Opinion: Reflective Gear Won’t Stop Cyclists from Being Hit by Cars – Better Bike Lanes Will

Last week, a man named Joseph Crandall was killed by a driver in their Toyota Tacoma truck. By all accounts (including the police’s report in the news), Joseph did everything right. But he was still struck by someone driving their truck, and he was pronounced dead on the scene.

Joseph did everything right. He rode on the side of traffic. He wore hi-viz gear with reflective striping to heighten awareness from other road users, the ideal time to wear fluorescent clothing. It didn’t matter.

Joseph was even interviewed in years past by a local news station as he talked about the danger of a crash in that same area. He spoke about how dangerous the street could be for people walking and biking.

As grim as all of this is, there are solutions to ensure that Joseph won’t be hit in the first place. But first, it requires us to stop victim blaming and to take serious action, both as individuals and as communities. Otherwise, you can expect to see cyclist and pedestrian deaths increase, even if someone does “everything right.”

Hi-Viz gear won’t stop a driver from killing a cyclist

More and more people are paying attention to visibility while being out on the bike. There’s more info out there than ever about how to buy a light, particularly one that will be bright enough to be seen during the daytime to improve cyclist safety. Others wear fluorescent clothing or gear with bright colors integrated into their designs.

Why are more people thinking more about visibility and reflectivity? Outside of doing a specific poll asking people why, an educated guess has to do with the increase in on-road fatalities among cyclists over the past 10 years. Alongside that is an ever-increasing sense of danger that comes with just being out there and riding.

You can do a lot to make the most of this gear. You can concentrate these elements on places that are moving on the bike, namely your feet and legs. Lights that are bright enough to flash or strobe during the daytime can help. Companies like Redshift offer their Arclight City pedals that feature lights built into the pedals that promise to improve visibility in a place that receives a lot of movement.

As much as this level of gear aids invisibility, some recent studies claim otherwise. A recent study we covered in Urbanist Update says that 30 percent of responses found the use of safety attire – including a helmet, sunglasses, or a reflective vest – is considered more likely to contribute to making a cyclist appear less human by drivers. Removing a helmet made drivers more likely to recognize a cyclist as human, though it wasn’t enough to truly “humanize” the cyclist.

Why does dehumanization matter? Dehumanization “contributes to the propensity to commit violence and aggression.” If an inanimate sign telling a driver they can’t turn right at a red light is enough to bring out an axe, imagine that same aggression toward a cyclist.

This study isn’t conclusive evidence as other studies show that fluorescent gear can result in reduced accident risk. But it does highlight the fact that requiring cyclists to wear safety gear won’t stop a driver from killing a cyclist. A hi-viz vest won’t stop a car from running straight into a cyclist, even in this example below in Brussels, Belgium.

Cities need to need to do better

There is one proven way to lower the risk of cyclists being killed: adding quality bike lanes.

A quality bike lane works for cyclists of even the most novice of levels to help them feel comfortable moving around their community. Usually, they’re separated from the road, or at the very least partitioned in a way that provides freedom of movement and opportunity to get around.

Hi-viz and fluorescent gear won’t stop inattentive drivers from hitting cyclists. It won’t stop a driver angered by the mere inconvenience of having to share the road. Unfortunately, it won’t stop drivers who mean well but don’t see a cyclist either. It’s a bike lane. More specifically, it’s separated bike lanes that improve cyclist safety.

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FWHA) says that roadways converted to add bike lanes didn’t experience an increase in crashes or congestion. In the case of adding protected bike lanes in a city as congested as New York City, a NYC Department of Transportation study showed that travel times for cars have improved alongside a 75 percent decrease in the average risk of a serious injury to cyclists. The bike lanes aren’t going to lead to dramatically slower travel times for drivers.

Communities incentivize dangerous, inattentive behavior when the safe option is inconvenient or nonexistent. Put up signs all you want to tell people to act, but not even adding speed limiters in cars will prevent people from dying unless changes are made. Adding quality bike lanes is a good place to start.