Safety and Education Committee Report
See and be Seen
When bicycling after dark you must use a white front headlight and a red rear light (or reflector) visible for 300 feet (RSA 266:86). Reflective clothing is also required (RSA 265:144-12). Anyone commuting by bicycle should be prepared to ride in the dark.
The purpose of bicycle lights is twofold. Obviously, you need enough light to see the road (and hazards in your path). Bicycles travel slowly (15 MPH = 22 feet/sec). Lighting the roadway for 50 feet will give the cyclist over two seconds to avoid a hazard (or stop). Avoiding small hazards isn't difficult and big ones are easily seen using ambient (streetlights, moonlight, and other vehicles) light. It's always nice to light up the whole road but the part you're going to be using is all that really matters.
As the slowest vehicle on the road being seen is critical. The small size (and limited power) of a bike’s headlight makes it easy to ignore. My headlight (to illuminate my path) is supplemented with a flashing unit (white LED). Blinking bicycle headlights are too small and far away to cause problems for epileptics (Epilepsy Foundation » About Epilepsy » Photosensitivity and Epilepsy). People have said they thought I was a cop but at least they thought. Stupid people complain when forced to think. Judging by the number of complaints about blinking headlights a lot of these people are noticing them. Using this light has greatly reduced problems with oncoming traffic.
In order to attract the attention of the impaired drivers (drunks and those that are “Stoned or on the Phone”) some people chose to use helmet mounted lights. A local rider uses only a $600 dollar helmet mounted light, a tiny (1 LED) red taillight, and no reflectors. He blinds anyone he looks at; but when he turns his head the vehicle “disappears” to oncoming traffic. He is “invisible” to overtaking vehicles except in the darkest of conditions. I think his lighting is inadequate.
To identify my vehicle from behind; I adapted an idea from the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation)’s “Motorcycle of the Future”. It has a light illuminating the rider’s back; I mounted a flashing white headlight (at the top, facing down) on the back of my reflective vest. Overtaking motorists have been able to identify me ¾ miles away.
Steve Frink (our top mileage commuter) uses a vest with 16 (red) LEDs that is visible for ½ mile (Wal-Mart, on-line only). For use off the bike the front lights are an asset. “Reach the Beach” participants were given something similar. Disney's bike cops mount blinking LEDs on each side of their bikes. National Grid workers use a 21” LED “light wand” (www.theledlight.com) when directing traffic ($11.45 +S&H); one will be on my bike.
Bill Fisk- Safety and Education
Safety and Education Coordinator
Archive Safety Articles
Which Foot Down?
Preparing For Rain
Stopping in the Roadway
Encountering Animals
Why I Commute by Bike
Save Time Commuting by Bike
Your Bike and Knee
You Can be Too Far Right
Wrong Way Cyclists
Choosing the Right Tire
Don't Scare the Slow Guy
Using Your Front Brake
How Safe is Bicycling?
How Safe is Your Helmet?
Making Left Turns
Where on the Road Do You Belong?
Rumble strips on the Shoulder
Safer Without Helmet?
Impaired Drivers
Take Your Body to its Limits
HB-1203
Protecting your Bike
Helmet Mounted Headlights
Tire Pressure
My Helmet is White
Does Your Bike Have Lights?
Be Careful Who You Trust
Law Enforcement