When riding a bicycle or running at night, take care of your own safety. Visibility on the road will be provided by clothing with reflectors or special stickers, reflective tapes or wristbands. The obligation to illuminate the bicycle results from the rules of the Highway Code.
Bands, ribbons, stickers or reflective vests can be purchased in hypermarkets, bicycle, automotive and sports shops, via the Internet or even at petrol stations. Single reflections cost about 2-6 zlotys. A reflective vest costs about 10 zlotys.
Running in the dark – clothing with reflective tapes, reflective bands
Less crowded streets or no time to train during the day – some of the reasons for running at night. Deciding to be active after dark, you should take care of your own safety. Visibility on the road will provide glare. Useful accessories for runners include, for example, reflective wristbands or self-adhesive tapes that can be applied to clothing. When buying sportswear (pants, jackets, blouses, sweatshirts), it’s worth choosing models that already have reflective fabric on them. Stickers reflecting light on your legs or arms will make the runner visible to the driver of the car from a distance of 200 meters.
Running at night through the woods – a running torch
The headlamp will be useful during night training on uneven and completely unlit terrain, like in the forest. The lamp is mounted on the head, you do not need to hold it in your hands while running, its light falls exactly in front of the runner. It’s good to stock up on spare batteries. It is best to go for training in a group if it is impossible to run only on paths that you met during the day. It is also worth mentioning to the family or roommates where to go and have GPS enabled on the phone. It is best to run in the forest when it is dry. Falling on slippery mud or leaves may result in injury.
Bicycle lighting – recipes
The most important element of bicycle equipment at night is the lighting. A cyclist who uses the road is obliged to comply with road rules. According to the Highway Code, the bicycle should equip with at least one position light at the front (white or selective yellow). At the rear, the vehicle must have a position lamp and a reflector lamp in a shape other than a triangle. Both rear bicycle lights should be red. To be more visible on the road at night, the cyclist can also put on a headlamp. You just need to remember that it cannot be mounted lower than 25 centimeters and more than 1.5 meters from the road surface.
Does the cyclist have to wear a safety vest?
In the light of road traffic law, a reflective vest is not mandatory during cycling. However, the cyclist should have reflective details on the clothing or helmet, stickers, tapes, and bands. Light-reflective stickers can be additionally wrapped, for example, with pedals or bicycle wheels.
Cycling without lights – a ticket
A ride on a motorbike without lights may result in a fine. For riding a bicycle after dark or in tunnels without proper lighting of the vehicle, a police officer may issue a fine of PLN 100.