You ever noticed how Finnish bicycles have little/no lights?
First year at Centria I was in the "adult" group and our classes were in the evening from 17 till around 20. I took a bicycle to school and soon stumbled into a problem. Living outside of city and cycling back in the evenings in autumn I realized it's starting to become rather hard to see where you're going because some places have barely or no street lights, and the bicycles don't actually have any lights. They have reflectors, but those help only for cars to spot you, they don't actually provide help for you to see the street or other bicycles. So while you're in the city there's enough street light, but outside the few lights do not provide plenty of light. In the course of few years, I nearly hit a squirrel, hedgehog, a dog and few other bicycles
Interpret
I first asked my Finnish teacher about it (prior to Centria), and she said lights are not required by Finnish law, reflectors are enough, but you might want to wear a helmet for security as a lot of people do here. I thought "soooo.. Hitting animals is ok, as long as you won't get injured?" Then at Centria someone said Finnish people just don't want to spend money on batteries for the bicycle lights. But then again, helmet is not cheap either. When I suggested a dynamo generating lights as a solution everyone just kind of raised their shoulders to it.
Coming from The Netherlands, the country famous for its enormous use of bicycles, the light issue seemed so strange to me at first. And I think that might explain the whole thing. Back home bicycles play a big role in transportation, they're used day and night, summer and winter, rains and hails. Your chains falls off? Someone will hop off their bicycle or hurry from their garden to help you with it, they understand it's like your right arm is missing. Since so many people are using them it's important to maintain good visibility, for yourself and others. The lights and multiple reflectors are compulsory and not having working bicycle lights will earn you a fine (€45) from the police.
People in Finland mainly use their cars to go around and a bicycle might be seen as a leisure time transportation that does not require strict requirements. Or they use it for short distances or inside the city.
Evaluate
I can't say I agree or disagree of Finnish lights. It's just how it is, you cannot change it. It's positive that nobody gets fines for no lights and there's no need to stress out, on the other hands cyclists cannot always see each other. I'm getting a dynamo generator regardless, just because I feel saver with it (for animals' sake).
This is a bicycle parking space outside our building. Most if not all with reflectors.
