Summer brings warmer weather and longer nights. This means that there will be more cyclists on the road.

Many cyclists overestimate their ability to be seen. They feel that if they can see well enough to ride, others should be able to see them. But every motorist at one time or another has experienced leaving a location almost directly into the path of another car because they didn’t see the second vehicle. This usually happens because at the critical moment, the second car could have been in the driver’s blind spot. While most of these encounters end in nothing more than a temporary adrenaline rush, they sometimes lead to serious accidents.

When this occurs with a cyclist, the results can even be fatal. If you are a cyclist, staying visible to motorists is essential. Bicycles must have three light points. The front, the back and the sides.

Although most bikes come equipped with reflectors on the spokes of the tires, this is not enough. Reflectors can provide good visibility for passing traffic, but most car/bicycle collision incidents occur from the front or side of the bicyclist. Headlight beams from vehicles on roads that intersect bicyclists often do not shine on a bicycle’s reflectors until it is too late for the motorist to yield or avoid the collision. Instead of relying on reflectors, a bright blinker that can be mounted to the bike frame is a better option. This will grab a motorist’s attention much faster than a reflective light.

Bicycle headlights should emit a constant white light. Traffic rules dictate that white lights go ahead and red lights go behind. This indicates the direction of travel. Using a red light on the front of a bicycle is likely to cause divers in opposite directions to underestimate the approach speed between the vehicles because they will expect the red-illuminated object to be stationary or moving in the same direction. In addition, a white headlight will increase the visibility of the cyclist.

A red taillight makes a bicycle visible to motorists behind them. It is important to have a lamp bright enough to be seen by motorists far enough away to slow down or stop early when traveling at high speeds. Bicycle taillights are visible at longer distances and have wider angles than most reflectors. They also do not rely on vehicle headlights to be effective.

While it’s important for motorists to take extra precautions during the warmer weather, the burden of safety falls on bicyclists. Adding a few of these security lights will help keep you out of harm’s way.