A bicycle is ridden at night on a New York road. From how far ahead must its headlight be visible?

Why

A bicycle used after dark needs lights that let drivers see it from every direction, and each light has its own distance. The headlight must be visible from at least 500 feet ahead. The two distractors are the other two numbers in the same rule: 300 feet is for the red taillight seen from behind, and 200 feet is how far away one of the lights must be seen from each side. For a driver, the useful side of this rule is that a bicycle equipped as the law requires is visible from those distances at night, headlight in front and red taillight behind. Around the bicycle the three distances shrink as you go, 500 feet at the front, 300 at the back and 200 to each side.