How to stay visible to drivers as the nights get darker

Our summer here in the UK has drawn to a close, with the weather cooling down and the days getting shorter. It is now even more important that cyclists ensure that they can be seen by drivers on the road during the winter months.

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Bicycle equipment

It is the law to attach lights on your bike if you are riding at night – but it is best to use them in the daytime in winter too. You need a white light in front and a red light in back – either flashing or solid light. It is handy to carry a second set of lights, in case the first ones run out of battery or are lost/stolen.

You can find more information on light laws here – https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/bike-light-laws-in-the-uk-what-you-need-to-know-48568/.

Your bicycle can be equipped with certain attachments in order to make it more obvious on the road. For example, buggy whips are great devices for maintaining your bike’s visibility. They light up and provide an easily-seen reflective flag for drivers at all heights to notice. You can buy these here: https://wisuk.co.uk/site-supplies/buggy-whips ). Bicycles in the UK are required by law to have a red reflector on the back and some amber reflectors on the pedals – the pedal reflectors in particular are handy, as drivers will see the vertical movements of the pedals turning.

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Reflective clothing

Cyclists can make sure that they are visible by wearing clothing to highlight the fact they are on the road. You can buy reflective stickers to attach to your clothes or the heels of your shoes – the more areas on your body you use them on, the more likely it is to be seen by the cars behind you. You can also purchase reflective clothing, to avoid the problems of reflectors falling off.

By wearing a cycling helmet that includes a peak, to shelter your eyes, you can make sure you are more aware of other vehicles and ensure you have the reaction time required to stay safe in all weathers or keep the low winter sun from shining in your eyes. You can buy cycling glasses to keep sleet, heavy rain or snow out of your eyes, and it’s best to buy glasses with light-coloured lenses, in order to increase visibility through them.