This local Road Safety campaign runs yearly from mid-October to the end of January. The most challenging walking, riding and driving conditions are during these months.
Councils across the country promote the Be Bright, Be Seen campaign during this time. We believe that the importance of being seen covers only one side of the coin.
Failing to look properly is often the main factor in road collisions involving:
- pedestrians
- cyclists
- motorcyclists
We have to rely a lot on our eyes when we travel to assess the road environment and make the safest decisions. In challenging conditions it is hard to see and spot hazards especially in Autumn/Winter.
Travelling safely requires our full attention when in the road environment. Many road users get distracted while travelling reducing their ability to spot hazards. We need to keep both our eyes and mind on what is going on around us to spot hazards in time and react safely.
This is why we chose the dual slogan Look, See, Be Seen for our local campaign.
Look, See
Travelling when the low sun is blinding
In autumn and winter, the sun is positioned much lower in the sky. A road user, travelling facing the sun, can easily be blinded.
When the sun is low, it is very difficult to see shapes and colours so it is much harder to see one another on the road. When the road is wet due to rain showers, the sun reflects on the wet surface and this blinds road users even more.
Advice to drivers:
- reduce your speed and increase stopping distances
- look out with extra care for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists before manoeuvring especially at junctions, roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, on bends/corners and between parked cars
- keep your windscreen clean. Check that your windscreen water bottle is topped up. Consider having sunglasses as well as de-icer in the car.
Advice to pedestrians:
- take longer to look for traffic before crossing the road using both your eyes and ears
- when reaching the edge of the pavement and before crossing, give your full attention to the road environment. Concentrate on the road and not on your phone or other people
Travelling in low light and/or when it is raining
During the many cloudy and rainy days of autumn and winter, the light outside is very low. Dark colours do not stand out. Rain and ice on the windscreen and mirrors decrease drivers’ visibility.
Advice to drivers:
- reduce your speed and increase stopping distances
- look out with extra care for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists before manoeuvring
- before driving off check that your:
- mirrors and windscreen are clean
- windscreen water bottle is topped up and you have de-icer on board
- wiper blades work effectively
Advice to pedestrians:
- umbrellas and hoods can reduce or block your visibility
- we can be tempted to cross the road in a hurry when it is raining to avoid getting too wet. This can lead to making a rushed decision and crossing when it is not safe to do so. By rushing across the road, you allow less time for traffic to see you and slow down or even stop to let you cross the road
- even at a pedestrian crossing, do not assume that traffic will see you. Make eye contact if possible and cross the road when traffic has stopped or clearly slowed down for you.
Travelling in the hours of darkness
The average hours of night-time in the UK is about 15 hours from October to January. Many people are likely to travel when it is still dark outside.
The eyes have to adjust to the darkness and vehicles’ headlights can dazzle drivers reducing their visibility. In the dark, the human eye is able to see something or someone if a source of light reflects against them. This is why reflective materials and bright/fluorescent colours stand out if a light shines on them.
Advice to drivers:
Keep your windscreen and mirrors clean to avoid glare. If the glare is so bad that you can’t see anything, slow down but avoid stopping abruptly. Reduce your speed and look out for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists especially at:
- junctions
- crossings
- roundabouts
- on bends/corners
- between parked cars
Look out for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists as they might not always be wearing bright/fluorescent or reflective items of clothing and accessories.
Distractions
While driving or riding a motorcycle it is illegal to hold or use a:
- phone (keep your phone out of reach for example in the glove box)
- sat nav
- tablet
- any device that can send or receive data,
Avoid any other in-car distractions (e.g. food and drinks, loud music or passengers). Visit the Government website for more information.
Be Seen
We know the following conditions make it harder for road users to see one another:
- when the low sun is blinding
- travelling in low light and/or when it is raining
- travelling in the hours of darkness
We encourage vulnerable road users to think about how they can reduce the risk of not being seen by other vehicles. Vulnerable road uses are:
- pedestrians
- cyclists
- mobility scooters
- motorcyclists
Positioning
Pedestrians where possible should cross the road using a:
- zebra
- puffin
- pelican crossing
- pedestrian island
We sometimes want to cross elsewhere to save some time but it is worth walking a few extra metres to cross safely. If there are not any crossing facilities nearby cross somewhere where
- you can see oncoming traffic
- the traffic can see you
Wherever possible, avoid crossing on bends/corners, at the brow of a hill or between parked cars. If you are walking at night, where possible cross the road where it is lit by streetlights.
Cyclists and motorcyclists should avoid riding too close to a large vehicle. If you do you might be in the driver's blind spot. If you can't see the driver's mirrors the driver probably can't see you. When filtering through traffic do it slowly as vehicles might not see you in their mirrors. Watch out for vehicles turning left or right cutting through your path.
Lights and high-visibility clothing and accessories
Pedestrians: winter clothing is often darker than summer clothing. It is not always possible for pedestrians to wear:
- bright/fluorescent clothes when travelling in daylight
- reflective clothes at night
We ask pedestrians to consider simple accessorises that can make a difference especially when travelling at night:
- high-vis arm bands bag stickers or clips
- bright/fluorescent hats, gloves or scarves
When jogging at night always consider:
- wearing reflective clothing
- carrying a light such as a head torch
Cyclists: Check that your white front light and red back light or reflectors are clean and working. Use them at dusk, night or generally when visibility is poor. We recommend you wear high-visibility and/or reflective clothing and accessories.
Motorcyclists: if you are riding in autumn and winter, we recommend you wear high-visibility or reflective clothing and accessories.
Advice summary
Drivers
- look out for vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, mobility scooters and motorcyclists) before manoeuvring (around you and in your mirrors).
- look out for pedestrians particularly at junctions, pedestrian crossings, on bends/corners, the brow of a hill or between parked cars.
- look out for cyclists and motorcyclists particularly at junctions and roundabouts or when they are filtering through traffic.
- in autumn and winter, the weather is unpredictable. Be prepared to travel in conditions that make it harder to see other road users:
- when the low sun is blinding
- in low light and when it’s raining
- at night
In such conditions, please reduce your speed, increase stopping distances, and look out even more carefully for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Pedestrians
- choose a place to cross the road where you can see oncoming traffic well
- if this means walking a few extra metres to the nearest pedestrian crossing, it is worth doing so
- keep your eyes, ears and mind on the road when you cross it
- find a safer place to cross the road, meaning somewhere you can see traffic and traffic can see you
- avoid crossing on bends/corners, between parked cars or on the brow of a hill
- in autumn and winter, consider wearing hi-vis accessories (e.g. arm bands, bag stickers or clips) or items of clothing such a hat, a scarf or gloves
- at night, where possible, cross the road in an area lit by streetlights
- we recommend that joggers running at night wear reflective clothing and carry a light such as a head torch
Cyclists
- check that your white front light and red back light or rear reflector are clean and work
- use your lights at dusk, at night or generally when visibility is poor
- we recommend wearing a hi-vis item of clothing even in daylight
- reflective materials are very effective at night
Motorcyclists
- if riding in autumn and winter, consider wearing high-vis/reflective clothing
Cyclists and motorcyclists
- avoid riding too close to larger vehicles as you might be in the driver’s blind spot. If you can’t see the driver’s mirrors, the chances are the driver can’t see you
- if you are filtering through traffic, do it slowly as vehicles might not see you straight away in their mirrors
Our social media channels
Are you interested in sharing our message and advice? Find us on Twitter and Facebook @PlymRoadSafety. Like and re-share our posts. #LookSeeBeSeen