BICLOU, EPISODE 29 - In town, there are a lot of cyclists riding without lights.
In about twenty minutes by car we passed more than 10 “ninjas”, in other words, poorly lit cyclists.
But shining on a bike is mandatory.
And not having working lighting at night is punishable by a fine of 11 to 36 euros.
It is important to be familiar with the compulsory equipment: a lamp at the front, at the rear and reflectors (reflective elements) on the wheels and pedals.
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See well and avoid the accident
"It's clear that it's my fault, not having lights is dangerous, because you can't see" confesses Antoine, victim of an accident which broke the fork of his bike. a few months.
Even in a generally well-lit city, such as Paris, there are still dark streets at night, where a pothole or bumpy pavement is quickly synonymous with an accident.
Patrick Benevant, who sells cycling equipment in his L'Échappée Belle boutique in Asnières, has some tips for cyclists who want to shine.
“In addition to the mandatory lamps, it's good to have a spare lamp in your bag,” he explains.
It is also prudent to provide "a yellow vest, a retro reflective helmet and an armband" he specifies.
And it is all the more important in winter, when trips after dark (from 5 p.m.) are more and more frequent.
Be visible to other users
And then, lamps are important because they allow other road users to see cyclists on the road.
Lack of anticipation is a major cause of accidents between cyclists and motorists.
"Without equipment, a cyclist or a pedestrian is only visible at about 30 m", explains Cécile Lechère, in charge of road risk prevention for the MMA insurance company.
However, "A car traveling at 50 km / h takes about 26 m to stop", she explains.
Which makes the accident almost inevitable.
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“But if you wear retro-reflective equipment you are visible at 150 m, that means you are visible 5 times earlier,” concluded Cécile Lechère.
