Reminders to move the clocks back were many when daylight saving time ended a couple of days ago. What few talked about is that we now have one more dark hour in the afternoon with higher risk for pedestrian and bicycle crashes. In Time, we can read “Adding an hour of sunlight in the evening year-round would save the lives of more than 170 US pedestrians annually, according to a 2004 study in Accident Analysis and Prevention.” Since that is not happening anytime soon, we all need to make sure we are visible in traffic, especially when it’s dark.
Reflective gear is a must-have and the good news is that you don’t need to look like a high-viz traffic cone to be high-viz. Funflector safety reflectors come in many colors, even black (!) and other inconspicuous colors. Do to a unique manufacturing process, the dark reflectors are just as effective as the brighter ones. We have measured them to be seen at a distance of over 500 feet. Funflector reflective slap bracelets are perfect for runners and bikers to wear around their ankles. One on each leg creates great surround visibility, something bike reflectors and lights don’t always accomplish.
A note of caution: Bicycle lights are always necessary and required by law in many states. Additional reflectors will increase visibility and is an excellent complement to lights.
The funflector team
