Bike Month Is May 2011 Be Visible Using Safety Lights

Welcome to Bike Month; May, 2011.  To help make it safer, please make sure that you can be seen by traffic.

During my law enforcement career, I handled a large number of traffic accidents involving bicycles, some of them fatal. The two main causes were; the bicycle rider being unable to see in front of him and vehicle drivers being unable to see the bicyclest in time to stop. Most jurisdictions also require a white light to the front when riding a bicycle at night.

Wear reflective clothing and use safety lights. Reflectors are great, but if the vehicle is backing or has no lights on, safety lights are the way to go.

We have reviewed several safety light products that are super efficient and won’t break the bank.

First we took a look at our LED Bike Headlight:

This powerful light measures 3 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches. It has a black rubber front and a plastic body. The 3 LED high intensity light has low power draw and runs on two AA replaceable batteries (not included). The battery access door slides open from the top and has a rubber spring to hold it closed.

The headlight includes a quick release mount that allows you to carry it as a flashlight and easily remove the light to provide anti theft security.

There are two functions; steady on and flashing.  This LED light is brighter than the Halogen bicycle headlight we had previously offered and is also brighter than the five LED  Power Failure light we sell. It will be easier to see what is in front of you and vehicle drivers will be able to see you from up to a mile away.

Our LED Bicycle Taillight:

This 5 LED bicycle taillight measures 2 1/2 by 2 x 1/4 x 1 1/4 inches.  The 5 LED high intensity light has low power draw and runs on two AAA replacable batteries (not included). The case is molded plastic and the batteries are replaced by unclipping a lock to remove the light top. This light is so bright that when I looked directly into one of  the LEDs,  I saw ghost images like a camera flash.

Each LED is angled and focused for one direction. Examples: Side, Center Back, and Mid Center Back. We took photos of the taillight in daylight with the camera aperature closed down. This showed the different focus points. You can see these photos here. We provided the side photo at this time for an example.

The bicycle 5 LED taillight has two functions listed on the package, but when we tested one of them, it had several flash functions, including one that looked like a mini emergency vehicle light bar.

The Micro two Safety Light Set:

 Each light has two functions; steady on and flashing. They have a single high intensity LED light rated for 100,000 hrs; one is red and one is white. They run on two CR2032 3v lithium batteries (included- the batteries are replaceable by using a precision Phillips screwdriver to remove three screws. Becareful though, these screws also hold the light parts together).  Each light has a bungee cord that allow them to be attached to a bicycle frame, seat post, or handlebar. We have also attached them to bicycle helmets, strollers, and tricycles. There are any number of things they can be attached to. We have included a photo of the set attached to a child’s bike helmet.

 These are very cool lights and visible up to a mile away.

Have a great bike month and remember your safety lights.