Free safety bicycle lights to be given away at CHP event in Isla Vista
The Santa Barbara Area California Highway Patrol, along with UC Santa Barbara student leaders and community volunteers, are giving away safety bike lights Thursday evening in Isla Vista.
The event will take place on Nov. 15, 2018, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. or until supplies run out. It will be located at 6550 Pardall Road.
Approximately 1,850 bicycle lights will be handed out. Bicycle safety information and giveaway bicycle helmets will also form part of the event.
CHP says the event is aimed to encourage bicyclists to be more visible during darkness and make the cycling environment safer, reduce injuries, and reduce property damage. Often times, CHP officers are dispatched to Isla Vista to investigate injury traffic collisions involving bicyclists, according to Santa Barbara Area CHP.
CHP has been meeting with UCSB faculty, student leaders, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Injury Prevention Unit, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and UC Police Department to address ongoing safety concerns on and around campus.
Many bicyclists ride during the hours of darkness without the required lighting, according to CHP.
Thursday’s bike light giveaway is just one of several proactive approaches the mentioned agencies are implementing for safer bicycle practices and employ an alternative method than writing hundreds of tickets to force compliance.
