Wednesday morning, Sylvia, cyclist for three years in Paris, was arrested while traveling in the street on his bike by Francis, member of the Association Road Safety. “We will check all your lighting and visibility equipment such as reflective tape, safety vest and helmet etc.,” he offers to the young woman. An awareness campaign for cyclists’ risks night organized simultaneously in 10 cities (Lille, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Rennes, La Rochelle, Besancon, and Gap) by the association and the Road Safety insurer MMA.
Because according to a joint investigation by the insurer and the combination of 2, 000 cyclists between March and June 2013 revealed this Wednesday, three quarters of cyclists riding into town on their own bike poorly lit at night. “Many bikes were originally equipped with inefficient dynamo broke. Others have been degraded and cyclists have not retrofitted provided. In contrast, self-service bikes have less default lighting because they are regularly checked, “says Jean-Yves, general delegate of the association Prevention road.
As for reflective jackets and armbands, they are almost never used by cyclists less than 5% of rental bike users use it and 16% of owners of personal bike. “But the utilization rate increased to Paris, Lille and Rennes (25%), probably because cyclists feel more vulnerable s because the bike paths are less developed than in other cities,” says Jean-Yves. Yet these devices are useful “because they can be visible up to 150 meters against 30 meters without these accessories, he insists. A powerful argument is that 20% of 155 cyclists were killed in an accident road in 2012 at night.
Still, the majorities of cyclists is still poorly informed on the subject and are unaware of the risks they face. “Do you know what the mandatory equipment for riding is?” Francis Gael asked. “The front and rear lights,” replied the young woman. “Not only wearing a retro reflective vest is mandatory open road. A retro reflective device on the pedals is also indispensable, “explains François-Gael. To help Sylvia no longer seem unnoticed, he offers a kit containing a vest, armbands and protection for fluorescent bag back. “I put the now when I will cross the Place de la Bastille at night,” Sylvia advance. Olivier, another seasoned cyclist, also gets his kit: “The safety vest does not look like the Karl Lagerfeld, but I’ll make an effort and put it on as often as possible,” he promises, before straddling his bike.