You're all breaking the law!

[classic33]

Checked, and it does state bicycle.
How do Recumbents fit into this? I'm sometimes on four wheels & pedal power.

Feet out in front.

 

[Lozz360]

Yea, bet this guys bike hasn't got reflective pedals?

Pre-1985 manufactured. Therefore doesn't need them.

 

[Sandra6]

Bit of an assumption to say we're all breaking the law, just because you are.
You'll be saying we all jump red lights next!!
I have a reflector on the rear of my bike and on the pedals. When riding at night I use two front, and one rear light.
Did you also know that the lights you use have to comply a standard - bs6102/3?
Mine do. Or will, when I get round to putting them back on the bike.

 

[Elybazza61]

To be honest I don't think most coppers would give a shoot about pedal reflectors;and those rules really need looking at to reflect 21st century technology.My XLS commuter has reflective tape strategically positioned plus reflective bits on the mudguards plus three rear lights,two rear flashers and on the front three plus one on flash mode;can't really see how two crappy yellow reflectors would make me more conspicuous.

 

[MontyVeda]

TBH there's certain laws i'll quite happily break, and not having reflectors on my pedals is one of them. If my pedals came with reflectors then I'd comply but since they didn't, I don't. I'll also cycle on the pavement when it suits me and (gosh) jump the occasional red light.

Thanks in advance for all the 'likes'

 

[jefmcg]

Exactly my defence last week. It worked.

Can someone else flag this to @Racing roadkill as he has me on ignore: this whole thread is sharing the opinion that no one will every stop you for missing pedal reflectors, yet someone has apparently been threatened with being charged (unlike everyone else in this thread) and managed to argue their way out of it using a misunderstanding of the law.

We need to know the full details to understand the risk of flouting the law in this way.

 

[jefmcg]

I doubt it was a legal defence, as in anywhere on the scale from in court, threaten with charge, spoken to by police officer.

No, I doubt the defence is worth anything. What really interests me is alleging that he was pulled over for missing pedal reflectors. That seems to have happened to no one else, yet he has mentioned it as an aside, rather than a news.

 

[EnPassant]

I find it hard to conceive of a single police minute being spent tracking down those dastardly illegal malcontents who eschew pedal reflectors when they could stand on any street corner and spot dozens mobile phone users in cars in that same minute for a far greater net safety benefit, yet still don't.

 

[andrew_s]

Checked, and it does state bicycle.
How do Recumbents fit into this?

Recumbents count, as the law actually refers to "pedal cycles".
In fact, recumbents are illegal at night, because your pedal reflectors have to be visible from the rear (schedule 20, part 1.3)

 

[classic33]

Recumbents count, as the law actually refers to "pedal cycles".
In fact, recumbents are illegal at night, because your pedal reflectors have to be visible from the rear (schedule 20, part 1.3)

Have to have another word with that Road Traffic Officer then. He quite liked the idea of fixing an open cage onto the rear, for the 2 -3 mile trip into town.

They are visible to the rear, I can see them! They're in front of me.

 

[Ajax Bay]

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989
Schedule 20
Requirements relating to obligatory pedal retro reflectors (sunset to sunrise)

Two amber coloured reflectors on each pedal, one on the leading edge and one on the trailing edge of each pedal, plainly visible to front and rear respectively, reflectors must meet specification given in British Standards Institution BS 6102: Part 2: 1982, namely “BS 6102/2”. Size of reflecting area: No requirement (size spec reverts to BS 6102/2)

Yacf thread - more than any sane person could ever wish for.

 

[classic33]

Sunset to Sunrise replaced by "anytime the sun is below the horizon", a few years ago now.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Sunrise to Sunset replaced by "anytime the sun is below the horizon"

Doubt it. Far too low.

 

[Lozz360]

Sunrise to Sunset replaced by "anytime the sun is below the horizon", a few years ago now.

You mean "Sunset to Sunrise" I think. The difference is like night and day!

 

[Lozz360]

Bit of an assumption to say we're all breaking the law, just because you are.
You'll be saying we all jump red lights next!!
I have a reflector on the rear of my bike and on the pedals. When riding at night I use two front, and one rear light.
Did you also know that the lights you use have to comply a standard - bs6102/3?
Mine do. Or will, when I get round to putting them back on the bike.

I could have made the title "Possibly some of you maybe breaking the law without actually realising it", but I doubt the thread would have got c3,500 views and still counting. I think a lot of cyclists don't jump red lights. I don't and I bet you don't.