Flashing LEDs...

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Maz

Guru
Some chap shouted to me on the way back from work recently as I past him "you can't have flashing lights on yer bike!". I did indeed have rear flashing LEDs.

He may have a point. Is it true?
 

domd1979

Veteran
Location
Staffordshire
Nope. Flashing LEDs are perfectly legal.

Maz said:
Some chap shouted to me on the way back from work recently as I past him "you can't have flashing lights on yer bike!". I did indeed have rear flashing LEDs.

He may have a point. Is it true?
 

domtyler

Über Member
Surely the very fact that you did have flashing LEDs on your bike meant that he was instantly proved wrong even before he had said it?
 
OP
OP
Maz

Maz

Guru
HLaB said:
It was true, that why so many people have the misconception untill I point out flashing LEDs are legal. The CTC done a quite good article on this.
Cheers.
Quote from article:
"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... "

Hold the front page...CTC calls Police 'dim' !!
 

CarnageAX

New Member
Location
Lancashire, UK
It is only a very recent change in the law though. You used to have to display a constant light and anything flashing was extra.

I still use a constant light, no flashing on my bike!!!
 

bonj2

Guest
nope, perfectly legal. There's something that states the flash rate, in the highway code, think it's something between 60 and 240 flashes per minute.
IMHO they're good as it's obvious you're a cyclist, and presumably the batteries last longer.
An advantage of front flashers is that in built up (well-lit) areas at night, you can always tell your front light's still working 'cos you can see the flashing reflecting off signs, cars' bodywork etc, which you can't always if you're on constant as the light could be coming from anywhere.
 
Agreed.

I'm not Plod I'd be bothered about, it's some little t**t at the insurance company trying to claim that it's my fault if I get knocked-off by some innatentive driver because my flashing lights are technically-illegal, not being BS-approved, although they're probably better than BS
 
I can assure you that as a 'Plod' we are grateful to anyone who lights up! if they can manage to keep off the pavement as well our gratitude is increased....

When we do neighbourhood surveys what are residents priorities? Burglars? No. Drugs? No. Cyclists on pavements? YES! Cyclists without lights? YES!

Having said that I find the 'words of advice' work best, those that are stopped seem amazed that a £30 FPN can be theirs.
 

dondare

Über Member
Location
London
Do motorists ever shout to each other "You can't use your fog lamps if it isn't foggy!"?
No the don't.
They just have a go at cyclists.
And Bonj is right.
 
Location
Herts
dondare said:
Do motorists ever shout to each other "You can't use your fog lamps if it isn't foggy!"?

And Bonj is right.

I do but they don't hear me because they always have their windows closed and the ICE turned up. I normally have the hood down and get strange looks from peds when they hear the torrents of abuse. Also pees off SWMBO.
 
MY system is to use a set of "Legal" lights and then supplement with more efficient ones. Whilst illegal to use on their own , they are not illegal as a supplementary system
 

HJ

Cycling in Scotland
Location
Auld Reekie
fossyant said:
My old BLT halogen's aren't UK legal - no BS marks, nor are my cat-eye led's......can't win, yet I'm lit up like a xmas tree

The majority of cycle lights sold in the UK don't have BS marks, most of them exceed the the BS requirements but the manufactures don't bother with registering then with BS because it is too expensive to do so. The police don't bother trying to enforce the regs because a good defense lawyer would get the case thrown out of court. You might get some tosspot from an insurance company trying it on in the case of an accident, but if you stand up to then and say you are happy to take it to court they will generally back down as they know they are likely to loose. Insurance companies are just bullies, face up to them and they generally back down, especially if you have your own legal costs insurance...
 
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