By the California Department of Public Health ATRC Team
It’s February, and as the days get a little longer and the night falls a little later, pedestrians and cyclists may be lulled into a false sense of safety, but there are still plenty of dark, wintry nights left to navigate. Over half of fatal pedestrian crashes happen between 6 PM and midnight, and nearly 45 percent of serious injury pedestrian crashes occur during the same time. For cyclists, almost 40 percent of fatal crashes occur between 6 PM and midnight; 46 percent between 3 and 9 PM.1 Here are tips and considerations for safely travelling by foot or on wheels at night to prevent crashes.
Walking safely at night can be enhanced through facilities that integrate passive, active, and retroreflective lighting elements. Overhead lighting on pedestrian and cycling facilities like sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes is critical to help those using active travel modes see and be seen. Proposed active transportation projects best serve their community’s residents by including approved lighting elements. Early coordination with planners and even maintenance departments can help identify best practices for recommended and reliable lighting technology.
For non-infrastructure active transportation projects, bicycle lights, reflective items, and reflectors may enhance your community-focused active transportation education and encouragement work. Successful distribution of bicycle lighting and reflectors for use by pedestrians and cyclists in the winter season can be enhanced by partnering with local education agencies, community-based groups, and municipalities during the summer or early fall. Incorporating driver awareness and education focused on low-light and nighttime conditions into non-infrastructure project work also adds an extra layer of safety.
As daylight shifts in early March, evenings brighten, but mornings may be darker than expected, so apply these same tips for your morning commute.
___
1 Data sources: i) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) ARF 2023; ii) Provisional Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) 2023