Awareness of bicycle light use of young adults

Abstract

Abstract Helmet use amongst bicyclists has been well documented in recent literature. Helmet use is not the only measure cyclists can take to reduce their chance of crashes. Many places, in addition to mandating helmet use by law for youths, also require bicycle lights to be used under low-light conditions (i.e. during sunrise, during sunset and at night). The aim of this study was to investigate the awareness of bicycle light use amongst young adults, with respect to the legalities and also utility of lights while cycling. An anonymous survey was developed and circulated to young adults in Canada, Ireland and the United States of America. A total of 112 individuals completed the survey. Only 13% of individuals had an unsatisfactory knowledge of bicycle light use. As knowledge is the first step towards advocating for new measures, young adults seem well -versed with respect to bicycle light use and may be able to be targeted to increase bicycle light use. Frequency of commute was related to the knowledge of bicycle light use; those who commuted more regularly were more knowledgeable. This study, however, was composed primarily of young adults residing in Canada. Future studies could investigate knowledge among young adults who reside in a region that more regularly commutes using a bicycle, to see whether this trend holds.