Advice for pedestrians and cyclists

Although drivers should be especially careful during hours of poor visibility, if you are a cyclist or pedestrian there are things you can do to help yourself be seen.

In autumn and winter, the mornings and evenings are much darker and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service encourages you to Be Bright Be Seen.

Your safety, and the safety of others, matters and here are things you can do to help yourself be seen:

Pedestrians

• Wear brightly coloured clothing to increase your visibility.
• At night try to wear clothing that is reflective or has reflective elements.
• Fluorescent and reflective arm bands can be worn over coats and clothing and stickers can be used on bags.
• Hi-Viz jackets are a great way for pedestrians, joggers and cyclists to increase their visibility from a long way off.
• Carrying a torch or a wearable cycling light will help to increase your visibility in the dark.
• Keep to the footpath where there is one, if not keep to the right hand side of the road so you can see oncoming traffic.
• Being aware of your surroundings can help so don’t wear headphones or earphones while you are walking and leave your phone in your pocket.
• Always crossroads at safe places that are well lit.
• Try not to cross from between parked cars as this makes you harder to see.
• Where possible cross the road at pedestrian crossings.

Cyclists

• Always wear a helmet when riding your bike.
• Use a bright light on the front of your bike, it lets people see you and illuminates the road ahead so you can see where you are going.
• You need to have a red light on the back so people can see you when they are driving up behind you.
• Try to wear brightly coloured and reflective clothing.
• Don’t wear black, it makes it harder for motorists and pedestrians to see you.
• Ride with caution, keep an eye out for hazards such as slippery leaves, ice patches and potholes.
• Try not to ride down roads you don’t know.
• Even if you know the route well, it will look very different at night.
• Let friends and family know where you are going.
• If you ride a route regularly let people know what that route is in case you get injured and people need to find you.
• Being aware of your surroundings is crucial, you need to be able to hear vehicles approaching so don’t wear headphones or earphones while riding.

It may even be dark to and from school, so it is important to share this information with children and loved ones.

Check out our safety videos for pedestrians and cyclists from firefighter Franky here: