Be Bright, Be Seen lights the way for cyclists

Published on 03 June 2020

The popular Be Bright, Be Seen campaign is back to encourage people cycling and walking around Whanganui to light up during the darker winter months.

Be Bright, Be Seen is an initiative between Whanganui District Council, Horizons Regional Council and Whanganui Police as part of the Let’s Go/Mā Ake collaboration. The campaign is supported by Whanganui Green Bikes, the Whanganui Bicycle Users Group and local cycle shops to ensure greater visibility for all road users.

Whanganui Police Sergeant, Craig Yorston, says, “This year’s campaign runs until August and will specifically target people out cycling on shared pathways and cycle lanes during the season’s darker mornings and evenings. 

“Whanganui Police are excited about the opportunity to reward good road behaviour by cyclists with a fantastic light set that will enable safer riding and visibility.”

Let’s Go/Mā Ake is a Whanganui District Council-led programme that promotes walking, cycling and scootering as safe travel choices with education programmes held throughout Whanganui schools and workplaces.

Be seen in the dark

Cyclists should follow these guidelines to ensure they’re both safe and seen:

• Wear high-visibility clothing and ensure your front light, rear light and rear red reflector are all working correctly and are clean.
• Headlights should be attached to handlebars.
• Take extra care, looking to the left of the road well ahead so as not to be dazzled by oncoming traffic.

Did you know?
By law cyclists are required to have the following compulsory equipment when biking at night or when visibility is poor:

• One or more steady or flashing rear-facing red lights that can be seen at night from a distance of 200 metres.
• One or two white or yellow headlights that can be seen at night from a distance of 200 metres. Only one of these headlights may flash.
• Pedal retroreflectors on the forward and rear-ward facing surfaces of each pedal. If the cycle does not have these the cyclist must be wearing reflective material.