Passed a cyclist on the way home tonight who had flashing lights front and rear.
Looked like multi-LEDs to me and the rear seemed brighter than a car's.
Always thought flashing lights on the road were a big no-no.
Are they legal for a push bike?
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LED's can be legal if they meet the size requirements-flashing ones are illegal but it is recommended that you use BOTH;ie. a set of each because the flashing ones attract other road users' attention more quickly.
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Yes since 2005,
Lighting Regulations
Abbreviated to RVLR: the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 (amended in 1994 and 2005)
Front Lamp
One is required, showing a white light, positioned centrally or offside, up to 1500mm from the ground, aligned towards and visible from the front. If capable of emitting a steady light it must be marked as conforming to BS6102/3 or an equivalent EC standard. If capable of emitting only a flashing light, it must emit at least 4 candela.
Rear Lamp
One is required, to show a red light, positioned centrally or offside, between 350mm and 1500mm from the ground, at or near the rear, aligned towards and visible from behind. If capable of emitting a steady light it must be marked as conforming to BS3648, or BS6102/3, or an equivalent EC standard. If capable of emitting only a flashing light, it must emit at least 4 candela.
Billy
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Completely legal, and even if they weren't I would advocate using them. If I'm out on the bike I show as much candlepower as possible - an immense flashing LED thing on the back and a nifty HID light on the front along with reflective markers on clothing.
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from what i remember a cyclist can have a flashing light as long as he/she also has a normal non-flashing light fitted and in use.
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Thanks to the enactment of Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 2559: on 23rd October 2005, it finally became legal to have a flashing light on a pedal cycle. Even better: it became possible for a flashing light to be approved, meaning no other light would be needed in that position. And since BS6102/3 does not yet cater for flashing (but is likely to be amended to do so quite soon), approval is for the time being, granted simply on the basis of brightness.
Because DfT very much prefer anything that possibly can be evaluated against a proper technical standard, so to be evaluated: any flashing lamp that is also capable of emitting a steady light is approved only if it conforms with BS6102/3 when switched to steady mode. Since most (probably all) flashing lights do also have a steady mode, and since none of their manufacturers can be bothered to test and mark them to the pernickety standards of one small country on the fringes of Europe, it's unlikely that any flashing light actually qualifies for approval. But since it became theoretically legal to ride a bike with only flashing lights on it, the Police are nowadays no more likely to quibble its legal status than one equipped with steady lights ? unless they're rather dim or involved in an accident of course.
Chris Juden 2006-09-29
DOT state
1. The use of lighting and reflectors on pedal bicycles is regulated under the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, as amended. The most recent amendment is Statutory Instrument SI 2005 No. 2559 which came into force on October 23rd 2005.
2. The main effect of the new Regulations was to permit flashing lights on pedal cycles. The flashing lights do however have to conform to certain requirements which are elaborated below.
Obligatory Lighting and Reflectors
3. Any cycle which is used during the hours of darkness or during periods of poor visibility MUST be fitted with the following:
4.
* white front light
* red rear light
* red rear reflector
* amber/yellow pedal reflectors - front and rear on each pedal.
4. The lamps may be steady or flashing, or a mixture - e.g. steady at the front and flashing at the rear. A steady light is recommended at the front when the cycle is used in areas without good street lighting.
5. If either of the lights is capable of emitting a steady light, then it must conform to BS 6102-3 and be marked accordingly, even if used in flashing mode.
6. Purely flashing lights are not required to conform to BS6102-3, but the flash rate must be between 60 and 240 equal flashes per minute (1-4 per second) and the luminous intensity must be at least 4 candela. (This should be advised by the manufacturer).
7. The pedal reflectors and rear reflector must conform to BS 6102-2.
8. Lights and reflectors not conforming to the BS, but conforming to a corresponding standard of another EC country and marked accordingly, are considered to comply as long as that standard provides an equivalent level of safety.
9. Lights are NOT required to be fitted on a bicycle at the point of sale - but IF they are fitted, then they must comply with these regulations.
So there you have it. As long as you have some decent lights no one gives a stuff. Unless you are involved in a prang in which case they would come under scrutiny.
Edited by Fullchat on 29/10/2008 at 20:00
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Those flashing lights, anyway the bright ones, certainly make a bike visible so in London, where many cyclists dress in fashionable dark clothing and ride about at night without lights, they must be a good thing. Of course some of them have a bluish tinge so I wouldn't be surprised if some of the more paranoid and guilt-ridden car drivers flee when they see them in their mirrors.
I can't help wondering though from the cyclist's point of view when riding in the dark, the real dark with no street lighting, whether they illuminate the road in front better or worse than feeble old bike lamps with dying batteries or dynamo devices that go very faint indeed when the cyclist is sweating slowly up a steep hill. Better I would think, but the flashing must be tiring over time and probably gives sensitive types epileptic fits.
Edwardian acetylene lamps were quite bright. Bit of a nuisance to keep going though.
Edited by Lud on 29/10/2008 at 20:21
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Bike lights are purely to be seen with in towns and cities.
If I go for a night ride outside of the town I've got a set-up that runs from a 6V lead-acid battery hung under the top tube. It has a 5W and a 15W bulb. At 30MPH it's important to see where you're going, especially with tyres that are 23mm wide.
Proper lightweight high brightness LED lights for mountain biking in the dark can be £700 or more. The light output from those things has to be seen to be believed. Most people will have one set mounted on the handlebars with another helmet-mounted light. They're bright enough to ride flat out downhill off-road and last for four hours or more before needing a charge.
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Fullchat concluded: 'As long as you have some decent lights no one gives a stuff.'
If only all road traffic regulations could be that simple. :)
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Edwardian acetylene lamps were quite bright. Bit of a nuisance to keep going though.
I've used one of those. The real nuisance is cleaning out all the wet expended gunge afterwards. Also if left recharged ready with fresh carbide it tended to go off in the lamp. But equally a nuisance trying to tip fresh carbide in by the roadside, in the dark of course with no light.
Probably not a major contribution to road safety.
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I had a chat to a street bobby about them 6 months ago..
I ride a bike to work...when i'm not running (got a London marathon place..)
anyway he said flashing leds are a good idea if you also have normal lights;..
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I was taken out last year on my bike, I was in a hi-viz jacket and had a 5w and 10w halogen front light fitted, and the women who broken my elbow said he didn't see me when she pulled out of a side road....
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after that i thought what do i have to do...and bought the largest most annoying flashing pulsing led light i could buy, i can now see my flashing reflection in road signs from over 100ft away....
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i haven't been knocked off this year....
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in winter i have 2 back lights, and the standard rear relector, pedal reflectors, 3 front lights and front reflector and wheel reflectors and use a highways agency approved high viz jacket!!!!
its shocking to see so many people without even a reflector on there bikes, mostly kids in black clothing,,,its also amazing how many people don't seem to have 2 brakes on adult bikes...
saw a couple of teenagers last week cycling through the local town with no breaks on there bikes.....
and when not if....they get knocked off,,,,it not doubt will be all the drivers fault not the hoodie that thought it was cool to removed the brakes and reflectors....
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but even walking around halford the other day i couldn't believe the amount of bikes that have rear refectors mounted inboard below the height of the back wheel.,,,meanting that anyone following the bike wouldn't see the reflector because the tyre was in the way..
they've designed the bike to look nice,,,but have removed the ideal positions to place the reflector or light...crazy///
paul...
yeh i work in the traffic safety sector...
have a look sometime at
www.astucia.co.uk/products.aspx
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Cars used to have acetylene headlights too in the first decade or so of motoring CP... Of course most early motorists were rich hobbyists who took a mechanic with them to do that sort of thing.
Edited by Lud on 30/10/2008 at 14:16
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Carbide lamps were much better than any of these new-fangled battery powered things. tinyurl.com/5hjmm8
Edited by L'escargot on 30/10/2008 at 11:34
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Phew, thought it was only me who had multiple light set up. Got 2 5 bulb LEDS on the front, one set to flash, the other on permanently, and a tiny flashing single bulb LED wrapped round the upright handlebar tube.
On the back, if on my own then have a flashing LED mounted below the saddle, and one have set up on the back of my pannier. Also bolted a reflector on to the pannier, as often ride with a child seat. With child seat on, have another small single bulb LED set to flash mounted on the base of the seat. If riding in the dark wear my Hi Viz jacket, and if duaghters on the back with me she also has a hi viz jacket and reflective arm bands.
Have been lighting up just after 4pm recently, but single lamp on flash mode. Light has been diminishing, so just doing it for safety.
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well done PW
i even put lights on my 5 years olds bike....he only rides on the pavement, but thought it a good idea...but not to the extent of my mountain bike,,,ok it must add a couple of kgs to the weight of the bike...but its not like my tummy is carry an extra couple anyway ha ha.
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I've always thought reflectors to be a waste of time, other than as a failsafe if (decent, properly fitted, ideally flashing) lights don't work. By the time light from a car's headlight has reached the reflector (assuming optimum angle, which is almost impossible to guarantee) and bounced back towards the source, its power is reduced to a fraction(cue an expert explanation of laws of physics here!) And most of the reflected light returns to the source, i.e. to the headlight itself, not to the eyes of the driver. Who is likely to be distracted anyway. As a motorist and cyclist, I know that lights ain't no good if the eyes aren't switched on! When cycling I never rely on my lights and basically cycle as if they didn't work and no one can see me, i.e. I constantly move my head to look left, right, forwards and behind, rotate my wrist to and fro when signalling (reflective gloves) and always assume the worst is going to happen. As a driver I assume the cyclist in front is blind, deaf and slightly mad - and am often proved right!
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Actually Paul, did the same with my 5 year olds too. Were only going round the park, but she was over the moon with them! Loves her Hi Viz jacket too.
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