Hi Seal Beach,
With the clocks changed and dusk arriving sooner, this is a friendly but firm reminder that California law requires lights and reflectors when riding a bicycle after dark. “Darkness” is defined as any time from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise—or any other time visibility is too poor to clearly see a person or vehicle 1,000 feet away (CVC §280). In that darkness window, bicycles must be equipped with: a front white lamp that illuminates the path and is visible 300 feet from the front and sides; a rear red reflector or a solid/flashing red light with a built-in reflector visible 500 feet to the rear; white or yellow reflectors on each pedal, shoe, or ankle visible 200 feet from the front and rear; and side reflectors—white/yellow forward of center and white/red to the rear—unless the bike has reflective tires that meet state standards.
Our focus is education first, and we’ll be out with targeted enforcement to keep everyone safe.
If you see unsafe riding or near-misses in low light, please call our non-emergency line at (562) 594-7232 while it’s happening so we can check it out; after-the-fact messages help less than real-time calls.
For riders, lights and reflectors make you legal—and far more visible. For drivers, expect more bike and scooter traffic at twilight and give extra space.
Keep your questions coming, Seal Beach! Email us at askacop@sealbeachca.gov today!
