Bicycles are a great transportation option. Like cars, planes and motorcycles, they help you move from place to place faster than you could be just walking. But unlike these other quick forms of transportation, they do not come with built-in lights. Bike lights, which can be purchased online or at sporting goods and bicycle stores, are important investments for you to add to your bicycle. Bike lights have many benefits that you will find useful while biking.
Illuminating the Way
One main way you can use your bicycle light is to illuminate the path you are riding when you are riding at night. You can affix a solid-white light to your handlebars or on your helmet to enhance your ability to see where you are going. Just as car headlights help drivers see where the road is going and any obstacles on it, a front bike light will make your ride easier and safer. Front bicycle lights can illuminate potholes, cracks, sticks, rocks and other debris in the road, along with pedestrians, animals and other vehicles. According to HumanTransport.org, it is a good idea to use a front light even if your eyes can adapt well to darkness. Although your eyes can adjust to dim lighting at night well enough for you to see your way, oncoming car headlights or intermittent street lights can temporarily blind you if your eyes are not used to much light on the road.
Improving Visibility of Rider to Other Vehicles
Lights not only help you see where you are biking on the road, they help others see that you are biking on the road. It is so important to use a light to make your bike visible to other vehicles on the road that all 50 states have laws requiring front bike lights after dark. Forty-two states require the light is visible from 500 feet in front of it, according to the laws published on BicycleDriving.org. Five states also have laws in place that require a rear light that helps makes bikers more conspicuous to other vehicles approaching from behind.
Showing Bike Direction to Other Traffic
Not only do bike lights make your presence known to other vehicles, they can also make your direction known. It is important for drivers and pedestrians to know which way your bicycle is moving--something that can be hard to ascertain at night time. The color of your lights sends a clear message to others on the road. You should place a white light on the front of your bike to show that you are moving toward something, while a red light behind conveys you are moving away from it. According to Geklaw.com, the website of attorneys in California specializing in bicycle accident cases, the white light should be visible from a distance of 500 feet and the red light should be able to be seen from 600 feet away to ensure safety.
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