LIGHTS ON BICYCLES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 368, 1 November 1932, Page 2

LIGHTS ON BICYCLES

RED REAR REFLECTORS. Cyclists should protect themselves from serious accident by •equippdng their machines with a red light visible from the rear at all times, or alternatively, by a red reflector that' can easily be "picked out" by the headlights of overtaking motorists. Being the slower vehicle, the cycle is overtaken frequently; it is obvious, then, 'that the 1-eal danger of night cycling is from the rear. This, coupled with' the fact that a cyclist, due to lack of protection, invariably suffers from injury, should he be involved in an accident, renders: it -essentia'l that he should provide against the obvious danger of being invisible from the rear. * ' ! It is unf ortunate, perh'aps, that the law relating to this point is not more emphatic. It mefely implies that the cy.clist ''hnust carry a- red light visible from the rear," and has th'e effect of luring him into a false sense of safetyj beeause', having complied with the law, he assumes, wrongly, that all danger ' is' felimihated. The* light which apparently is approved'hy 'the police is ;certainly visible while the rider is not astride the machine, but it is impossible to see it wli'en the cycle is being ridden. .It- is' 'ur.ged'--that- all cyclists should equip their machihe's with a red reflector if the accepted red light is ohscured at'any 'time 'by the rider's leg.