Helmet light revelation

clanton

My old commuting lights, Cateye ABS 30's IIRC have been failing slowly for some time and finally I got irritated enought to drag out my Enduro Joystick MAxx which I normally use only for night rides on my mtb.
What a difference! Not only can I actually see where I'm going rather than having to take a stab at where the road runs but I'm finding I am much more visible and traffic is giving me much more respect. What's more I've discovered that, when I see a car edging out who's about to cut me up I can stop them by shining the light in their "eyes" ie windscreen, transfixing them like a deer in the headlights!

GrantyBoy

clanton wrote:

What's more I've discovered that, when I see a car edging out who's about to cut me up I can stop them by shining the light in their "eyes" ie windscreen, transfixing them like a deer in the headlights!

May not been the brightest idea there as you will effectively be blinding a driver who is about to overtake you.
For this reason I’m sure helmet mounted lights are classed as illegal for road use.

alfablue

Whilst I agree, deliberately dazzling a driver is a very bad idea, I do not think helmet lights are illegal (they are not the legally required lighting, but are not in themselves, illegal).

Mike Healey

GrantyBoy wrote:

clanton wrote:

What's more I've discovered that, when I see a car edging out who's about to cut me up I can stop them by shining the light in their "eyes" ie windscreen, transfixing them like a deer in the headlights!

May not been the brightest idea there as you will effectively be blinding a driver who is about to overtake you.
For this reason I’m sure helmet mounted lights are classed as illegal for road use.

I assume from Clanton's post that he's talking about someone about to pull out in front of him. Also, I don;t see how you can dazzle someone who's about to overtake you unless you have a very flexible neck

cougie

GrantyBoy wrote:

clanton wrote:

What's more I've discovered that, when I see a car edging out who's about to cut me up I can stop them by shining the light in their "eyes" ie windscreen, transfixing them like a deer in the headlights!

May not been the brightest idea there as you will effectively be blinding a driver who is about to overtake you.
For this reason I’m sure helmet mounted lights are classed as illegal for road use.

But surely the roads would be strewn with cars whose drivers have been blinded by cars on full beam ? I've not seen this myself ?

GrantyBoy

cougie wrote:

GrantyBoy wrote:

clanton wrote:

What's more I've discovered that, when I see a car edging out who's about to cut me up I can stop them by shining the light in their "eyes" ie windscreen, transfixing them like a deer in the headlights!

May not been the brightest idea there as you will effectively be blinding a driver who is about to overtake you.
For this reason I’m sure helmet mounted lights are classed as illegal for road use.

But surely the roads would be strewn with cars whose drivers have been blinded by cars on full beam ? I've not seen this myself ?

Car headlights are designed to shine slightly to the offside (pavement) when driving to prevent on coming cars being dazzled. That's why you take a car to France or the like where they drive on the right we need to put those little reflectors on our headlights to diffuse the beam.

I’m not 100% if helmet lights are illegal, just what I’ve been told by other cyclists.

singlespeedexplosif

I’m not 100% if helmet lights are illegal, just what I’ve been told by other cyclists.

I'm not 100% these other cyclists have a clue what they're on about

GrantyBoy

Legal Requirements

In the UK, bikes must conform to the pedal cycles (construction and use) regulations and the road vehicle lighting regulations. To be used at night, a bike must have:

One steady, fixed white light, marked BS6102/3 (or equivalent), positioned centrally or offside, up to 1500mm from the ground, aligned towards and visible from the front.


It's all to do with the height of the light, same with car fog lights having to be no more than a certain distance from the ground.

Also, not having reflectors on your pedals make's a bike illegal for night use. Flashing rear lights are also illegal

They joys of living in a 'free' country.

alfablue

GrantyBoy wrote:

Legal Requirements

In the UK, bikes must conform to the pedal cycles (construction and use) regulations and the road vehicle lighting regulations. To be used at night, a bike must have:

One steady, fixed white light, marked BS6102/3 (or equivalent), positioned centrally or offside, up to 1500mm from the ground, aligned towards and visible from the front.


It's all to do with the height of the light, same with car fog lights having to be no more than a certain distance from the ground.

You are absolutely correct, those are the requirements for bike lights to be legal.

Cyclists must use legally approved lights after dark, HOWEVER auxiliary lights ARE allowed and are not illegal so long as they conform to white facing forward and red facing rearward. Helmet lights are therefore NOT illegal, but they do not meet the requirements for legal bike lights. So there is absolutely no legal impediment to stop you from using them. If you do not also use a legal light, you are breaking the law, however, the vast majority (yes, majority) of purpose made bike lights do not conform with the law because they are not BS approved, or equivalent.

There is a difference between not being legal, in that they do not meet the requirements, and being illegal, i.e. prohibited. Helmet lights are not prohibited.

singlespeedexplosif

Flashing rear lights are also illegal


that bit's incorrect as well...whilst perhaps they should be illegal, they're not.

alfablue

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

Flashing rear lights are also illegal


that bit's incorrect as well...whilst perhaps they should be illegal, they're not.

Yes, the law changed in 2005, both front and rear flashing lights are legal. You need to challenge your mates who are giving you this duff info Grantyboy.

cee

GrantyBoy wrote:

Car headlights are designed to shine slightly to the offside (pavement) when driving to prevent on coming cars being dazzled. .

cough nearside cough.

vorsprung

GrantyBoy wrote:

Legal Requirements

........ Flashing rear lights are also illegal

They joys of living in a 'free' country.

DO YOU WRITE FOR THE DAILY MAIL????????????