Making hi-vis clothing compulsory for cyclists does not reduce number of crashes, study finds

No evidence for reduction in number or frequency of crashes

(Image credit: Cycling Weekly/IPC)

You might think of hi-vis clothing as a good way to improve your visibility and make you safer on the road, but a recent study has found that wearing such bright clothing has no impact on reducing the number of crashes involving cyclists.

A study by a psychologist at the University of Bologna, and published in the March edition of the Journal of Transport & Health, looked at legislation making hi-vis clothing mandatory for cyclists and compared this with accident statistics over a 15 year period between 2001 and 2015.

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Henry Robertshaw began his time at Cycling Weekly working with the tech team, writing reviews, buying guides and appearing in videos advising on how to dress for the seasons. He later moved over to the news team, where his work focused on the professional peloton as well as legislation and provision for cycling. He's since moved his career in a new direction, with a role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.