City of Columbia reminds of bicycle light ordinance with daylight saving time
The city of Columbia is having bicycle light checkpoints as part of their “Lighten Up Columbia” bike safety campaign. The check points on Monday and Wednesday evenings will make sure cyclists have the proper safety lights.
City of Columbia ordinances require cyclists to have a white light on the front of their bike and red reflector on the rear. The light and reflector must be on and/or functional from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.
The city purposely timed this campaign and the checkpoints with the ending of daylight saving time to remind evening riders of the safety requirements.
Bicycle light kits will also be handed out and installed for free as part of the safety campaign. The kits will include a front light, rear taillight and a flier about state and local laws and ordinances related to bike safety. Funding for the kits is provided by the Federal Highway Administration’s Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, data from 2012 indicates that 69 percent of bicycle fatalities in the United States occurred in urban areas, and 48 percent of the fatalities happened between 4 p.m. and midnight.
“Cyclists riding on city streets at night or early morning hours without adequate lighting, are not only subject to a $49 fine,” said Janet Godon, planner with the GetAbout Columbia project, “They’re also putting themselves as well as drivers and pedestrians in a perilous position.”
Bicycle lights sets are also distributed during regular business hours at the Columbia Parks and Recreation Office, 1 S. Seventh St., and the main lobby of the Columbia Police Department, 600 E. Walnut. The Columbia Police Outreach Unit also distributes lights during neighborhood outreach events.
