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Help Motorists See You When Riding Your Bike

80% of bike accidents and cycling injuries happen during the daylight hours.

Trek bicycle company supported a research project by Clemson University’s Perceptual Awareness Department to determine how cyclists can be safer on the road by making themselves more visible to motorists during the day AND at night.

The university researchers developed guidelines called the ABCs of Awareness to help increase cyclist detectability by motorists. The statistics below indicate the significant impact that following these guidelines can have on cyclist safety.

  • ALWAYS ON
    • Always use running lights – during the day and at night. And use both front and rear lights.  Daytime running lights on a bike reduces collisions by 33%.
  • BIOMOTION
    • Wear clothing that highlights your body’s moving parts (legs, ankles, feet, pedals). High visibility gear makes you more recognizable as a human and less likely to be overlooked by a motorist. Cyclists who draw attention to moving parts are up to 83% more noticeable.
  • CONTRAST
    • Incorporate clothing and gear that contrasts with the environment. Wear fluorescent cycling clothes during the day and reflective clothing at night.  Incorporate both reflective and fluorescent components on your bike. Donning fluorescent materials during the day decreases the risk of an incident by as much as 53%. Reflective gear at night makes you 72% more noticeable.

To learn more visit http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/abcs_of_awareness/

References for the statistics above can be found at  http://s7d4.scene7.com/is/content/TrekBicycleProducts/Asset%20Library/non-product/editorial-assets/abcs/ABCs_of_Awareness_References.pdf