With daylight savings time having just ended, it's getting dark ridiculously early again, and while the mornings will be lighter for a while, in general we all know that winter simply means shorter, darker days.
And for people who exercise outside, it means trying to stay visible to the cars (and cyclists) that zoom by us. Getting the attention of those drivers, in particular, is a serious situation; according to recent statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 6,000 people were killed and 500,000 injured due to driver distraction in 2008. And of pedestrian deaths, 10% were related to them not being visible to drivers. It's during the 6pm to 9pm window of time when it's most dangerous—which coincides with a lot of people's evening workout times.
Of course, wearing light, reflective clothing helps, and a new shirt from Saucony does that task one better, coming with not only strategically-placed reflective strips but a small LED light and holster built into the wrist of the long-sleeve shirt. The Optech LX Sportop (MSRP $60) is part of the ViZiPRO product line, designed to get the most visibility in even the lowest of light levels.
The shirt itself is great—a smartly-designed, very flattering half-zip top in an array of colors that wicks sweat away and keeps you warm as temperatures drop this Fall. But the bright little light near the cuff is simple a tiny bit of genius—really helping to ensure that you are seen by motorists. And unlike clip-on lights (often worn by bicyclists) it wont bounce around or be something you might forget to put on, since it's made to go right into the shirt.
A very simple solution that gets you one step closer to out-the-door on cold, dark days!
