WE have arrived at that time of the year again.

We all know it’s coming as we hit this time of year after the clocks go back.

It starts to get cold as the nights draw in and it’s pitch black outside by half past five.

So why does this seem to come as a startling surprise to a huge number of Warrington’s cyclists?

I see (just barely) cyclists who seem completely oblivious to the fact that they can’t be seen in the dark.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that they have no lights, no reflectors and no reflective gear – they also seem to insist on wearing all black and having headphones on or a phone to their ear.

One chap seems to like riding with both hands off the handlebars, talking on his phone while wearing a black tracksuit with a hood. He couldn’t have hidden himself from the sight of drivers any better.

Worse still was the person I saw recently riding a quad bike with no lights along Parr Street in Howley – a road crash waiting to happen.

Parents need to make sure their children have lights on their bikes and wear high vis gear at night.

Adults should know better but if they want to take their lives in their hands that’s up to them. If a cyclist gets killed while they are trying to camouflage themselves on the roads I feel little sympathy.

I will, however, feel every sympathy for the poor car driver who will have the death of the blithering idiot on their conscience for years to come.

I’m not going to blame the police for not cracking down on this. they have enough to do and are having their resources savagely cut.

This is a matter of personal responsibility and if this substantial minority of cyclists insist on behaving with such rank stupidity it is entirely their personal choice.

MATTHEW CLEEVES

Howley