“you’re flashing light is illegal! remove it immediately!!”

obviously he just rode off with it still going and ignored her but is she right?

couldn’t find anything online mentioning it but though it may have slipped through the net.

thoughts?

http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/regulations/lighting-regulations

They used to be, but the law changed a few (5?) years ago.

I think they technically used to be illegal as did LED bulbs but that changed some time ago.

Did they really say “you’re flashing light”?

That would annoy me.

They used to be, but the law changed a few (5?) years ago.

2005

Edited for clearly being about 10 years out of date in my knowledge. 🙄

Second edit, sorry Pete, your reply makes no sense now. Good info, I really must get myself a mudguard reflector. Pedal reflectors are a bit more tricky with SPD’s though.

I remember this being debated when I was a kid in the 90s and LED lights first came out.

Flashing lights don’t meet the requirements of whatever standard was designed in the 1950’s, so should be used with an additional steady light, but I don’t think that their use is actually illegal as such.

True but read the link above. A single flashing light is now perfectly legal.

ah-ha!

thank you.

and yes, her verbal punctuation was excruciating!

PLEASE tell me he had a helmet cam and the video of this silly woman is now on youtube!

nope 🙁

He flashed her ?? Giggle.

Did she have the courtesy to flash him back ? I think that’s the real issue here.

if somebody did that to me my reply would be:

its not but thanks for at least seeing me, it would seem many motorists claim they cant.

be polite, if you can.

It may not be illegal, but it’s also very likely to not be legal. I know that sounds daft but it’s true.
Very very few of the lights sold these days actually meet the regulations on the sort of light that you need to be legal riding after dark.
So having a flashing light on the bars next to your BSxxxx light is not illegal, but having it after dark without a proper BSxxxx light is actually illegal.

barmy

It might be illegal if it is flashing too slowly or too quickly. Its only legal if its flashing between 60 and 240 times per minute (1 – 4Hz).

Or it could be illegal if its dazzling other road users.

A fiat punto went past me very close last night on a dark road last night, too close especially considering nothing was coming, so close I could touch her side window, so i banged her window. I am fully lit up with strong lights front and back so she knew where I was.

She didnt even stop at the bang – and just carried on – even though the bang could have been me under her wheels. maybe she saw my lights were still upright and thought – nope didnt kill him. anyway … I of course, remembered the car and sure enough she was in a gated side road half a mile on, in her car. I pulled over and explained quite calmly that she really should give cyclists much more room than that or she might end up killing somebody. She sort of looked sorry and said ok. I was proud to only use one F word. I tried to remain calm and pleasant.

when she overtook me later on the same road, she gave me LOADS of room, strange that huh? 🙂

Was told the same thing two years ago by a policeman who was in a foul mood and threatening a fixed penalty notice.

I told him I was sure the law changed a couple of years ago and it might be worth him checking to save embarrassment. He did and to be fair to him was gracious enough to apologise.

I wish it was legal to carry a hammer and smash the window of any car that comes too close. Or of those cars being driven by people with a smart phone blaring between their legs. with the dark nights and slow crawling traffic I’m really noticing a LOT of people on their phones.

angry of crouch end.

It may not be illegal, but it’s also very likely to not be legal. I know that sounds daft but it’s true.
Very very few of the lights sold these days actually meet the regulations on the sort of light that you need to be legal riding after dark.
So having a flashing light on the bars next to your BSxxxx light is not illegal, but having it after dark without a proper BSxxxx light is actually illegal.

barmy

Amost, if your light is Legal elsewhere in Europe to an better or equivalent standard, ie german, your light is legal.

As for spd reflectors.

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a9004/pedal-top-with-reflectors-for-spd-pedals-sm-pd22.html?lg=en&cr=GBP&cn=gb&gclid=CPGAnZLVm7sCFSoewwoduREA2g

The problem seems to me related to the lack of requirement for retests – there’s lots of drivers who last looked at the Highway Code or knew any traffic law when they did their driving test decades ago and it doesn’t seem to occur to them that there may have been changes since then.

Would it be acceptable to wear reflective ankle bands instead of pedal reflectors which is what I do to solve the SPD issue. I can’t recall if this was tested in court or not.

I use a pair of those clip on platforms with reflectors on my commuter SPDs, did not pay £11 for them though! out of the spares bin at the LBS.

They also act as a handy ‘normal shoe’ side for just popping to the shops as well.

remove it immediately!!

And ride without a light?? The woman was clearly an absolute moron.

As that article points out

any flashing lamp that is also capable of emitting a steady light is approved only if it conforms with BS6102/3 when switched to steady mode. Since most flashing lights do also have a steady mode, they’re legal but not approved, so you’ll probably need another lamp that is.

so unless you have a light that only flashes it is unlikely to be legal unless it is to one of the required standards.

As point of note Boris Bikes rely on flashing lights only. The pair on each seat stay flash alternately.

I have a winky light as back up/extra but still like fixed rear light as well. When driving I find it can be harder to judge the distance to a flashing light than a fixed light on someones bike, although the winky light does draw attention – hence my preference to run one of each.

Lemonysam that article is great, really cleared a few things up for me 🙂

Ive got flashing ankle reflector thingies, flashing led hi vis jacket, flashing helmet light front and rear, flashing EL wire on the bike (rope wire), two flashing seat leds, and two flashing torches.

Cant see myself when im riding, but imagine its pretty obvious im there. Just hope nobody with epilepsy passes me.

Many years ago I read about the flashing lights make the judging of distance difficult theory. Now every time I see a bike with just a flasher I think about it and I’ve NEVER had any problems judging the distance.
I don’t think they’d make them if they made cyclists less safe.

Pedal reflectors are a bit more tricky with SPD’s though.

You can actually get some Shimano-made spd pedals with small reflectors built into them. They’re bloomin’ expensive though.

Clicky

Well – the other day I was doing my running intervals on the pavement on Southwark bridge. Looking back towards the traffic lights at the end of the bridge there were loads of cars coming from all angles and lots of other ambient lights.

Against this backdrop of lights cyclists with slow blinking lights were almost completely invisible from a distance, they weren’t really visible until they were pretty close. The ones with steady lights were perfectly visible.

The fact that blinking lights are off half the time makes it really hard for the eye to track where they are going, and really bright slow blinking lights just confuse the **** out of everyone I think

I’m speaking as a pedestrian and a cyclist, looking at other cyclists, before I get accused of being pro motorist and anti cyclist.

Someone needs to do a study on this I think.

Flashing lights are more pimp.

Or of those cars being driven by people with a smart phone blaring between their legs

obviously on vibrate setting,giving them a cheap sexual thrill.