Following its success in January, Hull City Council will again be running its popular Bike Lights for Dark Nights initiative from the end of October, when the clocks go back, through to March 2024, when the clocks go forward again.
Earlier this year, six events ran at various locations across the city, including Spring Bank, Anlaby Road, Beverley Road/Clough Road and Freetown Way, resulting in dozens of cyclists (adults and children) being engaged with, 179 sets of bike lights being issued, and 156 hi-vis rucksack covers being distributed.
The council also partnered with R-evolution, Pearson Park Mosque, Case Training, and the University of Hull to donate lights and hi-vis to them for allocation.
Funded by Safer Roads Humber, the road safety project identifies and supports poorly illuminated cyclists by providing free bike lights and reflective gear, with the aim of reducing collisions on the city’s roads.
Staff from the council and Humberside Fire & Rescue will host a series of ‘pop-up’ events across Hull over the winter months to help cyclists who are not well illuminated to stay safe and stay seen.
The team will be particularly focusing on key travel routes as well as busy junctions in and around Hull city centre.
Councillor Mark Ieronimo, cabinet portfolio holder for transportation, roads and highways, said: “With the number of people in our city choosing to cycle increasing, we, as a council, are committed to making the roads safe for everyone during these dark nights.
“It is very important that cyclists are as visible as possible and that all members of the travelling public look out for each other.
“This project is not about ‘catching people’ or ‘telling them off’ for not having lights, it is about helping cyclists stay safe and stay seen on the roads.
“When we ran the first phase of this initiative in January, we received really positive feedback from those we helped, and the team is looking forward to engaging with cyclists again over the coming months.”
Ruth Gore, spokesperson from Safer Roads Humber, said: “We are delighted to support this project and remind cyclists that they must, by law, have cycle lights. We also encourage riders to ‘Be Bright, Be Seen’ and to wear a cycle helmet. It is important that we are responsible for our own safety when using the region’s roads, however, we ask drivers to take an extra look for those on two wheels, especially around junctions. It’s about sharing the road.”
As part of the initiative, and the council’s ongoing travel plan engagement with businesses and organisations in the city, the team will also be visiting some of the city’s largest employers, including Hull Royal Infirmary and the University of Hull, to provide bike lights and reflective wear to their staff to help keep commuting cyclists safe on the roads.
For the latest on cycle lighting regulations, read the guide from Cycling UK
