Darkness, fog, rain – pedestrians, and cyclists are easily overlooked. Lighting is therefore essential. But even when it comes to clothing, it is important to turn an optical adjustment screw.
In addition to reflective clothing with reflective fabric, adequate lighting on the bike is also important. Powerful LED lights are particularly suitable for this.
Autumn and winter are particularly dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists because they are more easily overlooked by drivers and other road users than usual.
But high-contrast clothing, good lighting, and wearing reflectors help them to be more visible and thus to be safer on the road, explains the testing organization Dekra.
Especially with reflectors, the following applies: a lot helps a lot. For both cyclists and pedestrians, the feet of the light beam from the cars are the first to be caught. “Reflectors on the shoes are never wrong,” explains Dekra spokesman Wolfgang Sigloch. But you should also pay attention to reflective clothing on the upper body – be it safety vests or special jackets.
Cyclists should mount powerful LED lights. However, these must always be loaded. A dynamo solution with luminescent lights can also be useful. However, Sigloch advises against the classic dynamo, in which the lamps go out when the vehicle is stationary. Because then it could be that you stand unlit in the middle of an intersection.