Many of us come to Vermont so we can do fun things outside, and some of us just have to be outside to get to work or maintain our health. Whatever the motivation, we Vermonters generally lead busy outdoor lives year round: work, play, drive, walk, run, workout, hike, bike, ski, snowshoe, hunt, fish, snowmobile, go go go.
With so many active people sharing outdoor space, accidents can occur. Anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors has stories of tragic incidents and near misses. We all must take care to avoid accidents when outside, and one important way to reduce risk is to make yourself visible so others can avoid you.
Being seen while you recreate, commute or work, can be as common sense as not wearing all black for your walk back to your car at dusk, but industry groups have established standards for high-visibility equipment (Check out ANSI/ISEA 107-2010). Many sporting goods companies like Brooks, Louis Garneau, and Nathan have combined their own research with observance of industry standards to produce high visibility garments and accessories specifically for outdoor recreation.
Finding your own best “High-Viz” solution can be as easy as running down to your local specialty outdoor store to get their advice, or you can research your own best solution by reading some of the many articles available on the Web.
Whatever method you choose, here are some key things to remember when dressing for visibility. This is general information learned from decades of personal experience, and checked against the references at the end of this blog post.
1. Mix and Match:
You can easily mix and match high-viz items designed for cycling, running or even nordic skiing to build a collection that works best for what you do. I have done nighttime adventure races wearing LED vests intended for construction workers, and use a “running” vest to wrap my backpack for the walking part of my daily commute. I even used a bike light on my dog’s collar (don’t forget your furry family members!). Many bike headlights slide off and work fine as a hand held flashlight to help avoid tripping when you walk in the dark.
2. Different Solutions for Different Conditions:
The gear you choose depends upon whether it’s light or dark, you're moving or stationary, which side of the road you're on, the time of year, or the angle of the sun on the horizon. When conditions are changing (like dawn and dusk) you may need to prepare for multiple conditions. When in doubt, wear lights, fluorescent colors and reflectives. More is better! My favorite winter running hat is fluorescent orange with reflective panels too.
3. Bright colors (especially fluorescents) are best for daylight:
Fluorescent green/yellow tends to be the best all around high-viz color for daylight and changing light conditions, while fluorescent orange/red is thought to be best at dawn/dusk and low light. I often wear a bright yellow Brooks baseball cap for lunchtime runs, but I’ll wear an orange vest over a yellow jersey for cycling in early morning or late afternoon.
4. You need lights and reflective materials to be seen in the dark:
Fluorescent colors don’t work in the dark, although white or very light colors might provide some contrast against a dark background when seen in car headlights. You really need lights, and/or reflective materials to be seen at night or in conditions of poor visibility.
- Lights can be hand held, clip-on, mounted on bikes, or even sewn on clothing. Lights used to be seen around town should be 100 lumens or greater, lights to be seen in broad daylight should be upwards of 200 lumens, and lights for seeing in the dark should be 700 lumens or greater or even upwards of 1000 lumens for mountain biking. Cyclists need white light in front and red for the rear. LED lights for accessories like vests or leg bands can be white, red, or even yellow. Flashing lights attract more attention than steady ones.
- Reflective materials in the form of tape, strips or velcro can be stuck or sewn to almost any surface you can think of, or purchased on hats, jackets, pants, gloves, backpacks and even bike tires. Traditional silver gray reflective materials that reflect bright white light generally reflect more light than colored reflective materials.
5. Lights and reflectors on body segments are more easily identified as a person:
Put lights or reflective tape on all body segments from your head to hands and feet. These can be arm or leg bands, clip-on flashers, gloves or even shoe laces. The profile and movement helps differentiate you from road signs and mailboxes. Bike tires with reflective sidewalls are also great, and more easily identify you as someone on a bicycle.
When in doubt, just stand out! Get in the habit of picking the brighter option whenever you go outside.
Sam Hewitt,
Skirack
Click here to learn about Sam
Here are some references where you can find out more:
ANSI/ISEA 107-2010
Newsweek/Staying Safe as Days Darken 10/14/09
AMC/Be Outdoors 6/28/2018
NHTSA.gov/Pedestrian safety
