[panglott]

Bike lights are far more important safety gear than a helmet is.

But not having a helmet attracts more negative attention than not having lights does.

[Eric_WVGG]

I used to consider lights “optional,” but since bicycling has grown in popularity, I have observed more lightless riders — or failed to observe, rather — and now quite agree. I’m amazed that I got away with riding effectively invisible, with no incidents, for as long as I did.

Now I’m baffled by the fact that lights aren’t built into the frames of all non-competitive road bikes…

[mcv]

They are standard on all Dutch bikes. Is that not true in other countries? Bikes without lights, rear reflectors and reflectors on the wheels or tires are far, far more dangerous than not wearing a helmet.

[panglott]

Reflectors are standard in the US, I think, but not lights.

Reflectors are in no way enough.

[mcv]

You are right, just reflectors is not enough (though tire reflectors are amazingly effective for traffic coming from the side). Lights really should be standard.

[mcv]

> But not having a helmet attracts more negative attention than not having lights does.

Not true. At least not universally. It all depends on how many and what kind of idiots live where you bike.

[umanwizard]

Is this true?

I assume anyone riding without lights at night is a gigantic moron. I barely notice people not wearing helmets, which is much more common (sadly, they are both fairly common).

[apendleton]

Among cyclists, not having a light gets noticed, but the non-cyclist narrative about crashes in, say, a newspaper, is almost always "X was/was not wearing a helmet" and almost never "X was riding without lights in the dark."

[maccard]

That depends on where you are. I was stopped at 5am one morning cycling across Dublin city (my light died on the way) by the police.