Hey there, neighbors. I’m Derek Washington, the owner of DC's LEDs. If you’ve ever spent a winter or a foggy spring morning driving through Rochester Hills, you know how quickly the visibility can drop to zero. I remember one particular night, heading back from a gig in Southfield during a classic Michigan "surprise" whiteout. I realized then that being "visible" wasn't just about wearing a neon vest, it was about cutting through the chaos with technology. That realization le

Hey there, neighbors. I’m Derek Washington, the owner of DC's LEDs. If you’ve ever spent a winter or a foggy spring morning driving through Rochester Hills, you know how quickly the visibility can drop to zero. I remember one particular night, heading back from a gig in Southfield during a classic Michigan "surprise" whiteout. I realized then that being "visible" wasn't just about wearing a neon vest, it was about cutting through the chaos with technology. That realization le

I remember one night driving just outside of Rochester Hills, heading toward the more rural patches of Michigan. If you’ve ever driven those backroads during a "whiteout" or even just a standard moonless night, you know it’s a different kind of dark. It’s the kind of dark where your high beams feel like they’re being swallowed by the void. Suddenly, a shape appeared. It wasn't a deer. It was a person walking on the shoulder, dressed in the traditional dark blues and blacks co

If you’ve spent any time driving down Walton Boulevard or Rochester Road after the sun dips below the horizon, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Michigan nights aren't just dark; they can be downright invisible, especially when that lake-effect weather kicks in. I’m Derek Washington, the owner of DC’s LEDs, and I’ve spent years thinking about how to keep our community seen and safe. Lately, there’s been a specific buzz around our Rochester Hills headquarters. It isn't

I’ve spent plenty of nights on the side of the road here in Oakland County, and if you’ve ever stood near the I-75 and M-59 interchange during a Michigan whiteout, you know exactly what "invisible" feels like. My name is Derek Washington, and as the owner of DC's LEDs, I didn’t start this company just to sell gear; I started it because I wanted to make sure my neighbors in Rochester Hills, Troy, and Southfield actually make it home for dinner. In our line of work, visibility

I remember a Tuesday night back in January. I was driving home toward Rochester Hills, the snow was coming down in that thick, heavy way we Michiganders call a "gray-out." I was crawling along at 25 mph, squinting through the windshield, when suddenly, a shadow darted near the shoulder. It wasn't until I was maybe twenty feet away that I realized it was a neighbor walking their dog. They were wearing a dark parka, and the dog had a standard nylon leash. No lights. No reflecto