Lights for riding at night - legalities

[Lone Wolf]

I have seen some lights for sale that have blue as well as red leds. Question - I know flashing blue is reserved for emergency vehicles, but would a steady blue with flashing red get you into trouble. Just thinking of a possible deterrent for cars blasting past you at night at twice the speed limit.

 

[Drago]

Why would you want to?

 

[Alex321]

Legally, the only light you are allowed to show to the rear is red, apart from any incidental visibility of side amber or white lights.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/regulation/11

 

[mjr]

Why would you want to?

The post says it's to deter motorists from speeding.

However, blue is reserved to emergency vehicles for good reason and riding around with a blue light on is an excellent way to attract police attention if they have any spare time.

 

[classic33]

If they're not fitted to the bike, but worn by the rider they are not considered illegal.

There's a similar twist in the legislation that requires that the lights be legally purchased. A number of stores sold blue lights for use on bicycles a few years ago. No-one battered an eyelid at them. I did ask Argos if the lights were legal to use and received a rather snotty e-mail answer which said that they would never sell any accessories that were illegal to use. Halfords have had the same lights in store a number of times.

Blue is apparently more visible in fog, and I have used them in fog on the rear. Never tried a dual colour LED light though.

 

[T4tomo]

I used to have blue tyre flies - little lights on the valve caps - back in the days when I Brompton-ed around London. I was never arrested or even had plod so much as mention it

 

[Drago]

The post says it's to deter motorists from speeding.

That would be very dicey. Presumably the deterrence would be the rider intending that the blue light might give drivers pause to think the blue light is the dibble, but it is an offence "by word or deed" to impersonate a Fed, so straight away that's a non starter.

And then it's an offence to show other than a red light to the rear.

All that being the case, I'd question why anyone would even fleetingly consider it.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Thanks peeps. Best not order one then 😊

 

[steveindenmark]

White lights front, red rear.

Why would you have anything different?

 

[I like Skol]

White lights front, red rear.

Why would you have anything different?

Which reminds me. I did occasionally meet a rider heading in the opposite direction who had a flashing red led light on his handlebars. Not seen them for a year or so, wonder if something has happened to them?

 

[Profpointy]

I once saw motorcyclist at night who for some unfathomable reason had put a reddish/purple filter on his headlight. I saw the "red light" some way off, and was about to pull out, but something looked a bit odd, and sure enough, it was someone coming towards me at some speed, rather than a receding tail light

I have also seen a cyclist with a red light at the front

Anyhow, the "moral" such as it is, is stick to the normal light colours as they are more likely to be correctly interpreted

 

[I like Skol]

Anyhow, the "moral" such as it is, is stick to the normal light colours as they are more likely to be correctly interpreted

^^^^^ this x 10,000

You might play around with number of lights, i.e 1, 2 or 3 at front or rear. You might have a flashing light (hopefully alongside a steady 'on' light) but keep it simple and normal. White at the front, red at the back and avoid the retina burning hyper powerful stuff that just blinds other road users and ruins their night vision for seconds or minutes. Also, no fit inducing strobe flashers....

Basically, the right colour, bright enough but not too bright and not too fast flashing. We all need Goldilocks light which are 'just right'.

 

[T4tomo]

Which reminds me. I did occasionally meet a rider heading in the opposite direction who had a flashing red led light on his handlebars. Not seen them for a year or so, wonder if something has happened to them?

they were in hertfordshire the other night....

 

[Once a Wheeler]

I had an unnerving experience some years ago when I saw a steady white light approaching the near side of my vehicle when driving along an unlit country road at night. I slowed to a stop, assuming that someone was riding or driving on the wrong side of the road. Eventually, a very well-camouflaged pedestrian appeared on the verge, lighting his way with a white light. Beware of the effects of coloured lights at night.

 

[ianrauk]

White lights front, red rear.

Why would you have anything different?

This in spades.

I'm constantly surprised when I see cyclists not using the accepted norm for lights. It's either just pure ignorance or just trying to be clever... when they clearly aren't.