Acceptable Light colour

[Sobrique]

I've been looking at adding more lights to my bike.

But what I'm wanting to check, is what lights - and flashing - are legal. I'm pretty sure flashy blue lights are a no no.
And that your really should (must?) only have white to the front, and red to the rear.
But what about e.g. arm band lights, or 'side lights' (in wheels).

I'm not a big fan of riding a disco, so tend to prefer constant lights to flashing anyway. (Well, at least I'm of the opinion that you really should have a steady light, to give a clear indication of where you are, maybe supplemented by some flashing)

But are you ok (from a legal perspective) to use lights of different colours?
Green, Blue, Orange.
I can imagine flashing blue is no, because of police, ambulance and fire.
Flashing orange may not be very clever because of indicators, but steady may be ok?
And green flashing is paramedic/doctor.

So I guess what I'm trying to figure out is can I run different colour side lights, as long as they don't flash? (Thinking in terms of fibre flare lights, which are sort of omnidirectional)

 

[gaz]

If you run side lights, they should be yellow or amber.
I do use an orange fibre flare on my down tube.

 

[HovR]

Several people here run orange fibre flare sidelights on a solid mode, and the blackburn series of rear lights have orange sidelights built in. Larger vehicles also use orange side lights. It is best to stick to the standard red for rear, white for front and orange for sides.

Flashing lights are legal, although it can be hard for drivers to get a good judgement of speed with only a single flashing light.

Blue lights are a definite no.

 

[Paul_T]

Hi Sobrique

I can't understand why you would even want to use different colours. Surely the main objective is to be seen right? This can be easily acheived by using a GOOD quality front and rear light, with new batteries and possibly a back up LED front and rear too. Add some hi viz clothing, ride sensibly and you will be noticed just as much as a rider who's lit up like a christmas tree!

Cheers
Paul

 

[Sobrique]

Hi Sobrique

I can't understand why you would even want to use different colours. Surely the main objective is to be seen right? This can be easily acheived by using a GOOD quality front and rear light, with new batteries and possibly a back up LED front and rear too. Add some hi viz clothing, ride sensibly and you will be noticed just as much as a rider who's lit up like a christmas tree!

Cheers
Paul

As you say - the main objective is visibility. But I also want to offer drivers as much information ias I can about my position and vector. That's why I dislike flashers they're great for drawing attention, but much harder to actually tell where they are, and how fast they're moving, how far away they are.

I don't plan to neglect passive reflectors, but I'd like to have some active lights for when I'm bimbling down unlit, moderately quiet country roads, with drivers blithely assuming that any hazards on the road will have headlights.

So my ideal case would be a 'illuminate the road' front light, and fairly bright/steady rear.
Supplemented by a 'hey I'm here' running light, front and rear (urban use, and maybe flashing to draw attention).

But I also want some side lighting, and am trying to figure out what I can do legally (and also optimally safely ).

Don't think I hadn't considered the virtues of a pack of cheap, post christmas fairly lights. (We've actually got a set of solar powered garden lights, which I reckon you could hang solar panels off a rear rack, and recharge enough to cover the running to and from work, even in the winter).

 

[Paul_T]

Thanks Sobrique. I didn't mean to sound arrogant when I said " I don't understand why you would want to use different colours..."

Plus, I fully understand about side lighting...but have you considered the Cat Eye TL-LD1100 rear light? It has 2 bright lights on BOTH sides of the light itself, the best side visibilty rear light I've seen to date. That said, I can't think of a front light that offers great side visibilty too, so that kind of poo poos what I said in the first place about a decent set of lights!

 

[Banjo]

A guy in our club had some valve dust caps that lit up when the wheel spins. Good for side vis.

 

[Chris S]

A guy in our club had some valve dust caps that lit up when the wheel spins. Good for side vis.

You can buy them in Poundland - for 'off road use only.'

 

[Sore Thumb]

Flashing green is for Doctors registered with the General Medical Council only not Paramedics. However having a green light does not give you any exemptions to any traffic laws eg no speeding or going through red lights, that's why doctors a lot of doctors also have blue lights.

Bit of useless information for you.


I see loads of cars with blue and green lights but as long as they do not flash they get around the law.