Washington Injury Law Blog

My mother-in-law on more than one occasion has asked me about a bicycle rider who was in her way while driving. Bless her heart, but she is one of the many drivers on the road who find bicycles on the roadway a nuisance more than anything else. The latest question was whether bicycles can be ridden at night without lights?

The answer is yes and no.  Washington law (RCW 46.61.780) states that when a bicycle is used during the “hours of darkness” it must be equipped with a visible white light on the front of the bike and a red reflector mounted on the rear of the bicycle.  A working light that actually emits a light beam, like a headlight, must be used on the front of the bike, but a taillight is not required, only a red reflector. A taillights are permitted and may be a steady or flashing type of light. 

You may be thinking at this point great, but when exactly are those “hours of darkness.” Have no fear our legislature has provided some guidance.  Hours of darkness according to another Washington law (RCW 46.37.020) are any time from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise, and at any other time when, due to insufficient light or unfavorable weather conditions, bicycles on a roadway are not clearly discernible at a distance of 100 feet.  During a Washington winter and assuming you get off work at 5:00 p.m. you’ll more than likely need to be using a headlight on your bicycle ride home.  

If you’re looking for a more accurate determination of exactly when the hours of darkness is on a particular date you can click here to go to the Pacific Science Center and find a helpful table for calculating sunrises and sunsets.