Blue LED lights
mr_quiggs
Posts: 15
Apologies if this have been covered before in another thread. Please someone post a link if it has.
What is the legal position on blue LED rear lights?
I recently got a blue led eurolight from Amazon (Asda are also selling them.) It is very bright and certainly gets me noticed. (It is much more penetrating than the red cateye light I also have.) I am a bit worried about the legality, although I have been passed by a couple of police cars who took no action.
What is the legal position on blue LED rear lights?
I recently got a blue led eurolight from Amazon (Asda are also selling them.) It is very bright and certainly gets me noticed. (It is much more penetrating than the red cateye light I also have.) I am a bit worried about the legality, although I have been passed by a couple of police cars who took no action.
Ned Flanders: “You were cycling two abreast?”
Homer Simpson: “I wish. We were cycling to a lake.”
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Comments
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Lots of info here: http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=40710
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I'd avoid it.
If you're relying on your blue light to affect the behaviour of other road users (i.e. make them believe a police officer is around) then that's impersonating a police officer IMO.
I mean many police officers would probably ignore it, but you've only got to get one and you could be charged, not a risk I'd like to take.0 -
Scientifically the human eye can pick up red light much easier than blue light, so for a blue light to appear as bright as a red light it has to be more powerful by a decent margin, so I'd imagine that any blue light that looks as bright as a red light must be using more battery juice.
Plus your blue light stands out only because it's less common than the mass of red lights moving along the roads, but that's exactly why the police use it, because it gets them noticed. If cars all had blue lights then some bright spark would come along selling red lights and claim they also saved on batteries because they didn't draw as much power thanks to the way the human eye works.0 -
Flashing Blue IS illegal. Any colour to the rear other than Red is illegal!
Solid Blue to the front is not illegal, although I wouldn't recommend it!I can afford to talk softly!....................I carry a big stick!0 -
Mithras wrote:Flashing Blue IS illegal. Any colour to the rear other than Red is illegal!
Solid Blue to the front is not illegal, although I wouldn't recommend it!
Only if they are attached to the bike, If they are attached to your body or helmet then they are not covered by the road traffic act. i should know my cousin is old bill (traffic cop) and i asked him. I've been using two blue nite lites on the front and rear of my ruck sack all winter no probs from the police.
I say if it gits you noticed amongst the sea of red lights then it can't be a bad thing.0 -
Catfish wrote:Mithras wrote:Flashing Blue IS illegal. Any colour to the rear other than Red is illegal!
Solid Blue to the front is not illegal, although I wouldn't recommend it!
Only if they are attached to the bike, If they are attached to your body or helmet then they are not covered by the road traffic act. i should know my cousin is old bill (traffic cop) and i asked him. I've been using two blue nite lites on the front and rear of my ruck sack all winter no probs from the police.
I say if it gits you noticed amongst the sea of red lights then it can't be a bad thing.
+1 I've been using mine with two smart red 1/2 watt flashing lights. I think some of the comments you're going to get will be a bit over zelous with regards to the legality of using blue on the rear. I live fairly close to GM police H.Q. and so pass and get passed by plenty of police. As of yet no problems. I'm sure old bill have got better things to do with their time than harrass cyclists doing their best to be highly visible.0 -
:roll:
I give up.
I would say, that the cyclist is attached to the bike and fully visible, therefore wearing blue lights on your person or a bag is part of the vehicle. This would go for motorcyclists as well.I can afford to talk softly!....................I carry a big stick!0 -
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prj45 wrote:Tonymufc wrote:Thats right as of yet! Has anybody on here been stopped for having a blue light on the bike. Any copper worth his salt wouldn't even attempt to stop a cyclist using a blue light. FFS c'mon.
I dunno, a copper of one of these might take exception:
I very much doubt he'd even get anywhere near me on that thing to do much about it.
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That'd be like sending a Transit van after a Subaru.0
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prj45 wrote:Tonymufc wrote:I very much doubt he'd even get anywhere near me on that thing to do much about it.
Heh. I must say, it would be nice hearing the humming, bouncing and puffing sounds recede into the distance.
I think by that time he would of called for the Transit van to catch me. If I were to out run a police van would that add to my FCN. 0 -
Mithras wrote::roll:
I give up.
I would say, that the cyclist is attached to the bike and fully visible, therefore wearing blue lights on your person or a bag is part of the vehicle. This would go for motorcyclists as well.
O.M.G how anoying are you.
My post was based on fact and on personal experiance. when i say attached to the bike i mean by means of a bracket or perminant fixing. The road traffic act for bycicle lighting is not the same as for a motor cycle and l will carry on using mine.0 -
psst...you don't think he's avatar might be a clue to what he does for a living then?0
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No a rozzer at an "acid" party.0
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Tempestas wrote:Lots of info here: http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4071
This claims that pedal reflectors are a requirement. Now how many of us have those. If you haven't then you are breaking the law. Eeek. I confess guv'nor, it was me, I dunnit. I now have a criminal record for no pedal reflectors. 0 -
Hey the police in this neck of the woods can't be arsed the pull hoodies for riding on the footpath at night with no lights or brakes so i don't think i will wory about my p##s poor attempt to impersonate an officer of the law.0
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Fwiw as a slightly short sighted person, I find it MUCH more difficult to see a blue LED, especially when it is on it's own on a road.
If you're going to use a blue LED, I'd suggest using it in conjunction with a red one... Else you might accidentally be run down. Red is a helluva lot easier to see and distinguish. ( yes even with glasses/ contacts on...FCN 11. When you hear the buzz of the nobblies, you know youve been scalped.0 -
Zephr wrote:Fwiw as a slightly short sighted person, I find it MUCH more difficult to see a blue LED, especially when it is on it's own on a road.
Please tell me you don't drive a car if your eye sight is that bad L.O.L
But seriously i use both red and blue on the rear and white and blue on the front
The blue light tends to stand out a bit more among a sea of red tail lights.0 -
Tonymufc wrote:This claims that pedal reflectors are a requirement. Now how many of us have those. If you haven't then you are breaking the law. Eeek. I confess guv'nor, it was me, I dunnit. I now have a criminal record for no pedal reflectors.
Claims?
Pedal reflectors ARE a legal requirement at night (and when visibility is bad), as are a front light, rear light and rear reflector.
Without any one of these your bike is NOT road legal if ridden in the dark.
Expect that to be used against you in a court of law should you ever find yourself there as a defendent or accuser.0 -
on a somewhat related topic, I bought one of those cateye hi-viz vests with LEDs not long ago. It does seem to be the ultimate anti-SMIDSY weapon give that it combines
hi-viz yello
refelctives
16 flashing LEDs (8 front/8 rear)
It is seriously difficult to ignore and my kids love it. I only wear it when its really gloomy and I think the LEDs really come into there own in rain/fog/twilight rather than full dark (when the reflectives really do a good job).
Anyway, the thing is that all the LEDs are red. I would have thought it made more sense to have the front ones white but wonder if there's some legal issue here. I know that white LEDs tend to me more expensive so it could be just a cost issue.
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if they have blue lights on there bikes i would if i was a copper and for the record im not take there bikes of them and burn em the bikes not the riders...Tonymufc is not a bad lad just had a hard life. 0
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I use a steady blue LED to the rear.
It does stand out against the red lights, therefore means I'm that little bit more visible.
I don't have it flashing, a deliberate decision so it's less likely to be misinterpreted. I understand it isn't legal, but I hope that any police officer who saw it would understand my desire to be noticed, and appreciate that my intention is not to impersonate a police officer, but to be seen. Even if not, I would hope that any action would be laughed out of court.
That may not be what would happen, but having weighed up the pros and cons, I've determined that it's a risk worth taking. I don't think it puts any other road users at risk, I don't think it puts me at risk (of danger, rather than prosecution). I'd take it off if I thought it dangerous to myself or others.0 -
Catfish wrote:Mithras wrote:Flashing Blue IS illegal. Any colour to the rear other than Red is illegal!
Solid Blue to the front is not illegal, although I wouldn't recommend it!
Only if they are attached to the bike, If they are attached to your body or helmet then they are not covered by the road traffic act. i should know my cousin is old bill (traffic cop) and i asked him. I've been using two blue nite lites on the front and rear of my ruck sack all winter no probs from the police.
I say if it gits you noticed amongst the sea of red lights then it can't be a bad thing.
Correctly informed your cousin would know that the RTA says absolutely nothing about lights.
The rider of a pedal cycle is generally accepted as being part of a pedal cycle much the same as is the rider of a motor cycle and again as is the load on a motor vehicle.
The officer could also consider showing the incorrect lights to be either careless or dangerous or even impersonating a police officer.
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bellys wrote:if they have blue lights on there bikes i would if i was a copper and for the record im not take there bikes of them and burn em the bikes not the riders...Tonymufc is not a bad lad just had a hard life.
Good job your not a copper cos you would be going home with a sore nose.
My point about being attached to the bike will be argued as and when it happens, if it happens.
Take a look at this and tell me illegal or not.
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/j ... over-19248
This argument could go round and round all day so if you think blue lights on a bike are illegal then don't use them but untill i'm told face to face in a cort of law i will carry on using mine.0 -
prj45 wrote:Tonymufc wrote:This claims that pedal reflectors are a requirement. Now how many of us have those. If you haven't then you are breaking the law. Eeek. I confess guv'nor, it was me, I dunnit. I now have a criminal record for no pedal reflectors.
Claims?
Pedal reflectors ARE a legal requirement at night (and when visibility is bad), as are a front light, rear light and rear reflector.
Without any one of these your bike is NOT road legal if ridden in the dark.
Expect that to be used against you in a court of law should you ever find yourself there as a defendent or accuser.
I think someone should inform Look, Time, Shimano, etc cos me aint seen any reflectors on those pedals. What about my wicker basket that I have attached to my spesh. Does that need to be illuminated? 0
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