Night Time Safety Is it really all that dangerous to bike/walk/run at night? Yes. Just Yes. For the first time in 20 years, pedestrian fatalities and injuries are on the increase. Pedestrians are up to seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal collision at night as opposed to in the day. More than 70% of cyclist v. vehicle collisions and fatalities happen at night. 75% of fatalities occur at night. GHSA Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State, 2017There are many factors to blame:
- Increased use of smartphones by distracted drivers and pedestrians.
- Dated road design – cars driving at elevated speeds on roads built for less traffic.
- Fewer – not more – crosswalks mean pedestrians risk crossing at unsafe points.
- More people are walking for health benefits and environmental reasons.

The steady increase in distracted drivers is bad news for everyone competing for space on the
road. Drivers are not looking for you. They’re rushing, yelling, texting, giving a pacifier to a cranky toddler in the back seat. You are not even a little on their minds.
So the more time you can give a driver to see you and avoid you, the better. And that’s the whole game. The more heads-up a driver has, the likelier you’ll be seen. Cars always win. It’s just a matter of degree of injury.