Bicyclists remain at a much higher risk of being involved in an accident when riding at night than when riding during the daytime. That’s the reason why most bicycle accidents in Los Angeles take place after the sunset. You can easily prevent such accidents by following certain rules. The section below will introduce you to the five most crucial ones among them.
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1. Use Lights
There’s nothing good about riding in the dark if you fail to see things and people around you. If you want to ride your bicycle after the sunset, you must buy a pair of quality lights. Instead of settling for cheap products, go for lights that are bright and have high voltage. Also, make sure the lights have prolonged battery life.
If you don’t install high-quality lights onto your bicycle, motorists might fail to see you clearly in the dark. The visibility will be even poorer on bike paths and roads that don’t have streetlights.
2. Wear Reflective Clothing
Wearing reflective clothing is the best way to stand out in the dark so that cars, trucks, and motorcycles can see you. Some of the colors you must avoid wearing include black, dark brown, dark blue, maroon, etc. Instead, pick lighter colors. Opting for neon colors may come in handy.
3. Plan the Route Beforehand
There are several roads and bicycle tracks in Los Angeles that are great to ride on during the daytime but turn dangerous when there’s no natural light. This makes it mandatory for you to know where you are heading when you go out for a ride after sunset. If possible, avoid the dangerous tracks and roads, and if you cannot do so take necessary precautions.
It would be good if you can use a quality smartphone mounting system to ensure you can use popular mapping services when riding. This will not only provide you with directions at every turn but will also keep giving you real-time traffic updates.
4. Avoid Riding Alone
Unless it’s absolutely necessary you should avoid riding alone in the dark. Talk to your friends, colleagues, relatives, neighbors, or anyone you know to find out who rides along the same route at night. Create a group of 4 to 5 people or more and ride together.
This decision of yours will not only protect you against burglaries but will also ensure that you don’t get hit by other vehicles. That’s because when riding in a group, you will automatically be more visible. And if still, you encounter an accident, there will be enough people to serve as witnesses against the accused. That’s the reason why even bicycle accident lawyers Los Angeles also recommend riding in groups when there’s no natural light.
5. Keep a Mini Tool Kit and First-aid Box Handy
Having a tool kit and first-aid box will help you to manage adverse situations even if there’s no one around you. This will give you the chance to recover as much as possible and dial emergency numbers for help.
If you abide by the above regulations, your chances of getting seriously injured when riding at night will be almost negligible.