For example, in winter both pedestrians and bicyclists have to put one or more pendant reflectors on their jackets or on such clothes that are easily visible in the headlights of cars, busses, trucks etc. It’s also possible to wear reflecting waistcoats or bands that can be wrapped around one’s trousers or sleeves. One might acquire these and still other kinds of reflectors in department stores or bike shops, usually for a quite reasonable price. Reflectors are a little bit cheaper in second hand stores, of course. And, from time to time reflectors are even available at no cost from banks, supermarket chains or public institutions. One should not be afraid to ask for reflectors free of charge!

Furthermore, bicyclists ought to make sure that their bikes are properly equipped with lights. The police in Oulu have recently issued a press release informing the public that they are now going to fine people that are bicycling through the city without lights after nightfall. Thus far the police took a more tolerant stance, only giving out warnings. In general, it is recommended to use normal white and rather strong front lights (for instance, Halogen bulbs). However, it’s also possible to use blue lights (LED’s), which are a little bit weaker. Red ones are only good as back lights! Bicyclists using batteries instead of a dynamo as the source of electric supply for their lights should always carry spare batteries with them. Some of the lights also have a blinking mode, but experts of traffic safety are divided in determining how effective this is.

In Finland bicyclists have to wear a protective helmet that is certified according to common industrial and testing standards such as the European CE-norm. Since wearing such a helmet has become obligatory in 2003, the amount of bicycling deaths due to head injuries after an accident has considerably decreased. The investment into a proper helmet thus pays off! In order to acquire a good helmet, one should turn towards bike shops where staff is usually well trained. That is, they might help in finding a helmet with the right size and show how to adjust and wear it correctly. All in all, there are many more measures to increase traffic safety for bicyclists. For instance, one might use studded tyres instead of slicks. Last but not least, all road and pavement users should pay attention to each other, year-round.

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