Never heard this before!

[markemark]

That's what I am expecting. A bigger problem is I am having an argument with Avis at the moment who charged us £600 for a minor scratch at the front of the newish hire car. I said it wasn't us for sure and they said they take photos before and after. So I asked for photos before which they haven't supplied yet but still charged my credit card. Utterly scandalous.

Did you sign the car damage report when you picked up the car as they usually has a list of all existing damage and you are usually asked to sign your agreement before taking charge of the car?

 

[Seevio]

Were flashing lights ever illegal in the UK or was it just that they didn't count as lights as far as the law went?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Were flashing lights ever illegal in the UK or was it just that they didn't count as lights as far as the law went?

Erm, the first page of posts explains that they have been legal for many years now!

 

[Dadam]

That's what I am expecting. A bigger problem is I am having an argument with Avis at the moment who charged us £600 for a minor scratch at the front of the newish hire car. I said it wasn't us for sure and they said they take photos before and after. So I asked for photos before which they haven't supplied yet but still charged my credit card. Utterly scandalous.

You can do a section 75 chargeback on the card. Phone the credit card company. They’re jointly liable for any purchase over £100. So make it their problem, and they’ll chase Avis.

 

[figbat]

Erm, the first page of posts explains that they have been legal for many years now!

The question was whether they were specifically illegal, or just not legal. There’s a subtle but interesting difference. I suspect it is the latter.

 

[HLaB]

Erm, the first page of posts explains that they have been legal for many years now!

I read it as were flashing lights in conjunction with a solid light ever illegal ? (I don't think so). They were definitely illegal in the recent past as your sole source of illumination.

 

[classic33]

Were flashing lights ever illegal in the UK or was it just that they didn't count as lights as far as the law went?

They were illegal on the bike itself", but not if attached to the rider(s).

I used a red light of the sort fitted to an alarm box, painted with a few coats of clear red, long before they became legal to use on the bike itself. Powered by an older battery pack that wasn't quite up to powering an RC car any more.

"Indicators were something of a grey area lighting wise on a bicycle. First set I fitted were at a similar distance to that found on motorbikes.

 

[froze]

The only odd thing about UK laws on this subject is that the lights can only be on the bike and not the helmet or on some sort of accessory, which limits the height of which a light can be to get it above the height of cars: https://bikebesties.com/are-bike-li...gal,do not exceed a set level of illumination.

In the US we can have lights on the helmet and on accessories. At night I ride with two headlights, the one on the helmet is flashing to attract attention, and the other one, the brightest one, is on the handlebars on steady mode; then I have two taillights, the brightest one is on the seat post, and the other is a very wide-angle light and it's on my helmet.

Speaking of legal stuff, is it legal to use a cell phone while driving an auto?

 

[Alex321]

The only odd thing about UK laws on this subject is that the lights can only be on the bike and not the helmet or on some sort of accessory, which limits the height of which a light can be to get it above the height of cars: https://bikebesties.com/are-bike-lights-a-legal-requirement/#:~:text=Under current UK law, flashing lights are legal,do not exceed a set level of illumination.

That is not quite true. The mandatory lights must be fitted to the bike, but you can have additional optional lights which don't have to be.

You can have lights on your helmet or on your back.

In the US we can have lights on the helmet and on accessories. At night I ride with two headlights, the one on the helmet is flashing to attract attention, and the other one, the brightest one, is on the handlebars on steady mode; then I have two taillights, the brightest one is on the seat post, and the other is a very wide-angle light and it's on my helmet.

You can do that here as ell, but not that many do. My current helmet has a built in rear (red) light, so I do. It isn't uncommon to see lights on rucksacks on commuting cyclists.

Speaking of legal stuff, is it legal to use a cell phone while driving an auto?

No.

 

[figbat]

The only odd thing about UK laws on this subject is that the lights can only be on the bike and not the helmet or on some sort of accessory, which limits the height of which a light can be to get it above the height of cars: https://bikebesties.com/are-bike-lights-a-legal-requirement/#:~:text=Under current UK law, flashing lights are legal,do not exceed a set level of illumination.

In the US we can have lights on the helmet and on accessories. At night I ride with two headlights, the one on the helmet is flashing to attract attention, and the other one, the brightest one, is on the handlebars on steady mode; then I have two taillights, the brightest one is on the seat post, and the other is a very wide-angle light and it's on my helmet.

Speaking of legal stuff, is it legal to use a cell phone while driving an auto?

That article reads like an AI output. It keeps repeating the same vague missives but never provides details or references.

In the UK we need:
- white light to the front
- red light to the rear
- either/both can be steady or flashing and must be on the bike
- a red reflector to the rear
- amber pedal reflectors.

There’s no legal need for wheel or front reflectors. Additional lighting on the rider is not disallowed.

 

[richardfm]

Did you sign the car damage report when you picked up the car as they usually has a list of all existing damage and you are usually asked to sign your agreement before taking charge of the car?

I always go around the car and take my own photos. Recently in Crete the hire company tried to charge us for a dent that wasn't documented but they changed their minds when I showed them the photos.

 

[froze]

That is not quite true. The mandatory lights must be fitted to the bike, but you can have additional optional lights which don't have to be.

You can have lights on your helmet or on your back.



You can do that here as ell, but not that many do. My current helmet has a built in rear (red) light, so I do. It isn't uncommon to see lights on rucksacks on commuting cyclists.



No.

Ok, so the website was somewhat wrong, thanks for clearing that up.

24 states in the US it is now illegal to use a cell phone while driving, but none of the states except maybe New York, enforce it. It's illegal where I live but everyone just uses them anyways, and the cops don't care, but that might be because the cops use them while driving!

There is one problem though about cell phone use while driving, if you are involved in an accident, they might want to see your cell phone, if it can be determined that you were using it at the time of the accident, you could be in more trouble, in the case of a fatality they will pull your phone records. They pulled my phone records when a drunk driver pulled out in front of me from a side street entering onto a highway and I had no choice but to T-bone him and kill him, the state investigation pulled my phone records at some point to see if I was on the phone, not sure what sort of problem that would have presented since the drunk driver was the one that ran the stop sign and pulled out in front of me with nowhere to go except through his driver's door.

 

[figbat]

In the UK it’s not illegal to use a mobile phone whilst driving. It is illegal to use a hand-held, two-way communication device whilst driving. You can legally use a mobile phone via hands-free methods.

 

[grldtnr]

That article reads like an AI output. It keeps repeating the same vague missives but never provides details or references.

In the UK we need:
- white light to the front
- red light to the rear
- either/both can be steady or flashing and must be on the bike
- a red reflector to the rear
- amber pedal reflectors.

There’s no legal need for wheel or front reflectors. Additional lighting on the rider is not disallowed.

member: 100247"]
In the UK it’s not illegal to use a mobile phone whilst driving. It is illegal to use a hand-held, two-way communication device whilst driving. You can legally use a mobile phone via hands-free methods.
[/QUOTE]

I believe it's illegal to use flashing lights as your sole form of lighting, they must be used in conjunction with fixed beam lamps,i.e. not flashing.
Never been illegal to ride with flashing red or white, as long as you have a continuous light to show.

 

[Alex321]

In the UK it’s not illegal to use a mobile phone whilst driving. It is illegal to use a hand-held, two-way communication device whilst driving. You can legally use a mobile phone via hands-free methods.

I believe it's illegal to use flashing lights as your sole form of lighting, they must be used in conjunction with fixed beam lamps,i.e. not flashing.
Never been illegal to ride with flashing red or white, as long as you have a continuous light to show.

No, it is legal to have flashing lights as the only lights. Has been since 2005, when the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations were amended to allow it
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/2559/contents/made