visible. Make no mistake-your risk of being involved in an accident is much higher when you’re riding at night. If you were involved in an accident, consult a California bicycle accident lawyer for help filing a claim.