Gather Your Torches! Daylight Savings Ends and California Nighttime Cycling Laws

california bike lawsDaylight savings time will be coming to an end soon. Remember to reset your clocks on November 1 and prepare for an earlier sunset. It’s also a decent time for a quick refresher on California nighttime cycling laws as many of us will be riding in the dark soon.

California law requires that any cyclist riding after sunset be on a bike that is equipped with the following:

  • A lamp emitting a white light that, while the bicycle is in motion, illuminates the highway, sidewalk, or bikeway in front of the bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle. A lamp or lamp combination, emitting a white light, attached to the operator and visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle, may be used in lieu of the lamp on the front of the bicycle
  • A red reflector on the rear that shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle.
  • A white or yellow reflector on each pedal, shoe, or ankle visible from the front and rear of the bicycle from a distance of 200 feet.
  • A white or yellow reflector on each side forward of the center of the bicycle, and a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle, except that bicycles that are equipped with reflectorized tires on the front and the rear need not be equipped with these side reflectors.

Drivers have a hard enough time seeing bicyclists during the day, so not equipping your bicycle with the required lighting is extremely dangerous. Take a minute to review the diagram provided here and as always, stay safe.

Bonnici Law Group APCSan Diego bicycle accident lawyer



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