Improving visibility while cycling

Improving visibility while cycling

There are several elements that allow cyclists to be visible on the road. Some are static, others dynamic, some are effective at night, while others are effective during the day. In all configurations, the cyclist can improve their visibility and thus reduce the risk of accidents.

Visibility at night

This is the easiest situation to manage. In fact, it' only' takes equipping oneself with certain material elements to improve the cyclist's visibility. However, let's take a detailed look at this because there is a choice among the different materials.

To improve visibility at night, there is first of all lighting:
Let us immediately distinguish passive lighting from active lighting.
- Passive lighting is, for example, the reflector, white at the front, red at the back, and white or orange on the wheels or pedals. These elements are mandatory according to the laws in force in the country where you are.
- Active lighting is, for example, the light at the front or back of the bike. Let us distinguish here again the light that allows to be seen in the city, from the light that allows to see, and to light up the road in dark areas. It is, from experience, more effective to have a light to see than a light to be seen, especially if the latter blinks. Note that active lighting, to see and therefore not flashing, is very visible to pedestrians as well as to motorists from their rearview mirrors.

Then, there is clothing:
Light-colored clothing is more visible at night than dark clothing, even black like many sportswear. Clothing with reflective parts improves visibility, such as winter gloves, long sleeves, or other elements that can be improved with well-placed reflective strips.

Finally, there are specific elements such as reflective strips on the side of tires, retro-reflective safety vests, spokes or rims with reflective strips, etc.

Visibility during the day

Paradoxically, this is the most difficult situation to manage.

Unless dealing with a reckless driver, the majority of accidents involving a cyclist are due to insufficient or late visibility.

How to improve visibility?
On cycle paths: theoretically, there are no problems since the cyclist is almost alone and sheltered from the flow of traffic. Yes, except that at some point the cycle path will intersect with the flow of cars and that's where the problems start. In fact, at an intersection, there is no longer any cycle path that counts in the sense that if the driver can cross a cyclist, the cycle path and its rules no longer come into play against the road and its rules. The cycle path protects the cyclist except at intersections.

On the road: paradoxically, this is the easiest case to manage. Unlike cycle paths that can be bi-directional, the road has only one direction of traffic. It is then easy for a cyclist to assert their presence. Do not ride on the edge of the sidewalk or the line of parked cars, but rather 70 cm / 1m from that edge. This allows:
- to keep a distance from doors that usually open when a cyclist passes.
- to be seen by cars that will pass us. If we take up space, the driver will think before passing, whereas if they have space, they will pass and then trap the cyclist who may have to swerve to avoid a parked car.
- to be seen by cars in front of us who are putting on their turn signals to announce their intention to turn. If the cyclist is hugging the curb, they risk being in the vehicle's blind spot.
- to be seen by cars at intersections. It is easier to have a cyclist in one's field of vision at an intersection when they are not at the extreme edge of the road, but a little "in the middle".

Visibility is a constant concern for cyclists, especially during the day and in the city.
A truck turning right and blindly cutting off their bike lane, a car turning left and cutting off a two-way bike lane, these are basic and extremely dangerous situations that cyclists often encounter.
They are more at risk in their city at 20 km/h than in a brakeless descent of Mont Ventoux at 80 km/h.

A saying could be that a cyclist is much safer on roads with no traffic than on bike paths along major roads, but does a city's policy gain credibility and effectiveness if it takes the risk of changing cyclists' habits at the expense of the infrastructure they are wrongly expected to provide?
The question is posed, and the cyclist will choose, if they can, between arterial roads and side roads/trails.