“After I put on the tail light, (drivers) respect me more, they give me more space when they have to pass me...I tell everyone I know to put lights on the bike.”
Mads Pedersen, Lidl-Trek
World Road Cycling Champion
If you only do one thing, do this
Research shows that riding with a flashing, daylight-visible rear bike light is the single most effective measure a cyclist can take to increase their likelihood of standing out to drivers.* Trek Daytime Running Lights are designed with a specific flash, focus, and range to make them more visible during daylight hours.
Want to know what's coming, too? Add Trek CarBack bike radar and rear light to your setup, and get alerts to rear-approaching vehicles as you ride. You get a daytime-visible light plus the benefit of knowing what's coming, allowing for safer sharing of roadways.
What makes a light a Daytime Running Light?
Not all lights are created equal. Brightness is important, but it takes more than a lot of lumens to make an effective Daytime Running Light. A true DRL is designed with specific focus, flash, and range to be seen from a meaningful distance during daylight hours. Without these three things, you just have a light.
Flash
Most bicycle lights use a steady flashing pattern. This pulsing is less noticeable than one that continually varies its intensity and pattern. The Day Flash setting featured on Trek Daytime Running Lights was created specifically to increase noticeability with varying outputs and an interruptive flash pattern.
Focus
Creating a light visible in daylight requires intentional design. By directing or amplifying output, we intensify the beam and extend its range. Without this, a light may appear bright in your hand but may not be noticed in daylight by a motorist on the road.
Range
The earlier a rider is seen, the more time a driver has to react and pass safely. Trek Daytime Running Lights are detectable from a greater distance than standard lights. Every model in the lineup is made to be seen from at least 400m away, and select models are designed for visibility from over 2km, even during daylight hours.
The Daytime Running Light difference
Trek Daytime Running Lights are designed to help you stand out when it matters most. Using them is proven to be the single most effective way to make your presence known to motorists.
In today’s world of distracted motorists, it’s more important than ever to take measures that could increase your safety. Select Trek DRLs are visible from up to 2km away, even during daylight hours, and CarBack radar helps you see what's coming from behind, so you — and drivers — have more time to see and react.
more noticeable
When you use a flashing tail light during the day, you’re up to 2.4x more noticeable than a rider using no lights at all (and up to 1.4x more noticeable than a rider using a light in steady mode). Trek Daytime Running Lights use an interruptive flash pattern designed to stand out specifically during daylight conditions.
Shop the lightsfewer collisions
Research shows a 33% decrease in accidents for bicycles outfitted with Daytime Running lights.* There’s a similar trend in both automobiles and motorcycles that use DRLs, with 25% and 13% drops in collisions respectively.
Shop the lightsof accidents are during the day
8 out of 10 cycling accidents occur during daylight hours, when most people are riding and driving. Daytime Running Lights for bikes are the single most effective product to help increase your noticeability during these peak hours.
Shop the lightsless visible than you think
Studies show riders overestimate their visibility by 700%. Flare R is the original Daytime Running Light, and it's still our best. Designed to help you stay seen, with visibility by motorists from up to 2km away.
Shop the lightsExplore our sources
The information presented throughout was curated from many sources, including the National Library of Medicine and National Center for Statistics and Analysis. Interested in digging deeper into the details? Explore our sources and key information below.
Best for commuting
Shine a light on early morning commutes and evening errands with lights built to help you see and be seen on the commute.
Best for daytime road
Stay seen on club rides and solo sprints with our favorite Daytime Running Lights for the road.
Brightest for the trail
The trail can get dark quickly — illuminate the way with our brightest lights that boost visibility on singletrack.
Best for knowing what's coming
CarBack helps make roadways safer for everyone with a radar that warns riders about rear-approaching vehicles and a rear light that helps drivers see riders on the road.
Shop CarBack RadarWhat the media is saying about Daytime Running Lights
Best cycling gear
This light is the only gear we tested that received praise from every tester.
Read the full reviewPerfect as daytime running lights
They’re so tiny you’d barely notice them weight-wise or size-wise
Read the full reviewUnobtrusive and powerful
These lights help keep you safe and provide a little more peace of mind out on the road.
Read the full review