Daytime running lights for bicyclists significantly improve safety | Outside Online

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

It used to be that blinker lights on road bikes in the daylight were the domain of old men and the terminally nervous. But thanks to the efforts of two of the biggest players in the industry, Specialized and Bontrager (which is under the Trek umbrella), lights are becoming de rigueur for cyclists at any time of day.

Of course, lots of companies have been pushing excellent lights for a long time, including Knog with its rugged Blinder series and NiteRider with its innovate Sentinel taillight that projects laser lanes. But the interest, and resources, of big companies should get even more users on board.

The thinking is simple: by improving a cyclist’s visibility, lights decrease the rider’s chances of getting hit by a car. This of course makes perfect sense at night—and lights on bicycles are required for dusk or nighttime riding in all 50 states. But the there’s no mandate for the use of daytime running lights (DRL) for cyclists, largely because there’s been little research on their effectiveness.

Link: 

Daytime running lights for bicyclists significantly improve safety | Outside Online

http://mobikefed.org/2016/02/daytime-riding-lights-cyclists-steve-tilford

These lights are now relatively inexpensive and a good idea for bicyclists to consider.

Daytime running lights are, of course, not **required** by law in Missouri or any Missouri City. A legal requirement for such lights is probably a bad idea--even inexpensive daytime running lights are, unfortunately, out of the price range of many cyclists, are not easily available to everyone, and would lead to an enforcement nightmare for both police and bicyclists.

But for anyone who is concerned with safety and visibility while cycling, daytime running lights seem to be a very good idea.

Going beyond the suggestions in the article, we would suggest trying BOTH front and rear running lights. The article points out that 40% of bicycle collisions are rear overtaking.

But that means that the remaining 60% are front and side collisions. A front running light helps bicyclist visibility considerably in these situations.