BE SEEN IV event will light up the night in Isla Vista

ISLA VISTA, Calif.-BE SEEN IV Bike Light Distribution always takes place after the end of Daylight Saving Time when it gets dark an hour earlier.

California Highway Patrol officers gave out almost a thousand lights to students and others who stopped by Pardall Center on Wednesday night.

"I  go to a class very late at the Rec Cen and it is very dark biking back ,and it is scary sometimes when you are a girl biking back alone," said UCSB student Aline Aeslanian. "So, it is nice to have lights, this is great."

Officers say injury traffic crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians are the number three cause of trauma seen at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

The CHP has been meeting with UCSB faculty, student leaders, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office, and the University of California Police Department to address bicycle safety concerns.

This event is an alternative to writing traffic tickets to force cycling compliance. 

California Highway Patrol Officer Jonathon Gutierrez said the lights that can be easily mounted on handlebars. 

Members of the UCSB Bike Committee volunteered to help students put white lights on their handle bars and red lights near their bike seats.

Officers, students, and volunteers also gave out safety information, reflectors, and bicycle helmets.

A grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration helps fund the annual event.