They have a similar "clampdown" every year in Cambridge. The police stand in the city centre, stop the cyclists (generally students) with no lights and do the "£30 fine or cheap lights" deal and then send them on their way. After that they just ignore all the cyclists with no lights for the rest of the winter.
I work near the Grand Arcade multi-storey car park in Cambridge. What's funny is the amount of cars that come out with no lights on and drive off into the distance. I think the reason is that the area is so well lit you can see everything. So, it is with some irony that the Police stop cyclists with no lights in such as well lit area.
(Of course, the further away from the centre you get the more pockets of darkness you get)
I really want to observe one day, because I want to see where the Police draw the line:
No lights
Lights but not on.
Lights but broken.
Lights but very dim due to battery.
Lights pointing at the floor.
Lights but covered by coat or bag.
Lights but not British Standard.
(there a whole lot more pedantic stuff here:
http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4071)
Strangely, there's never a similar clampdown on drivers with no/faulty lights...
Last winter, lighting got silly. One one particular commute about 1 in 5 cars had a one front light bulb out. But alas, no clampdown.
on the roads in Oxford.
