Ready for fall: The need for reflective safety grows as the light fades

As summer fades, so does the light, making high-visibility safety apparel (HVSA) a priority as autumn’s later sunrises and earlier sunsets create a range of hazards. As daylight shrinks, visibility slips, and safety risks multiply, especially for anyone working near traffic or machinery.

The fading light of autumn isn’t just poetic, it’s a practical concern, and the data backs it up. Now is the moment to upgrade reflective visibility strategies. Not just gear, but knowledge, culture, and testing routines.

Shorter days, longer shadows, greater risk

By November, the sun frequently sets before 6 pm, an abrupt shift from summer’s long evenings. That change forces road crews, airport ground crews, emergency responders, and construction workers to operate in low-light conditions for more hours per day. And that’s when accidents spike.

The science behind vision and visibility is well documented (see below). What is less studied is the impact of changing clocks from Daylight Savings Time (DST) back to standard time. Certainly, picking up an “extra” hour of sleep in the fall is a benefit, but the adjustment both mentally and physically can still create situations where people are less alert or less used to the light in mornings and evenings.

Safety experts report that nighttime auto accidents are three times more fatal than daytime ones, however, whether that’s the case during twilight transitions is a subject for ongoing research. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Visual performance is impaired in low light conditions (lower luminance) and may thereby decrease the reaction time to hazards on the road.” It is likely that a big reason for more incidents during early evening and early morning (dawn and dusk) is also heavily influenced by the amount of traffic – those being the typical rush hours to and from work, school, etc.

A research paper highlighted in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention found that pedestrians are at higher risk of a collision in the dark, all else being held equal (Uttley & Fotios, 2017). The severity of nighttime collisions is worse than that of daytime collisions, with nighttime pedestrian collisions at intersections having an 83% higher chance of being fatal without street lighting and a 54% higher chance of being fatal even with street lighting (Siddiqui, Chu, & Guttenplan, 2006). Specifically, pedestrians have been found to be at highest risk of death between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m (Chang, 2008).

Change “pedestrians” to “road crews,” “first responders,” ground crews,” or any other discipline in which workers are exposed to traffic, and what these figures underscore is what people across those industries already know: when light fades, danger increases. So let’s look at how to make it safer.

The twilight danger: why dusk and dawn aren’t just “halfway to dark”

While it’s easy to focus on the hazards of pitch-dark night shifts, it’s not just midnight or pre-dawn that pose risks. Twilight, those early morning and early evening hours when the light is reduced but not quite dark, is among the trickiest times for sight because unpredictable, low-angle light, shifting shadows, and reduced visual contrast can turn even routine worksites into high-risk environments.

Safety experts consider these periods “low-light conditions” with good reason: our eyes simply aren’t built to adapt quickly enough. That’s why industry standards insist on visibility solutions that work before it gets completely dark, and why every crew needs high-visibility safety apparel (HVSA) with reflective safety components to perform when human vision and lighting conditions are in flux:

• Reduced visibility during transitions: Around dusk and dawn, our eyes shift into what’s called mesopic vision, a low-light blend of rod (night) and cone (day) cells. This hampers depth perception, color recognition, and reaction time just when roads and job sites need the sharpest vision.
• Increased crash risk as daylight decreases: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the shift to shorter autumn daylight with seasonal time change is associated with a significant increase in traffic collisions, especially during the “rush into low light.”
• Work zones and twilight hazard: A 2020 European study on road work zone safety (see below) highlights that reduced visibility during transitional hours significantly increases worker risk, because standard lighting doesn’t adapt to fading natural light.
• Glare at dawn or dusk: A low-angle sun in those hours can blind drivers, while silhouetted workers in neutral or poor-quality Hi‑Viz gear may vanish into glare and shadows. That’s why standards like ANSI/ISEA 107 define “low‑light conditions” to include fog, twilight, and dusk.
• Airport ground crew risks: Recent TSB airport investigations revealed runway edge light damage during early-morning inspections, highlighting how insufficient contrast in twilight can hide vehicle or crew presence just before or after full darkness.

• Darkness increases distractions: For reasons that researchers don’t fully understand yet, incidents of distracted driving increase as the light fades. The National Safety Council (NSC) notes that the decrease in daylight hours compounds this problem, as drivers may be more tempted to use their mobile devices, adjust in-car entertainment systems, or engage in other distractions to compensate for reduced visibility.

According to the IRIS safety management review at the Transport Research Arena TRA 2020, adapting to the eye’s visibility limits at dawn and dusk is a critical safety measure for road work zones. The report calls for LED lighting and illumination of critical zones, but equally important is making sure workers themselves are visible. Using high performance fluorescent and reflective gear can help counteract human limitations during twilight transitions.

Reflective trim: the Safe Reflections® difference

We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating; Not all high-visibility safety gear is created equal. At Safe Reflections®, it’s not just about being seen. It’s about being safe, durable and comfortable wherever teams are working. From roadside emergencies to construction, airport ground crews, and beyond, here is how we work to keep everyone visibly safer:

AIREX^® segmented trims

• The world’s first breathable, segmented reflective trim, AIREX^® combines comfort and visibility. AIREX^® uses micro glass‑bead retroreflective technology in a breathable, flexible layout that’s engineered to flex with body movements, resist abrasion, and maintain visibility even after laundering or heavy use. It stretches with the wearer, allows air and moisture to pass through, and retains brightness even after industrial wash cycles, up to 2–3× longer than standard trims.
  • AIREX^® Silver & Triple Trim
    • AIREX^® Silver delivers high-brightness retroreflectivity for low-light and night conditions.
    • AIREX^® Triple Trim adds high-visibility fluorescence—visible in daylight, dusk, and dawn—plus silver bands for nighttime reflectivity. It’s engineered for all-light, all-day performance.

Brilliant^® Color Roll Goods™

• Safety doesn’t have to be monotone. Brilliant^® Color brings retroreflective capability to 100+ vibrant colors – ideal for branding without compromising visibility.

Silver Roll Goods™ & XE™ Technology

• Silver Roll Goods™ deliver high-brightness silver reflective material in both solid and segmented formats. Available in home-wash, industrial-wash, Flame-Resistant (FR), and Durable Water Repellent (DWR) options.

XE™ Technology

XE™ Technology, developed by SRI Labs, combines advanced retroreflective technology with precise printing and detail, making it ideal for graphics, labels, logos and more. High-visibility reflective color and graphics add an outstanding measure of safety to all soft and hard good surfaces making it the ideal choice for personnel safety.

Tested to outperform: SRI Labs brings the science

Around here, good isn’t good enough. Behind every Safe Reflections product is SRI Labs, Safe Reflections’ in-house R&D and testing center and one of the only dedicated reflective materials labs in the industry. From early prototyping to final production, every trim and material is pushed beyond ANSI/ISEA 107, ISO 20471, NFPA, ASTM, and Oeko‑Tex standards in the name of worker safety.

SRI Labs testing includes:

• Multi-cycle industrial laundering
• Flex and abrasion resistance
• UV exposure, heat, flame (ASTM D6413), and chemical resistance
• Real-world simulation of wash cycles, heavy flexing, and harsh work conditions

The science of fluorescence and retroreflectivity

Safety in fading light isn’t just about reflectivity; fluorescence also matters in twilight. Unlike purely retroreflective materials that rely on an external light source, high-visibility fluorescent fabrics absorb UV from daylight and re-emit it as visible light. That literally makes neon materials glow during early morning, dusk, and overcast hours.

That’s why Safe Reflections integrates both into our product lines, pairing UV-activated fluorescent materials with micro glass-bead retroreflectivity so worker visibility kicks in before sunrise and stays bright well past sunset.

Make reflective safety visibility part of your fall safety plan

Here’s a four-step action plan to brighten up any visibility gap before the clocks shift:

1. Inventory check: evaluate what’s still pulling its weight

Start by identifying gear that’s been through too many wash cycles, or that lacks segmented, breathable reflectivity. Prioritize retiring garments with cracked, narrow, or dull tape. Replace with Safe Reflections solutions like AIREX® segmented trim for breathable comfort, Triple Trim for full-spectrum visibility, and FR trims for fire and arc flash protection.

Pro tip: If you can’t see the retroreflective tape from 300 feet away under overcast sky or dim LED site lights, it may no longer be up to the job.