The Bennington, Vt., Police Department’s creative move to remind bar-goers not to drink and drive has a companion program of sorts on the West Coast.

Police in Portland, Ore., the city with more bicycle commuters than any other in America, will stop a cyclist riding at night without a light – not to give the rider a ticket, but to give him or her a light.

It’s a PR tactic that turns what would otherwise carry punishment into positive encounters between police officers and citizens. The brainchild of Police Sgt. Bill Sinnet, the program has amounted to a win-win for cyclists, police officers and taxpayers. Cyclists riding in the dark without any kind of lamp receive a small bicycle light and are saved the $94 fine they would otherwise incur. Police get a “thank you” and a great deal of good will, and Portland’s taxpayers are less likely to see their rescue vehicles speeding to crash scenes.

Crash prevention, whether it involves alcohol and drivers or the visibility of bicycles, is good PR because it saves lives in the end.

And in case you were wondering: Batteries do come with the lights.