The Importance of Being Recognized: You’re a Runner, Not a Traffic Cone!

Winter is coming, and with it, shorter days. But we know that’s not an excuse for many of you. A long run is still a long run, even if the sun sets while you’re at work.

Running in low-light hours is something you’re used to, which is why we have our Nightlife Line of apparel (shop here). You know how to be seen when it’s dark out, but do you know why it’s important to be recognized?

Being recognized as a human lets drivers known to use extra caution when passing you – more caution than what they’d use compared to when passing a traffic cone or road sign, for example. 

Recognition is achieved by combining a system of technologies that map to the range of lighting conditions (including daylight, dusk and darkness) and cognitive science to study how the eye sees at night.  Brooks Nightlife is designed with the colors and specific reflectivity points that increase  visibility and also the chances of being recognized.

Pairing fluorescent colors with strategically placed contrast colors and retroreflective detail that map to bio-motion principals creates a silhouette in motion, which helps ensure the brain recognizes what it’s seeing as a person and not a static object.

All of this so that you can Run Happy, no matter what time of day.