Chicago, Ill; October 29, 2015 ? When the end of Daylight Savings Time snatches a full hour of our daylight this weekend, many Chicagoland residents who commute to work on their bikes will be riding home in the dark. This time change signals a perfect time to ensure you have functional front and rear lights on your bike.
As spelled out in a lively new video created by the Active Transportation Alliance ? a local advocacy group that works to improve conditions for biking, walking and transit in Chicagoland ? proper illumination while biking is a crucial safety measure that makes you visible to people driving cars.
The video features a dramatic series of before-and-after examples showing the difference bike lights make in heightening your visibility for drivers. And it's not just darkness working against bicyclists at night ? but also factors like driver distraction, weather conditions, dirty windshields and visual clutter on the roadway that can contribute to people biking being invisible to drivers.
Using bike lights at night is not only an essential safety measure, it's also the law. Chicago and Illinois laws require a front light and a rear reflector when riding at night (And most Chicagoland suburban communities also have similar laws on the books). In addition to following these legal requirements, Active Trans recommends adding a red flashing light at the rear of the bike.
You can also boost your visibility with reflective clothing and reflectors attached to your bike. Wearing brighter colors can help, too.
LED bike lights are cheap, bright and long lasting. But beware, batteries die and lights sometimes break. Some people equip their bikes with multiple front and multiple rear lights, or always pack extra batteries, so that if one light goes out unexpectedly they don't have to finish their ride in the dark.
The video recommends buying LED lights that are at least 100 lumens in brightness, and using a new generation of lights that are USB rechargeable.
For more safety tips on biking, check out our Everyday Biking Guide.
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