BOISE, Idaho — As winter approaches, shorter days mean darker roads and bike trails earlier in the evening. The Ada County Highway District (ACHD) is urging cyclists to make themselves more visible.
“Throughout the fall, winter and early spring months I’ll definitely spend a lot of time riding at night,” said Jesse Lawson, who commutes close to 10 miles to work on his bike every day and often rides in the dark.
“On my main commuter, I have extra lights to make it extra flashy and I’ve noticed that cars give me a little more room the more lit up I am,” Lawson said.
WATCH: Hear from long-time bike commuters and ACHD about how to stay safe riding in the dark
Lawson bikes year-round — even in the dead of winter — and makes sure drivers can see him easily.
“I see a lot of cyclists out with sort of dim lights that can’t really be seen or no lights at all, which is terrifying to me,” he added.
ACHD is working to address that problem by giving away free bike lights to commuters.
“It’s always great to have more lights. That’s kind of my rule. You can never have too many,” said Jaime Del Barrio with ACHD.
ACHD's Commuter Ride program encourages folks to commute using public transport, carpool, walking, and biking. The agency advocates for biking to work, but recognizes the safety concerns that come with reduced daylight.
“We want to help promote safety as the hours shift. It gets darker a little bit sooner, and we want to make sure that you’re seen and safe while riding to and from work,” Del Barrio said.
Some cyclists, like Steve White, are already accustomed to riding in seasonal darkness.
“Over the last probably 10 or 15 years, I’ve been a regular bike commuter,” White said.
He wears a high-visibility helmet and a light-up sash when riding.
“In terms of visibility, especially when the days get shorter, it’s really critical to have a reliable headlight and tail light,” said White. “Sometimes safety is underrated. I don’t think people pay much attention to it until something bad happens."
ACHD recommends cyclists use bright lights and high-visibility clothing — especially during early morning or evening hours — to make sure drivers can see them.
