The Importance Of Bike Lights For Your Children

Cycling has recently emerged as more than just a means of transportation. With new bike designs and new materials used in the production of bikes, cycling now functions as a means of keeping fit, as a sport, and for many kids, as a hobby to be enjoyed. In fact, many children have made cycling as their number one outdoor hobby that they use to pass time.

As such, there is a newfound enthusiasm for cycling in its various different forms. Whether it is mountain biking, sports biking, or the other various forms of biking, kids nowadays are enamored with their bikes. Adults are even getting in on the fun now that there are so many options for adult kick scooters, as well.

However, it should not be lost on parents that cycling does come with its own set of risks and dangers. As such, while encouraging their kids to engage in physical activities and not just spend all their time indoors huddled around their computers and video game consoles, they should make their children’s safety while cycling a priority. And by safety, we do not just mean ensuring their children wear a helmet and knee pads but also use bike lights.

Bike lights are defined as accessories attached to a bike to enhance the visibility of the bike and cyclist and or illuminate the way forward for the cyclist when there is not sufficient light. In many regards are now standard safety equipment for cycling and as a parent, it would be a huge disservice on your part if you do install them on their bikes and teach them how to use them. To paint a picture of why bike lights are so important, herein we will explore the importance of installing bikes on your children’s bikes.

While there are many reasons that we will delve into, you should note that the main motivation and the primary reason you should install the best bike lights on your children’s bikes is to enhance their safety. As long these accessories make a huge difference in terms of your safety, you should have them on by default

#1. They Enhance Your Child Visibility Of Their Surrounding In Low-Light Conditions - The human capability to see at night is almost non-existent. As soon as the sunset in the evening, you can be sure that you will have trouble seeing. As such, if your child uses their bike after sunset, having a bike light will enhance their ability to perceive the environment and see their surroundings. In such cases, a bike light with bright output is perfect as it lights the road up ahead, allowing your child to see what is in front of them.

Illuminating your path is important as it negates the risk of running into an obstacle, a person, or an animal. Furthermore, it increases the amount of time your child to react in case there is an obstacle along their path, which negates the possibility of reduces the risk of accidents. Overall you can rest assured that with a bike light illuminating your child’s path, they are exposed to far less risk as they cycle along.

#2. They Make Your Child Visible To The People Around Them - Bike lights are also renowned for their ability to increase other people’s awareness of your presence. This is a critical consideration as the leading cause of bike accident is other road users not seeing a cyclist. Cyclists do not have the mass, the noise, or even the size of cars and motorcycles. As such, they are not as easy to spot, which makes them susceptible to accidents.

Furthermore, being that cycling is only now increasing in popularity, not many road users have the reflexive memory to look their around their sides for the potential cyclists. Even though this will increase with time as more and more people take cycling and the population of cyclists increase, right now the onus is defiantly upon the cyclist to announce their presence to other road users.

With bike lights installed, your child becomes easier to notice, thereby negating the possibility of unforeseen accidents. This is especially true while cycling in low-light conditions. The forward white light lamps and the rear red light increase the visibility of your child to other road users in front and at the back. However, using bike light during the day also makes it easier for other road users to notice your child. Much the same as it with motorcycles using their front white light to increase their visibility to other road users, when your child uses their front white bike light, they become easier to see.

#3. Comply With The Law - In practically all states, there are rules and regulations that define the use of bikes in relation to bike lights. In many cases, the use of safety likes is mandated especially in the dark. As such, there is a case to be made with regards to installing bike lights on your children’s bike is also an issue of law obedience.

For instance, in Washington State, the regulations pertaining to bike lights are very explicit and require one to have a lamp installed on the bike that illuminates their way forward. As such, having a headlamp is not enough. Having tail lights, tough recommended is not enough to satisfy this regulation.

Furthermore, being the adult and being cognizant of the importance of abiding by the law, you should set a good example to your child by installing bike lights for safety purposes but also for purposes of obeying the law. As such, it is important that you consider all aspect of the laws in your state and ensure that the bike lights you use meet the legal requirements for bike road safety regulations.

From the above considerations, it is easy to appreciate the importance of bike lights. However, even more, important is to teach your child why and how they should use their bike lights. It is not enough to install the light and leave your child to figure it alone. You should stress the importance of having bike lights as part of the bike accessories and when and where they should be used. Only the proper use of these lights will suffice to improve the safety of your child while they ride their bikes.

So, tell me- do your kids have lights on their bikes? Why or why not?