Lights

What does the law say about lights for bikes?

Do you have to have lights on during the night? Is there a fine if you
don't?

Do they have to be always fitted? I.e. middle of the day

What about clip on lights?

Thanks!

BrakePiston wrote:

: Do you have to have lights on during the night? Is there a fine if you
: don't?

Yes. Yes.

: Do they have to be always fitted? I.e. middle of the day

No.

: What about clip on lights?

What about them?

--
Arthur Clune

"Arthur Clune" wrote in message
...

: Do they have to be always fitted? I.e. middle of the day

No.

Just as well - imagine speding big dollar on an all carbon road bike only to have
to weigh it down with lights!

What does the law say about lights for bikes?

Do you have to have lights on during the night? Is there a fine if you
don't?


Assuming you are in the UK...

Highway Code rule 46
"At night your cycle MUST have front and rear lights lit. It MUST also be
fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured
after 1/10/85). White front reflectors and spoke reflectors will also help you
to be seen. Law RVLR regs 18 & 24"

See also
http://www.ctc.org.uk/bike/standards.aspx
It puts it in plain English

Cheers, helen s







--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
to get correct one remove fame & fortune
**$om $

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

omcom (dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers) wrote in
:

What does the law say about lights for bikes?

Do you have to have lights on during the night? Is there a fine if you
don't?


Assuming you are in the UK...

Highway Code rule 46
"At night your cycle MUST have front and rear lights lit. It MUST also
be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if
manufactured after 1/10/85). White front reflectors and spoke
reflectors will also help you to be seen. Law RVLR regs 18 & 24"


I've yet to come across clipless pedals with amber reflectors. Does this
make them illegal? Not that I've ever seen the police ducking to look at my
pedals as I go past.

[runs off to look at bike]

No, it hasn't got a red rear reflector either.

On Thu, 29 Apr 2004 16:40:20 +0000, Iain Jones wrote:

omcom (dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers) wrote in
:

What does the law say about lights for bikes?

Do you have to have lights on during the night? Is there a fine if you
don't?

Assuming you are in the UK...

Highway Code rule 46
"At night your cycle MUST have front and rear lights lit. It MUST also
be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if
manufactured after 1/10/85). White front reflectors and spoke
reflectors will also help you to be seen. Law RVLR regs 18 & 24"


I've yet to come across clipless pedals with amber reflectors. Does this
make them illegal?

I believe so - though of course only at night.

Seriously, psychologists say that reflectors on pedals are worth umpteen
reflectors elsewhere. They stand out more because of their up-down motion.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cac...hl=en&ie=UTF-8

or google for 'biomotion' and 'pedestrian'. It has to be said there isn't
much that's specific to cyclists.

Some say drivers shouldn't go so fast that their stopping distance exceeds
the distance they can see to be clear. The above link reckons that many
drivers couldn't see a dark-clothed pedestrian in time, if they were
travelling over 15mph.

Not that I've ever seen the police ducking to look at my pedals as I go
past.

I'd have thought the insurance companies might take more interest than the
police, if some poor automobile gets scratched in an accident. Though
I may be wrong as I never heard of a case where this was raised as an
issue.

Kit

[runs off to look at bike]

No, it hasn't got a red rear reflector either.

Lots of lights have integral ones.

On Thu, 29 Apr 2004 16:40:20 +0000 (UTC), Iain Jones
wrote in message
0:

I've yet to come across clipless pedals with amber reflectors. Does this
make them illegal?

Yes, if the bike was sold after 1/10/85 and is ridden at night.

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

On Thu, 29 Apr 2004 16:40:20 +0000 (UTC), Iain Jones
wrote in message
0:

I've yet to come across clipless pedals with amber reflectors. Does this
make them illegal?

Yes, if the bike was sold after 1/10/85 and is ridden at night.

My clipless (Shimano M324, platform pedals one side) can actually take
reflectors, but they didn't come in the box - the instructions said they
were "optional". Anyone know where I could get them from? (It might say
on the instructions, but they're elsewhere at the moment)

--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/
"There ought to be limits to freedom"

On 2004-04-29, Keith Willoughby wrote:

My clipless (Shimano M324, platform pedals one side) can actually take
reflectors, but they didn't come in the box - the instructions said they
were "optional". Anyone know where I could get them from? (It might say
on the instructions, but they're elsewhere at the moment)


Reflective bits on shoes or bottoms of trousers, or those winter shoe
covers are very effective. The shoe covers can be really effective
because of their size. I've followed a couple of cyclists with them.

Even if not modifying clothing, you can get velcro on or snap on bands to
go round your ankles which offer quite a large reflective area. I've found
the velcro ones to come off sometimes though (perhaps need defluffing),
and have not tried the snap on ones.

I have reflective trousers which I use in poor visibility, or if its
slightly cold - not so much use on a 'bent though except for being seen
from the side. Useful for pulling out. They work well on the upright
though.

- Richard

--
_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at ntlworld dot com
_/ _/ _/ _/
_/_/ _/ _/ Time is a one way street,
_/ _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twilight Zone.