Clocks go back – safe riding goes up a gear
An early reminder: the clocks go back by one hour at 2am on Sunday, October 27.
It means the commute to work is more likely to be in daylight as we grab an extra hour in the morning. From Monday, October 28, expect sunrise to be 7am in Manchester, and about eight minutes earlier in London.
But that extra light in the morning comes at a price: we lose light in the evening so our rides home will almost certainly be in the dark.
On the first Monday sunset will be about 4.45pm, so if you finish work or college at 5 it will be dark for the journey home.
What this means for bikers
Think visibility. Make sure headlights, brake lights and indicators are working properly, and give the glass casings a clean to remove road muck so they shine brightly. Do the same with reflectors. The more people can see us, the better.
Ditch the man or woman in black look
We need to think about our riding kit. Is it all black? If it is, does that make it easy for other road users to spot us? It doesn’t - so let’s take action.
If possible, think about upgrading biker gear to lighter colours. If that’s not possible, add reflector trips to arms and backs of jackets, and your legs. Add another to the helmet. Anything that lights us up keeps us safe.
And on the bike…
Reflector strips placed low down on the forks can help catch dipped lights in poor visibility, and adding a strip to panniers or the rear carrier is another good idea.
What else?
It’s dark, so expect mistakes! Bikers get frustrated at having to dodge the errors of other road users, but smart riding saves lives. Cut out the risky manoeuvres. Ride slower, take extra care and keep focused around danger spots such as junctions, roundabouts and traffic lights.
At night car and van blind spots can be even bigger, so overtake only with extreme care. Watch out for drivers pulling into your path who haven’t seen you.
Remember that bike headlights can be harder to spot at night amid all the other lights on the road – and that’s particularly true when it’s wet; road spray can be another barrier to being spotted.
Never assume a driver looking to emerge from a junction has seen you. If there are a lot of lights behind a motorbike, its headlight can easily get lost in the background.
Finally, never let the stress of the working day or clogged up road cloud your judgement. Take your time, keep checking the danger spots and ride home safely.