Council road safety officers hand out free bike lights and hi-vis covers from 4.45pm to 6.30pm, 26 to 30 October. Here is where they will be each evening.

Free bike lights, reflective stickers and hi-vis rucksack covers are being handed out across Brighton and Hove every evening this week. Council road safety officers will be at a different spot each day from about 4.45pm to 6.30pm, until Friday 30 October.

The clocks went back on Sunday, so the evening rush hour now runs in the dark. Brighton & Hove City Council announced the sessions on 23 October (council announcement). Officers from Sussex Police and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service will be working with them.

Where and when

Day Where Time
Monday 26 October St Peter’s Church area 4.45pm to 6.30pm
Tuesday 27 October Church Road, Hove, near Grand Avenue 4.45pm to 6.30pm
Wednesday 28 October Preston Park South 4.45pm to 6.30pm
Thursday 29 October The Highway, at the junction with Lewes Road 4.45pm to 6.30pm
Friday 30 October The Aquarium junction, near Madeira Drive 4.45pm to 6.30pm

The council gives the times as “around” 4.45pm until 6.30pm. It describes the free lights as temporary, so treat them as a stopgap rather than a replacement for a proper set.

What is on offer

  • free temporary bike lights
  • reflective stickers
  • hi-vis rucksack covers
  • road safety advice for people who cycle, walk or use a wheelchair or mobility aid

Officers will also ask cyclists to check their lights work.

What the law says

Lights after dark are not optional on a bike. Rule 60 of the Highway Code says: “At night your cycle MUST have white front and red rear lights lit.” The bike must also have a red rear reflector, plus amber pedal reflectors if it was made after 1 October 1985. Those requirements come from the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations.

Flashing lights are allowed. The Highway Code recommends a steady front lamp for riding where there is no street lighting.

For people on foot, the code recommends reflective or bright clothing after dark. The council is also asking drivers to take extra care, because people walking and cycling are harder to spot in low light.

Councillor Trevor Muten, the council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “Whether you’re walking, wheeling, cycling, travelling by public transport or driving, being alert and making yourself visible can make a real difference.”

What it means for you

If you ride home after work and your lights are flat, missing or failing, one of these stops could get you through the week for nothing. Tuesday’s is the one for Hove; Thursday’s on the Lewes Road corridor suits students and commuters heading towards Moulsecoomb and Falmer.

For the latest road closures and diversions, see our Brighton roadworks and travel page.