| |
To help reduce nighttime bicyclist fatalities,
cyclists should always wear a good helmet, use
front and rear lights and reflectors, and wear
reflective clothing. Children should never ride at
night, and cyclists should avoid riding on
unlighted, narrow roadways.
Because of a sharp increase in the number of
bicyclist fatalities resulting from car-bike
collisions at night, the U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission has issued a warning to bike
riders to take necessary steps to make themselves
and their bicycles more visible at night.
The number of bicyclists killed at night has
increased from 304 to 372 per year. In 1975, the
number of nighttime deaths accounted for 30% of
the total number of bicyclists killed. By 1982
(the latest year for which complete data are
available), nighttime deaths accounted for 42% of
the total number of bicyclists killed. One factor
contributing to fatal nighttime bicyclist
accidents is that the bicycles and riders are not
readily visible to motorists. Motorists involved
in car/bicycle collisions report that they hit
bicyclists because the bicycles and riders were
not visible. Cyclists' failure to wear protective
helmets may have also contributed to the severity
of head injuries suffered in car-bike collisions.
Therefore, CPSC recommends the following actions
to cyclists:
1. Be sure your bike has reflectors required on
all new bicycles by the CPSC bicycle regulation.
Each bike should have front and rear reflectors,
pedal reflectors, and side rim or wheel
reflectors. Use front and rear lights (as required
in many States) to help make your bicycle more
noticeable to cars at night. Small
battery-operated lamps strapped to your legs also
help.
2. Wear reflective clothing to make yourself more
visible to automobile drivers. Wear a reflective
vest, reflective bands on arms and legs, and
reflectorized tape on helmet.
3. Always wear a good helmet with a rigid (but
crushable) interior material which may help absorb
the force of an impact. (This is important for
daytime riding, too.)
4. Never allow children to ride at night.
5. Avoid riding on dark, narrow roadways where the
posted speed limit is more than 35 mph.
|
|
