Lighting regs and Police

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

sorry both wrong, no cat eyes are marked with the relevant statutory markings. they do not meet the additional regs either as the leds cannot meet the required power. both the lens and reflector are not marked up. i and others have checked their cateyes. i have also checked there website and cannot find any cert of conformity required. they can be used as additional lights (which they themselves do stipulate on the packaging of some lights) which is legal. if a light has both a constant mode and flashing mode then it has to meet the rquired standards.

 

[andrew_s]

Cateye AU100BS rear lights are marked with all the standards.

Anyway,
Legal lighting is one of the following:
a) Marked as meeting BS6102
Meeting an "equivalent EU standard" (eg German)
c) Flashing at 1 - 4Hz with a brightness of at least 4cd, and not capable of emitting a steady light. 4cd isn't all that bright (any recent LED should do), but the "no steady mode" rule excludes most lights - a prime case of the law being an ass.

Providing you have a legal light, you can have as many other lights as you want, flashing or steady, provided that you don't dazzle other road users.

 

[marinyork]

sorry both wrong, no cat eyes are marked with the relevant statutory markings. they do not meet the additional regs either as the leds cannot meet the required power.

My cateye is miles above 4 candela. I think I may have seen some cateyes below this but the majority aren't.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

it is now, wasn't when i put it on!
now I think a FB style 'it's complicated' is the only way forward...

 

[BentMikey]

Cateye AU100BS rear lights are marked with all the standards.

Anyway,
Legal lighting is one of the following:
a) Marked as meeting BS6102
Meeting an "equivalent EU standard" (eg German)
c) Flashing at 1 - 4Hz with a brightness of at least 4cd, and not capable of emitting a steady light. 4cd isn't all that bright (any recent LED should do), but the "no steady mode" rule excludes most lights - a prime case of the law being an ass.

Providing you have a legal light, you can have as many other lights as you want, flashing or steady, provided that you don't dazzle other road users.

Apparently the BS rating applies only to the reflector, and not the light itself.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Apparently the BS rating applies only to the reflector, and not the light itself.

that is how i understand it. therefore all cateye lights do not comply as they have a steady mode. wonder how long before a sleazy ambulance chaser uses this to get a moton off? "my moton client hit they cyclist with 25 lights on the bike with hi vis jacket because he did not see him as non of the lights were legal m'lord"

 

[summerdays]

Why is there such a discrepancy with what is legal and what we actually use... should the law not be changed to reflect how lighting technology has changed over the last 10 years (beyond flashing lights).

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

i think the law should stipulate that only legal lights should be sold. it's easy to do and then all lights would be legal. at the moment manufacturers stick in a piece of paper to get out of the cost of conformity tests. even by saying we should be brought in line with the rest of europe would not help as most lights sold in the uk are not marked with any standard. fyi any lights marked with any european member states standards are legal in the uk. i agree it is nuts and confusing.

edit: tbh the police and a technically possible ticket doesn't bother me. it's just the thought of my family and i losing money when i am knocked off by some moton with a good solicitor

 

[SavageHoutkop]

hmmmm.... so a brief sidetrack from the original 'police not knowing the rules' but should we perhaps pester our MPs to amend the rules? This is quite idiotic, particularly the bit that a flashing only light just needs to have a fairly low candela rating - but if you can put it on steady it must satisfy all sorts of other strange rules.

 

[Davidc]

Agree with the polite but firm letter to the chief constable. Hope you took Mr Plod's number.

I had the same experience in Bristol, about 5 years ago, and told the policeman he was out of date. He took my name and address and said I'd be hearing from them.

Still waiting.

 

[HJ]

that is how i understand it. therefore all cateye lights do not comply as they have a steady mode. wonder how long before a sleazy ambulance chaser uses this to get a moton off? "my moton client hit they cyclist with 25 lights on the bike with hi vis jacket because he did not see him as non of the lights were legal m'lord"

This is where you get good legal representation and appeal to the next court up, minor technical arguments should not be used to allowed the guilty to go free...

 

[HJ]

Yes, buying legally compliant lights could be easier. Though making compliance information readily available at the point of sale would be good enough for me. That way, I can still buy lights that actually do produce some light...

Very few lights on the market are actually marked as meeting BS6102 or an equivalent EU standard even though many exceed the requirements of BS6102 which is heavily out of date. The real problem is that the law is an ass (or rather is was passed by a bunch of asses and applied by asses)...

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I think this is the 'reason' he was stopped (current campaign in the area)...
Letter to officers/community action group is forming...

Illegal Cycling - The annual ‘cycling without lights’ initiative is ongoing throughout the dark nights. Officers are carrying out operations in the area stopping cyclists not displaying lights. More importantly, lights on your cycles are for your own safety. In the last five years three cyclists have been killed, 126 were seriously injured and 747 were slightly injured in collisions within Oxford City alone. Please ensure, when riding in the darker hours of the day, you buy a secure lock; a set of lights including batteries and a cycle helmet. If the street lamps are lit, then your bicycle lights should be lit! ‘IF YOU HAVEN’T GOT LIGHTS, DON’T RIDE YOUR BIKE’. It is an offence to cycle without lights during the hours of darkness and you could be liable for a £30 fine. You are also all reminded that it is an offence to cycle on the pavement unless it is on a designated cycle track. Cycle tracks are sign-posted throughout the area. Again this offence carries a £30 fine. Please respect the safety of pedestrians using the pavements.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

This is where you get good legal representation and appeal to the next court up, minor technical arguments should not be used to allowed the guilty to go free...

unfortunately it is cut and dry, if you have no legal lights end of story. just look at the case involving the poor bugger whose payout was drastically reduced because he was not wearing a helmet even tho there is no law requiring one. if a moton is not breaking the law but i was by not having legal lights, who would win?

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Yes, buying legally compliant lights could be easier. Though making compliance information readily available at the point of sale would be good enough for me. That way, I can still buy lights that actually do produce some light...



is there any reason to sell non compliant bike lights?