Unfortunately, the change to winter time causes an increase in accidents each year. Logically, the lack of visibility as night falls earlier is to blame, but there are still solutions to limit the risks.
Worrying figures
Almost half of the pedestrians who die each year die in the four months from October to January, Road Safety points out, and the number of accidents increases by 50% in the weeks after the change to winter time.
“The issue of visibility will arise even more with the energy conservation plan that recommends turning off part of the public lighting at night or reducing the intensity of the light,” the Assurance Prévention association highlighted last year. A reality again this year in certain cities.
A study carried out for the association points out that “cyclists are the ones who feel most vulnerable when visibility decreases (at 90%), followed by drivers of motorized two-wheeled vehicles (at 85%) and users of electric scooters and other EDPM, motorized personal transport vehicles (82%).
A justified concern since, according to a new survey carried out this year*, 18% of French people claim to have already suffered an accident due to reduced visibility and 35% have almost suffered one.
Good reflexes for cyclists.
The positive: the increase in accidents, however, appears to be smaller than that of daily bicycle commuting, especially in large cities. In urban areas, the number of bicycle deaths will increase to 109 people in 2022, an increase of 20% compared to 2019. However, we see that bicycle use in urban areas has increased by 34% and in urban areas peri-urban 17%. according to Vélo & Territoires.
To be clearly identified in traffic, it is recommended that cyclists and users of EDPM, such as scooters, wear light-colored clothing. And why not, in addition, a high visibility vest, which is still mandatory for driving outside urban areas at night or during the day when visibility is insufficient.
It is also advisable to have complete lighting, with one or more rear reflectors (these reflective systems) in red (and the trailer, if necessary), orange reflectors visible from the side, or tires equipped with approved retro-reflective devices, a visible white reflector from the front and orange reflectors on the pedals.
“At night, or during the day, when visibility is insufficient, every bicycle must be equipped with the following lights (in addition to the trailer, if necessary): a position light that emits a non-dazzling yellow or white light towards the front and a rear position light that must be clearly visible from behind when the bicycle is in use,” indicates the public service page on mandatory bicycle accessories.
Beyond lighting, other tips for cyclists riding at night:
“First of all, make sure you wear a helmet, use the cycling infrastructure and make sure your bike is well maintained, especially the brake system and tires,” explains Guillaume Heinrich, marketing director of Bosch eBike Systems in France.
Regarding the equally important issue of braking, his company has also developed an ABS system for electrically assisted (VAE) bicycles: “This makes it possible to reduce or completely avoid up to 29% of VAE accidents thanks to safer braking in all areas.”
The increase in VAE sales also has a positive influence on this point of lighting:
“Some cyclists are still surprised by the time change or simply do not consider this point sufficient: 19% of French believe that cyclists put themselves in danger by not having the appropriate equipment to be seen. However, with the evolution of the park of rolling bicycles, which increasingly includes electric bicycles, lighting is better guaranteed as it is installed by default on bicycles,” underlines Guillaume Heinrich.
For him, “it is also one of the main incentives to buy a high-end bicycle”: “Automatic or permanent lighting would encourage 43% of French people to buy a high-end bicycle equipped with ‘this function**’.” For example, on bicycles equipped with Bosch motors, even when the battery is discharged, the bicycle lighting remains on and functional thanks to a reserve for the bicycle’s safety elements.
Pedestrians who must also remain clearly visible
For pedestrians, road safety also recommends remaining visible “using light colors or a reflective accessory” that allows them to be visible from 150 meters away, compared to 20 meters if they are wearing dark clothing. What makes the difference: at 50 km/h, a car needs at least 25 meters to stop on dry ground (38 meters on wet ground).
Parents are also asked to prefer light-colored clothing for their children and, why not, school backpacks equipped with retro-reflective stripes.
Finally, it is also recommended to use pedestrian crossings; it is even mandatory to cross if there is a crossing less than 50 meters away.
The Assurance Prévention association lists a series of bad behaviors that are still practiced too frequently: 71% of pedestrians say they do not always wear light-colored clothing, 49% of cyclists do not systematically use reflective accessories, 27% do not turn on systematically their bicycle lights and 67% of scooter users sometimes admit to riding with helmets or helmets.
Motorists are also invited to exercise extreme caution and, therefore, reduce their speed further when approaching a pedestrian crossing and to respect more than ever the priority given to pedestrians at crossings without traffic lights. “For the record, you risk a fine of 135 euros and the loss of 6 points on your driving license in the event of failure to comply with this obligation,” says Road Safety.
It is also important to activate the window defroster to avoid reflections that could mask the presence of another road user.
With wet surfaces the braking distance increases, hence the advantage of having an additional margin in terms of safety distances with other vehicles.
*Study carried out by Harris Interactive for the Assurance Prévention association online from September 26 to 28, 2023 with a sample of 2,005 people representative of French people aged 18 or over.
** Ifop study for Bosch – “The French and cycling” – April 2020
Source: BFM TV
