I noticed a lot of people riding after dark last night without lights, so it seemed like a good time for our annual Fall reminder about bike lights. There is no debate about this – you need lights when riding at night – so the only thing you should be thinking about is which ones to get. There are more light choices than ever, some simple and utilitarian, others incredibly high-tech and blindingly bright, and still others with a more artistic side.
For more info and a good read, check out our previous posts about lights, visibility, and the law:
A few points from my own experience regarding lights and reflective gear.
1. At a minimum, invest in a $30 set of front and rear lights, and the batteries needed to keep them lit. Especially at this time of year, unless your job gets out before 3:30pm, you WILL be riding in the dark on the way home.
2. A good headlight is more important than you might think — not so you can see the road, but so others can see you. I run my headlight at all times, day and night. The number of left crosses and pullouts I have encountered since doing so is near zero.
3. A reflective vest makes a big difference in the way overtaking traffic treats you. A few nights ago I forgot to put mine on when I left my office in Waltham headed for Medford at around 8:00pm. I wondered why several overtaking vehicles were behaving differently than normal, but attributed it to the phase of the moon or other non-causal reason. They were passing closer, faster, and generally seemed more aggressive than normal. About two miles later I realized that I had left my vest in the office. Being a bit of a safety geek, I keep a spare in my rack bag, and pulled over to put it on. I don’t have any scientific measurements to show that it makes a difference, but it sure seems like it does.