2022 Bike Light Campaign: Get Your Bike Checked for Free

Fall has begun, and the days are getting shorter again. At this time of year, it’s especially important that your bike lights are working properly. That’s why municipalities, the Fietsersbond, and Veilig Verkeer Nederland in the Holland Rijnland region—together with dozens of bike shops—are once again organizing a bike light campaign on Saturday, November 5.

On the day of the event, participating bike shops will check your bike lights. If repairs are needed, you’ll only have to pay for the parts—no labor charges. Residents of Voorschoten can visit bike specialist Profile Besuyen (Voorstraat 13) that day. Cyclists who are unable to visit one of the locations in the region or in Voorschoten on November 5 can still visit the same bicycle shops during the week of November 7 through 12. These shops will offer a 10% discount on bicycle light repairs during that time.

Special Promotional Teams

Throughout the month of November, special promotional teams called the ValOpShop will once again be deployed in the region this year to raise awareness among passersby about the importance of bicycle lights. ValOpShop is the name of a fun, enthusiastic promotional team that travels through the Netherlands in two buses, functioning as a sort of pop-up store. In a positive atmosphere, the promotional team stops cyclists. Were they using their bike lights? If so, they’re invited into the ValOpShop to pick out something fun for free. A safety vest, a light, a reflector, a glow-in-the-dark valve… Is the light not working? They’ll fix that, too! The ValOpShop will be in Voorschoten on Friday, November 11, from 4:30 p.m. to approximately 8:00 p.m. near the Kruispuntkerk.

Targeted inspection

The lighting campaign in the region is part of the national campaign under the slogan “AAN in het donker” (Lights On in the Dark). Following the campaign, the police will conduct targeted checks to ensure that lights are working properly. This is one more reason to make sure everything is in order, as the fine for riding a bicycle without lights is €60.