As a cyclist with a priority on safety, you may be considering what types of bike lights to use if you have to ride after dark. For instance, perhaps you use your bike to commute to and from work. During certain times of the year, this could mean riding at dawn, at dusk or when it is fully dark outside.
Clearly, having a light is much safer than not having one at all. It makes you far more visible to traffic around you, along with other cyclists and pedestrians. A steady light also gives you a vastly greater range of visibility so that you can ride safely. But there are some other options to consider.
Strobe lights
For one thing, strobe lights can sometimes be safer than steady lights because they’re more likely to get a motorist’s attention. The blinking draws their eye in a way that a steady light doesn’t, meaning they’re more likely to see you on your bike and take action to drive safely around you. Even with a steady light, a negligent motorist may claim that they never saw your bike at all.
Heel lights
One interesting finding from bicycle light studies is that heel lights are often the best. Because of the inherent motion while a cyclist is pedaling, these lights are most likely to get the attention of drivers. They don’t offer any benefits for the cyclist in terms of improved forward visibility, but they could help prevent cyclists from being hit by vehicles that are overtaking them.
Unfortunately, even when you take steps to stay safe and use lights on your bike, you could be injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver, an impaired driver or simply a negligent driver. If you suffer injuries, make sure you know how to seek financial compensation for medical bills and more.
