Lighting regs and Police

[SavageHoutkop]

Mr SavageHoutkop was stopped on the way home today by the police; who proceeded to tell him that his flashing lights were not legal and that steady lights front and rear were needed. He swapped the modes over (both cateyes, so option of steady/flashing) and pedalled off.

I've just checked the regs on CTC and the DfT and flashing is definately legal (so long as the light complies with the standard, but that's not what they were worried about).

Advice? Comments?

(posted here as it is a 'lighting' question, but feel free to move to Commuting if you think it's better placed there...)

 

[gaz]

from my previous readings of threads along 'legal lights' theme, their are not very many that follow the laws. thus i would say 100% of cyclist are breaking the law regarding lights.

 

[addictfreak]

I think a letter to the Chief Constable, advising him of a training need for some of his PCs

 

[Dan B]

Police in "don't actually know the law but think they can make it up anyway" shocker!

Smile and nod, and when you get out of sight go ahead and do whatever it is you were going to do anyway

 

[addictfreak]

A little info here:

http://www.tredzblog.co.uk/2006/10/cycle_light_law.html

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

no cat eyes are road legal as they don't comply. however if used in conjunction with crap lelgal lights they are. go figure. you can actually get ticketed. but flashing lights have been legal for years as long as they are up to standard. i started a thread either here or other asking this q as well and surprisingly not many good quality lights are technically legal.

edit: my thread was regarding legality in case a motons dodgy solicitor used it as an excuse to get out of paying. hence now i use helmet and have put reflectors back on pedals and bike

 

[marinyork]

What coruskate said. Some police make a things up, one gets told off occasionally for all sorts of silly things.

 

[potsy]

C'ant believe that in South Manchester they could not find one of the many who have no lights to pull over instead.I regularly ride with 2 flashing rear lights and was in the understanding it was perfectly legal.

 

[fossyant]

All my lights are Illegal.........

 

[gaz]

All my lights are Illegal.........

ride it like you stole it!

 

[SavageHoutkop]

he was cycling in Oxford....

 

[potsy]

he was cycling in Oxford....

Is Oxford the -ish part of your location then?

 

[WickfordWheels]

I dont often ride in the dark but when I do I have one flashing and one on constant. Not that I'm worried about the boys in blue having a word - more worried about numpty car drivers wiping me out!

 

[Dan B]

no cat eyes are road legal as they don't comply. however if used in conjunction with crap lelgal lights they are.

I believe that (most) cateyes are legal but only when used with a non-standard bracket - i.e. not the one that comes in the box. The relevant standard requires that you can't rotate the bracket up and down, so the quick release thingy obviously will make an otherwise legal light illegal

Can't quote you chapter and verse on this, though

 

[ufkacbln]

The confusion lies with two pieces of regulation.

The original legislation (Road Traffic Act 1988) deems that lights must be compliant with BS6102/3 which excludes flashing lights. THiis was also the case of the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations (1989)

However in 2005 there was an amendment Statutory Instrument SI 2005 No. 2559

This allowed flashing lights which complied with certain standards. Hence Cateye lights are sold as "RVLR compliant" and as such are perfectly legal.


It can get even more complex though.....

Additional lighting does not need to comply wth either regulation so long as it does not dazzle, flashes between 1 - 4 times per second, and is the correct colour.

However back to the original post - they were wrong flashing lights are legal.








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