East Windsor Township has launched phase three of “Bike at Night – Use a Light,” a multi-month bicycle safety initiative that will continue through Friday Sept. 9.
During this phase, which started Aug. 2, the township will be distributing at no cost to East Windsor residents the required pair of bike lights for the front and rear of the bicycle, along with safety information literature, daily through the Police/Court Building at 80 One Mile Road.
New Jersey law and municipal ordinance require that bicycles be equipped with a white light on the front and a red light on the rear when in use during nighttime hours.
According to Mayor Janice S. Mironov, “Bike At Night – Use a Light,” the third and final phase of the Township Bike Safety Program, is geared to safe biking at night and will be a directed effort, through public education and personal contact to get bicyclers to use proper lighting at night. Those who bicycle at night without proper lights are a danger not only to themselves, but to motorists using the roadways.
”We believe it is a worthy goal of our township to launch a full public program to focus on and improve the safe use of bicycles within the Township by undertaking a pro-active education and outreach campaign,” said the mayor.
The bicycle safety initiative included Phase 1 “Use Your Head,” a focus on the importance of wearing bicycle helmets. Phase 2 involved distribution of form summonses recognizing children wearing helmets and asking the young person to sign a pledge to use a safety helmet when using a bicycle, skateboard or rollerblades, which enabled them to be entered in a drawing for prizes.
The bicycle safety program is underwritten by a $10,000 grant from the New Jersey Highway Traffic Safety Division.
