Dating back to 1978, the same year that ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and ‘Grease’ hit the silver screen, the ‘Pedal Safety’ film encourages cyclists to wear something visible through a catchy song.
Although the ‘Pedal Safety’ song is dated, cycling safety and the ‘Get yourself seen’ message is as pertinent today as it was then; in 2004 over 3,500 cyclists aged 11 to 16 were killed or injured on Britain’s roads.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents it is statistically proven that nine out of ten drivers involved in fatal collisions with cyclists say they never saw them. Therefore higher visibility is vital to safer cycling, even during the day. Findings have even suggested that fewer accidents occur at night, because greater numbers of cyclists wear fluorescent, reflective or simply brighter-coloured clothing. So, getting yourself seen, as song suggests, is an important safety precaution when cycling in the day or night.