With the help of a Buffalo bike group, there may be fewer unlit bicycles being pedaled across the city, a familiar traffic hazard for nighttime drivers who have little advance notice they are there.
GO Bike Buffalo is giving away free lights and reflectors so more bicyclists can comply with state law, which requires bicyclists to meet the same safety rules as vehicle drivers.
"Any time that we see people out there riding their bikes in the evening, we have a Get Lit campaign where people, whether GO Bike Ambassadors or other members of the community, are giving out lights to people that can't be seen at night. So, we're trying to focus on making cyclists more safe," Executive Director Justin Booth said
Booth says there is a pattern of legal violations by drivers and bicyclists.
"What we found with unsafe cyclists is that the people that are riding their bikes on a regular basis usually do the same inappropriate behaviors as some of the drivers are on the roadway. All people that use our roadways, at one point or another, don't always follow the rules of the road. But, it's important that we encourage those safe behaviors and in some instances that we also enforce those safe behaviors," Booth said.
Booth points out good bike lights are also widely available available at local bike shops.
