OCEANCITY, Md.- The town of Ocean City is installing 2,000 bike lights to anyone peddling down the streets in order to reduce nighttime accidents.
Ocean City Councilman Tony DeLuca says with so much traffic during the summer months, he wanted more visibility for those commuting on a bicycle.
"Last year we had three or four bicycle accidents and one is too many," DeLuca said. "I thought about J1 students, dressed in black or dark with just that reflector on at night, it's totally invisible, it's unsafe, it's dangerous. I thought we really need to light the bikes up."
Through grant funding and donations the lights are available for free at every fire station as well as some police stations. But DeLuca says he thinks as the summer rush approaches, the town will need more lights for bicyclists. DeLuca says police officers also have lights in their patrol vehicles so they can pull over those without lights.
"And when they see someone at night, on a bike that doesn't have lights...the penalty and fine is they'll pull them over and install them on the spot for free," DeLuca said.
In order to have the front and back wheel lights installed, people need to have the bike with them on site. Beginning May 16 from 10 a.m. to noon, town officials will be at City Hall installing bike lights, while supplies last.
Ocean City local Garrett Connell says he really thinks this will make a difference ahead of the summer season.
"A lot of my bartender friends, they are getting home super late at night, and you know anyone that's driving that late at night, you want to make sure they can see you," Connell said.
