Blue light experiment.

"Simon Mason" wrote in message
. uk...
I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a set of
rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. Since he
fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him much more room
than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as they will associate
them with the emergency services. I have ordered one myself and will use it
to see if I can duplicate his findings.


--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/



Sounds a good idea to me.

I too wondered about the legality but anything that draws a motorists
attention to me on my bike is a good idea

--
From
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:42:07 +0000, Simon Mason wrote:
I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a set
of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. Since
he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him much
more room than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as they
will associate them with the emergency services. I have ordered one
myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate his findings.

Keep in mind that your efforts to make people associate you with the
emergency services might result in a prosecution for impersonating a
police officer.

"Brown Cat" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:56:59 +0000, Simon Mason wrote:
(a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or


(b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special
warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.

Presumably those boy racers who have blue leds all over their cars are
clamped down on then.

There's nothing to clamp down on, as long as the blue lights don't flash
they're not illegal.

If you read the regs posted by Mark, nowhere does it mention flashing blue
lights. In fact, the regs he posted are out of date as they state:

Lamps to show a steady light
13.—(1) Save as provided in paragraph (2), no vehicle shall be fitted
with a lamp which automatically emits a flashing light.

As we know, flashing white and red cycle lights are now legal.


--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/

On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:01:16 +0000, Simon Mason wrote:

"Brown Cat" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:56:59 +0000, Simon Mason wrote:
(a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or


(b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special
warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.

Presumably those boy racers who have blue leds all over their cars are
clamped down on then.

There's nothing to clamp down on, as long as the blue lights don't
flash they're not illegal.

If you read the regs posted by Mark, nowhere does it mention flashing
blue lights.

Actually, it does. According to the interpretation section of the
regulations Mark posted, both "warning beacon" and "special warning lamp"
are types of flashing lights, the latter being a blue flashing light.

In fact, the regs he posted are out of date as they state:
Lamps to show a steady light
13.—(1) Save as provided in paragraph (2), no vehicle shall be
fitted
with a lamp which automatically emits a flashing light.

As we know, flashing white and red cycle lights are now legal.

The regulations have been amended but are still the same in regards to
cars which was the topic of the post I was replying to.

"Brown Cat" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:42:07 +0000, Simon Mason wrote:
I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a set
of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. Since
he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him much
more room than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as they
will associate them with the emergency services. I have ordered one
myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate his findings.

Keep in mind that your efforts to make people associate you with the
emergency services might result in a prosecution for impersonating a
police officer.

There's a huge leap from having a blue light on your bike to impersonating a
police officer! I would say that women on a night out dressed in police
fancy dress garb with handcuffs and truncheons are much more likely to be
guilty of that offence :-)

--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/

On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:11:53 +0000, Simon Mason wrote:
"Brown Cat" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:42:07 +0000, Simon Mason wrote:
I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a
set of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones.
Since he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him
much more room than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as
they will associate them with the emergency services. I have ordered
one myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate his findings.

Keep in mind that your efforts to make people associate you with the
emergency services might result in a prosecution for impersonating a
police officer.

There's a huge leap from having a blue light on your bike to
impersonating a police officer! I would say that women on a night out
dressed in police fancy dress garb with handcuffs and truncheons are
much more likely to be guilty of that offence :-)

Google "Stuard Kennedy", he was convicted of impersonating a police
officer after fitting a flashing white light to his car. Not a great
deal of difference between that and what you're suggesting.

You might be right to say it's unlikely that the police would take any
notice but personally I wouldn't want to take the risk.

"Brown Cat" wrote in message
news
Google "Stuard Kennedy", he was convicted of impersonating a police
officer after fitting a flashing white light to his car. Not a great
deal of difference between that and what you're suggesting.

No, not a lot of difference. Here is Mr Kennedy dressed much the same as I
am when I am on my bike!


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/6595037.stm


--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/

Response to Simon Mason:

No, not a lot of difference. Here is Mr Kennedy dressed much the same
as I am when I am on my bike!


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/6595037.stm


For a major contribution to road safety, you could always try this:

http://tinyurl.com/y97lhsy



--
Mark, UK.

On Sat, 7 Nov 2009 20:23:41 +0000, Mark McNeill
wrote:

For a major contribution to road safety, you could always try this:
http://tinyurl.com/y97lhsy

I was expecting a link to Robert Mark. Showing my age again, I guess.

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/urc
GPG public key at http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/pgp-public-key.txt

In article , Simon Mason wrote:
"mileburner" wrote in message
...
Mark McNeill wrote:

A while back I followed a PCSO on a bike. I was amazed how drivers gave
her, her right of way and passed us wide and with care.

Here is the guy's letter.
http://www.swldxer.co.uk/zletter.jpg

Personally I think fitting blue flashing lights with the deliberate
intention of being mistaken for an emergency vehicle is wrong, and
I'm surprised the police haven't suggested he change his ways.
It risks undermining respect for genuine emergency vehicles (and as a
result removing the protection it might give cyclists while it is
uncommon), and encourages the view that cyclists are scofflaws.