Bicycle Flashing Lights Are Illegal? Really?

[classic33]

I can’t believe a debate on bike lights flashing has turned into 6 pages.

So what are your thoughts on torches been used as bike lights? *runs for cover*

Get a 4 D cell maglite. If all else fails it can come in handy for clouting someone.

 

[Jezston]

i believe you probably got all the feedback you wanted on your youtube channel, droid. this is a very old clip from you, why do you feel the need for more feedback here?

I think that our TrafficDroid appears to have been banned from the forum answers that question.

 

[snorri]

Well, I thought, serves you right for lurking in dark places!

Most likely just an innocent amateur astronomer studying the night skies

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I think that our TrafficDroid appears to have been banned from the forum answers that question.

Has he really been banned?
What did he do to merit that?

GC

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Most likely just an innocent amateur astronomer studying the night skies

Well, should have been staring at the skies, not at my headlamp

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I think that our TrafficDroid appears to have been banned from the forum answers that question.

Why banned? He's a polite chap, if a bit maniac

 

[Pat "5mph"]

[QUOTE 2470858, member: 30090"]Ask the mods in site feedback....[/quote]
Cheers for that, no need to disturb any Mods, was just idle curiosity on my part.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

For someone who joined five days ago, you sure do know your way around.

Maybe @User30090 has satnav for internet forums

 

[Cyclopathic]

Only read the first page here because I've read similar threads before. I thought the long and short of it was that flashing lights are legal within certain perameters and that ultimately nobody anywhere gives a flying fig about it. Has anybody ever been done for it? As far as crimes go it seems about as serious as not practicing archery on a Sunday. Honestly, who cares? I don't. Do you? See, nobody cares. Nobody. Except that bloke in the car obviously, but he is the only one ever. Nobody else. Ever.

 

[kedab]

As I understand it, he wasn't banned - he flounced because we weren't taking his utterances seriously enough and giving him enough respect... or some such excuse.

I followed his vids for a bit on youtube - he seemed alright but then he disappeared right up his own chuff and when he shouted, 'speeding!' at some dude in a beautiful Merc, who simply blipped his throttle a bit going past him, I lost any respect. oh and the other vid where he basically called a copper's attention to some dude who was doing/not doing something the traffictwunt found upsetting - then I wanted to chin him

 

[ComedyPilot]

I followed him on UyoTube for a while, but his use of flashing lights set off my photo sensitive epilepsy.

Got sick of waking up with a mouth full computer mouse cord and the letters YTREWQ on my forehead.

 

[sabian92]

I followed him on UyoTube for a while, but his use of flashing lights set off my photo sensitive epilepsy.

Got sick of waking up with a mouth full computer mouse cord and the letters YTREWQ on my forehead.

I shouldn't laugh but that did make me giggle I do sympathise though, my dad is epileptic and I have a very high chance of developing. Will serve me right for laughing I suppose....

 

[classic33]

I shouldn't laugh but that did make me giggle I do sympathise though, my dad is epileptic and I have a very high chance of developing. Will serve me right for laughing I suppose....

I've sufferred lifelong with .it, epilepsy, and to put it in simple terms comments like that are not in the least bit funny.
Have your laugh now, but I hope you never find out what its like to live with, at a personal level.

 

[ComedyPilot]

My comment wasn't meant to offend people who suffer from epilespsy - more a comment on how f*ckin' irritating flashing lights are on a bike.....

 

[BlackPanther]

My comment wasn't meant to offend people who suffer from epilespsy - more a comment on how f*ckin' irritating flashing lights are on a bike.....

Irritating? I don't understand why? They're very effective for making your presence known, especially on those days when light is low. Even at night though, I've never had any negative comments in 3 years of riding with Blackburn rears on 'strobe' setting. TBH I don't give a fig if my lights are "f*ckin' irritating" to a small percentage of drivers (1%), as long as they prevented a large percentage (99%) of drivers from driving into the back of me in a smidsy like fashion! As for setting off epilepsy, they don't flash anywhere near fast enough to trigger attacks.


Below quote is from the epilepsy foundation.
"The frequency or speed of flashing light that is most likely to cause seizures varies from person to person. Generally, flashing lights most likely to trigger seizures are between the frequency of 5 to 30 flashes per second (Hertz)."



Below, from Wiki, but hey, it's probably correct.(?)

• a light with a steady mode is considered approved only if it conforms to BS 6102/3 or an equivalent European standard;
• a light without a steady mode is considered approved only if it flashes at a constant rate of between 60 to 240 flashes per minute and has a luminous intensity of at least 4 candela;

I would guess that anything that flashes 4 or less times per second is deemed to be safe for epileptics, and the reason that all approved lights flash 60-240 times a minute/1-4 times a second is because of the above reasoning.

Your honour, the defense rests.