VIDEO. Safety: Why is it so important to have lights on your bike?

There are many cyclists in the city who ride without lights. In about twenty minutes by car, we passed more than 10 “ninjas,” in other words, poorly lit cyclists.

However, glitter on your bike is a must. And the lack of functional lighting at night is punishable by a fine of 11 to 36 euros. It is important to know the required equipment: a light at the front, at the rear and reflectors (reflective elements) on the wheels and pedals.

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See clearly and avoid accidents

“It’s clear that it’s my fault, the lack of light is dangerous because we can’t see anything,” admits Antoine, injured in an accident in which the fork of his bicycle broke, he has been there for several months. Even in a well-lit city like Paris, there are still dark streets at night where potholes or a warped road quickly mean an accident.

Patrick Benevant, who sells cycling equipment at his L’Échappée Belle boutique in Asnieres, has some advice for cyclists who want to shine. “In addition to the mandatory lamps, it’s good to have a spare one in your bag,” he explains. It’s also smart to bring “a yellow vest, a high-visibility helmet and an armband,” he says.

And this is especially true in winter, when trips in the dark (from 17:00) become more and more frequent.

Be visible to other users

Additionally, lamps are important because they allow other road users to clearly see cyclists on the road. Lack of anticipation is a leading cause of accidents between cyclists and motorists.

“Without equipment, a cyclist or pedestrian is only visible from 30 m,” explains Cecile Lescher, responsible for road risk prevention at the MMA insurance company. However, “a car traveling at 50 km/h takes about 26 meters to stop,” she explains. Which makes an accident almost inevitable.

“But if you wear reflective equipment, you can be seen at a distance of 150 meters, this means that you will be visible 5 times earlier,” concludes Cecile Lescher.