[vince blank]

Honestly, these figures don’t surprise me. I cycle to work year-round, and even in cities with good cycling infrastructure, I experience dangerous situations almost weekly.

Last winter, I had a near-accident on my way to work one morning. It was still dark, it was drizzling, there were reflective road markings everywhere, and drivers were speeding through an intersection near the train station. I had my lights on, was wearing reflective clothing—everything. Despite this, a driver turned right in front of me, claiming he only “saw” me at the last moment.

Many people think visibility simply means having the brightest possible light, but glare is also a problem. Some bike lights are so bright that they blind oncoming cyclists and even drivers. When visibility is poor for everyone in wet conditions, reaction times are reduced.

After this incident, I switched to a front light with a low beam and currently use a Magicshine HORI 1300 PRO on my commuter bike. It illuminates the road well without directly blinding people, and I’ve actually noticed less aggressive reactions from oncoming cyclists and pedestrians.

But technology alone won’t solve the problem. I think the bigger issue is that speed still takes precedence over attention in road traffic. Dark intersections, distracted drivers, poorly designed bike lanes, and aggressive overtaking create situations where a small mistake can be fatal.

Every time I read statistics like these, I think about how normal these near misses for cyclists have become. That’s what’s so frightening about it.

[Author]

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