If you do not wear a reflector you choose to be invisible in the dark.

Did you know that if you walk along a road without a reflector the driver of a car will only see you when he or she is only 25-30 meters away? When using a reflector, you will be seen from a distance of 140 meters. If you convert this to seconds, it means that if you do not use a reflector the driver of a car going 50 km/h only has 2 seconds to react, versus 10 seconds if you carry a reflector.

It could be the difference between life and death!

Street lighting creates a false security. Many people believe that reflectors are not necessary when walking along well-lit roads. It is important to know that even if you see the car, the driver does not necessarily see you. Wearing at least one reflector is therefore an important and very cheap life insurance when you are out and about in the dark.

Over the years, as this region has become more populated, I have become increasingly worried about driving in the dark. The reason for this is that more people are now walking along the roads in the evenings. In the Pays de Gex area, we are not spoiled with great traffic infrastructure and streetlights. Nor does it help that the prevailing fashion seems to involve wearing dark clothes in the winter season (or any time of year).

Coming from a cold and dark country I’ve often wondered why the knowledge of reflectors is almost non-existent around here. In my native country Norway, people are very aware of the advantages of using reflectors. Still, some people tend to forget, so every year there are nation-wide advertising campaigns for their use. There is even a Reflector Day every year in mid-October or so to mark the entrance into the darker season. I have never seen any encouragements to use this simple and potential lifesaving little thing around here in France… Only the serious bikers seem to have understood that to be spotted in traffic you need to have both lights and reflectors on your bike and clothes.

Reflectors are also among the easiest and cheapest advertising tools. In Norway they are easily available and can often be picked up free of charge at insurance companies, banks, shops etc. It makes me wonder why nobody down here have not seen this as a great way to do publicity!

Please: when you go for a stroll in the dark, make sure you have:

1. Reflectors attached to all your winter coats and bags.
2. Moving reflectors (suspended from your clothes) are the most visible.
3. Make sure these are the same height as car lights – knee height.
4. Use at least 2 reflectors so that you are visible from all angles.
5. If your reflector has lots of scratches it won’t work well, so get a new one!

Lets stay protected and wear reflectors when it is dark. Fell free to share!