Hey! Look at me!

Make yourself be seen!

by R. Bruce Thomas

As I slowed to a stop at a dark T-Intersection recently I noticed a woman crossing the main road.

I should say "barely noticed" the woman. She was dressed all in black from head to toe and was nearly invisible.

My first thought was "I hope she doesn't get hit."

As the days get shorter at this time of year, the sun goes down early (and will continue to do so for the next seven weeks). I love the weather in Fall and Spring (not too hot and not too cold; fewer bugs) but these seasons are also not my favorite times of the year in some regards and that includes the constant change of outerwear if I'm riding or not.

Perhaps this woman just got caught wearing the wrong clothes for the time of day she would be outside.

My second thought was "I wonder if she rides a motorcycle?"

There are fewer and fewer bikes on the road now which means it is critical that riders do everything they can to ensure they are visible to other traffic. Especially after the sun goes down.

• Don't dress like you're headed to a Goth Festival.
• Get a lighter colored or brightly colored helmet.
• Add some high visibility reflective strips to your bike or riding clothes.
• Add extra lighting to your bike. Corporate Member AdMore Lighting is a great place to start for that!
• Make sure all the lights on your bike work.
• Don't be afraid to use your high beams to raise your visibility (day or night).
• Ride responsibly - within limits for the conditions.
• Be aware of your place in the flow of traffic and use dynamic lane positioning to make yourself stick out from the background noise.

And plan to spend some time over the next four or five months, when your bike is parked, to investigate (online forums, bike show if one is nearby, local dealers, friends, ...) the changes you can make before next riding season rolls around to ensure you are as visible as possible during the shorter daylight hours next Spring, and in all future shoulder seasons.

Ride responsibly, and often.