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Reflector
Reflectors are supplied with most bicycles with the intent of making the bicycle visible at night when illuminated by the headlights of another vehicle. They shine light back brightly in the direction from which it came.
Reflectors alone are not sufficient for this purpose. Any bicycle used at night must have a headlight. This is the law, and common sense.
Although rear-facing reflectors are of some use, side and front reflectors accomplish nothing, since vehicles on a collision course with a moving bicycle don't have their headlights shining on the reflectors until it is already too late to avoid a collision.
There has been a long-running conspiracy among bicycle manufacturers to perpetuate the fiction that reflectors alone are enough for night riding. They have done this out of fear that they will be required to supply lights with new bicycles. For details, see:
- John Forester's article on lights and reflectors.
- John Schubert: Why Reflectors Don't Work on this site.
- John Allen's article About Bicycle Reflectors.
