It's time to light up. Your bikes at night, that is.
During the first two weeks of winter term, students stopped while riding unlit bicycles at night will be issued lights, not fines. Up to 500 lights will be given away during the "Bike Lights Instead of Citations" effort being conducted in a partnership involving the UO Bike Program and UO Police Department.
The effort, said Sgt. Alice Carey of the UOPD, is the result of several close calls involving bikes and cars in the campus area.
"Violations of Oregon’s bicycle lighting law are probably the most frequently observed traffic offense committed by bicycle riders," Carey said. "During the winter months, it is impossible for most bicycle commuters to avoid riding during darkness at the beginning and end of their commute."
Oregon law requires lights after dark on bicycles. A white light on the front must be visible at least 500 feet to the front, and a red light or reflector must be visible at least 600 feet to the rear. Not meeting the requirements is a Class D traffic violation with a maximum fine of $90.
Car lights easily will make reflectors on bicycles visible from the front and rear, but car lights don't capture the reflectors as cars approach a bicycle from the side, Carey said. That scenario can result in citations for the bicyclist.
"When a driver tells the investigating officer about the invisibility of the cyclist, the cyclist receives a traffic citation for what would otherwise be considered a collision that was primarily the fault of the motorist,” Carey said, citing the freely available "Pedal Power: A Legal Guide for Oregon Bicyclists."
During the two-week program, UOPD officers will stop students biking without lights and inform them of the law. Riders also will receive a flyer about bike safety.
"The focus is on educating students about the law and bike safety," said Kelsey Moore, coordinator of the UO Bike Program. "Bike riding around campus and Eugene is fun and convenient, and that’s why many students are choosing to bike. Biking is a low-cost, active and easy transportation option. Many students begin biking for transportation once they come to the UO and are simply unaware that the rules of the road apply to people biking too."
According to a 2014 survey, 23 percent of UO students get to campus by bicycle.
Additional sponsors of the bike-light-giveaway are the UO Health Center, UO Parking and Transportation, Oregon Department of Transportation, The Duck Store, GEARs and Life Cycle Bike Shop.
ODOT's Bicycle and Pedestrian Program offers a downloadable copy of the Oregon Bicyclist Manual in both English and Spanish.