Written by Shelby Loebk
Photo courtesy of Visit Savannah
The Savannah Bicycle Campaign (SBC) launched its nighttime cycling safety campaign on Thursday, Feb. 11, by giving away free bike lights.
The SBC held the event at Lincoln Street. Beginning at 6 p.m., volunteers gave out sets of red and white lights. They also installed them for people that brought their bikes, along with free providing bike safety checks and minor repairs.
John Bennett, executive director of SBC, said between 50 and 60 patrons attended the event, more than half of which were SCAD students.
The SBC hopes this new campaign will not only provide lights to cyclists who cannot obtain them, but also raise awareness of the proper precautions for nighttime cycling according to their campaign press release.
“We want people to be safe and visible, especially if they depend on their bikes as their primary mode of transportation. They might prefer not to ride when it is dark out, but their work or class schedules demand it,” said Savannah Bicycle Campaign Chair Caila Brown.
The campaign emphasized how Georgia state law requires cyclists to have both a white front light and a red rear light when riding bicycles in the dark.
The law, as quoted in the press release, reads, “every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a light on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of 300 feet to the front and with a light on the back which shall emit a red light visible from a distance of 300 feet to the rear. Any bicycle equipped with a red reflector on the rear that is approved by the Department of Public Safety shall not be required to have a light on the rear of the bicycle.”
Event volunteers were instructed to ask recipients why they did not already have either front or back lights.
“Most people were already aware of the law and the safety issues, and said their lights broke or were stolen,” said Bennett.
The lights were purchased with funds donated primarily by SBC members.
“We were able to purchase 1,000 lights, and plan to give them away until there are none left,” said Bennett.
The continuation of the nighttime cycling safety campaign beyond this initial purchase depends on future donations.
The SBC plans to continue the campaign by holding similar events at different locations throughout Savannah.
Bennett explained, “we are talking about setting up a booth at Forsyth Park, and maybe in front of Kroger of Gwinnett Street, and other locations we know that are destinations for bikers.”
The SBC plans to release these future campaign locations and dates in the upcoming weeks.
