“deer are to motorcyclists what sharks are to surfers.”
I live in rural Illinois. Every bike I’ve owned has had a set of auxiliary lights aimed to specifically illuminate the sides of the road. Been damn glad I had them a few times.
When I rode a lot, my simple rule of thumb was to, other than commuting on I-5 in rush hour in Seattle, I refused to ride at night.
My next bike will be a slingshot or something like it.