I can’t stand strobe lights on bikes

I haven’t owned a bike since high school. But where I live, there are a lot of bikes on the road and they’re getting more difficult to see now that it’s getting dark earlier.

Most bikes I see have some sort of light on them, but each one is different. Some have strobing lights that seem really unsafe since strobes are known to cause seizures in some people. Others have strange colored lights or no light on the bike, but something on the rider. It makes it very distracting for drivers to try to figure out what all the different lights are. I found myself wishing they could all be uniform. And in one part of the world, they are.

In Finland, as in most Nordic countries, there are rules regarding travel in the dark. Both pedestrians and cyclists are required to have reflective gear. The exact requirements can be found on the Finnish Road Safety Council’s website. 

“According to Road traffic law 42§, a pedestrian must, under normal circumstances, use an appropriate reflector while moving on the road during dark.” Reflectors should be worn on both sides of the body, with ankles and wrists being suggested as the best places. Pedestrians typically use a popular snowflake-shaped reflector made by Coreflect Or. They offer a lot of different shapes and are quite stylish. I can see my kids begging to go on a walk just so they could wear one.

Cyclists are also held to strict standards. “The bicycle must have at least one effective braking device, a bell, a headlight for riding in the dark, as well as reflectors in the front, back, the sides and pedals. The front reflector must be white, the rear reflector red, and the pedal and side reflectors dark yellow. Reflecting bicycle tyres are also accepted as side reflectors.” In addition, the headlight must be white or light yellow. If there is a rear light, it has to be red. And it is suggested that riders wear a reflective vest or tag. Helmets are mandatory.

I love the idea of uniformity for all travelers using the road. For drivers, especially, this would make such a big difference in feeling safe; knowing there isn’t a jaywalker wearing dark colors that I can only pick out because the headlights behind him show his silhouette. That is a terrifying moment for any driver.

So kudos to the Nordic countries for making road safety a priority. I’m off to buy reflectors for my kiddos.

What did I learn from this?

Nordic countries treat safety seriously.