Night Cycle with Onlia- LIght up the Night!

One of my fondest childhood summer memories growing up was biking around the

neighborhood late into the evening with my besties. There’s something empowering about

taking to the streets on your own two wheels. As our kids have gotten older and more

comfortable on their bikes, we’ve taken on more and more adventurous family rides. Biking is

such a great family activity, not only is it such great exercise and environmentally friendly, but

it’s also an amazing way to spend quality time together. I’m so happy to see our little ones

building their own early biking memories.

As happy as I am to pass on the joy of bike riding to our little ones, I do want to make sure they

always remember to put safety first. Anyone who’s ever ridden their bikes in a big city has likely

had their fair share of close calls (I know it’s happened to me). That’s why I was so happy to

take part in a fun night ride through the busy streets of Toronto to help raise awareness of bike

safety in our city about a month back. A group of us braved the cold February weather with the

folks from Onlia and Switchback Cyclery for a fun and educational ride. Onlia is a new digital

company based in Toronto that offers a safe driving rewards app and digital auto insurance, and

they’re on a mission to work with Canadians to make our roads and communities safer for

everyone. It was great to see so many riders come out and share their experiences and insights

into how riders and drivers can work together to make the streets safer, especially at night.

If you’re planning on heading out onto the roads with your kids this summer, remember to keep

these quick safety tips in mind to help make sure that every ride is your safest ride!

1. Make yourself visible - Add reflective tape and lights to your bike and wheels (or take it

one step further and wear reflective clothing).

2. Try to ride on a lighted path - While it may not always be possible, you’re much more

likely to be seen if you stick to well-lit roads & paths.

3. Have a plan - It’s important to plan your route out ahead of time. Avoid roads where the

lighting is poor. Even if the alternatives take you a few minutes out of your way, you’ll

feel a lot safer knowing that drivers will see you clearly.

4. Make sure you can hear your surroundings - Avoid using earphones to listen to music or

anything that would distract you from hearing what’s going on around you.

5. Assume you’re invisible to drivers - Slow down and be a little extra vigilant. While you

may think a driver can see you, it’s best to assume that drivers can’t see you at night. So be

extra careful as they turn, park and open their doors near you.

Remember that one of the best ways to help kids learn safe bike riding is to set a good example

yourself. So strap on that helmet and get out there so you can show them exactly what safe

riding looks like. I hope these tips help give you the confidence to get out there and light up the

night with your bike!

To learn more about Onlia’s safety movement, visit Onlia.ca or follow along on Facebook.