Legal bike lights.....

PBo

Rant that I don't want to lose in the general rant thread:

WHY is it so difficult to get lights that are technically legal - ie meet BS60 whatever?

I know that, pragmatically, many lights are going to do the job, and you are v. unlikely to get stopped with non standard lights, but I'm just waiting for the first slimy insurance company to try and use a contributory negligence defence because of using non-certified lights.

Also, manufacturers need to be careful with their misleading blurb. They say things like: conforms to road vehicle lighting regs when flashing. Except any light that has a constant mode (most of them) must conform anyway, even if you only use the flash.....

grrrrrrrr

If anyone - like me - is obsessed with staying legal*, decathlon do a (constant mode only) rear light for £6 which meets german and french regs. There is a catch-all phrase about meeting bs60xxx or equivalent/comparable international standards in the regs, so I reckon if you display this to CYA, you can then use your preferred choice of light as an additional light without any worry....

*my spd pedals on both bikes have reflectors....

fossyant

Don't worry about it. I was run over by a car when I had 3 front, 3 rear lights, oh and 4 blinkies on my rucksack. Driver admitted fault, no question. None of them were 'legal'.

The one's I run now are probably 'less legal' - All are bike lights, but flippin powerful !

kelsen

Does anyone know if the lights on those Boris Bikes are legal? They seem awfully poxy to be able to meet any sort of standards.

EKE_38BPM

kelsen wrote:

Does anyone know if the lights on those Boris Bikes are legal? They seem awfully poxy to be able to meet any sort of standards.

Good question. They *must* be. Major oversight if they ain't. Also, they are bloody low.

And none of the riders I've seen are wearing hi-viz or helmets. Do they all have deathwishes?!?
Ban them, thats what I say. At least until you have to do a cycling proficiency course.

alfablue

kelsen wrote:

Does anyone know if the lights on those Boris Bikes are legal? They seem awfully poxy to be able to meet any sort of standards.

Legal lights are poxy, thats why we mostly go for better non-legal lights.

UndercoverElephant

Legal requirement for a front light is a "minimum of four candella". My DX torch somewhat surpasses this, by providing nine-hundred. :shock:

squired

If I used legal lights only I wouldn't be able to see where I'm going on the unlit country lanes I commute through. As my brother said recently when I cycled towards him at night, he initially thought it was a motorbike approaching because the lights were so bright.

alfablue

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Legal requirement for a front light is a "minimum of four candella". My DX torch somewhat surpasses this, by providing nine-hundred. :shock:

Or is that lumens? 1 candella = F = Iv × 2π × (1 - cos(A/2)) Lumens :?

Sorry to be pedantic, the 4 candella requirement is only if it is capable of only flashing,

If steady it "must be marked as conforming to BS6102/3 or an equivalent EC standard."

The regs are useless really! :roll:

UndercoverElephant

alfablue wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Legal requirement for a front light is a "minimum of four candella". My DX torch somewhat surpasses this, by providing nine-hundred. :shock:

Or is that lumens? 1 candella = F = Iv × 2π × (1 - cos(A/2)) Lumens :?

Sorry to be pedantic, the 4 candella requirement is only if it is capable of only flashing,

If steady it "must be marked as conforming to BS6102/3 or an equivalent EC standard."

The regs are useless really! :roll:

True, but were the beam angle roughly 60 degrees, they's be 1:1, so I'll go with that for an off the peg conversion. The beam angle is probably nearer 30 degrees, but don't bother me with trifles. Suffice to say, it's pretty bastard bright. :twisted:

I use it on flashy-flashy mode when riding through town - steady mode when unlit, otherwise I get the freaks from the flashing.

alfablue

I am using a 200 ish lumen light (Fenix) and I find that on the narroiw road I live in cars even wait around the corner to let me pass (I don't imagine they would if they thought it was a bike), I think I would like to upgrade to a P7 and really let them know I'm coming!

spen666

Does anyone really understand all the requirements to make up a legal light?

alfablue

spen666 wrote:

Does anyone really understand all the requirements to make up a legal light?

I think the easiest way would be to have a flasher incapable of having a steady light, flashing between 60 and 240 times per minute, and being at least 4 candella.

Any steady light must be BS approved which I presume costs a lot (so there are hardly any available).

PBo

alfablue wrote:

spen666 wrote:

Does anyone really understand all the requirements to make up a legal light?

I think the easiest way would be to have a flasher incapable of having a steady light, flashing between 60 and 240 times per minute, and being at least 4 candella.

Any steady light must be BS approved which I presume costs a lot (so there are hardly any available).

It's a farce really, isn't it?

downfader

spen666 wrote:

Does anyone really understand all the requirements to make up a legal light?

From my understanding the manufacturer has to submit the light for evaluation and then pay for a licence to aquire the BS standard if it passes. My understanding from talking to the Exposure people is that they have worked towards the standards needed, but cant see it being cost effective to keep paying for the licenses as they have to be paid for each light...

Many see the BS standard as prohibitively expensive....

I was reading the CTC site the otherday and there was some blurb on there about German lights. They have some amazing standards so if you buy a light with one of their marks on its a compatable Euro standard, infact a superior one in many ways.

PBo

downfader wrote:

spen666 wrote:

Does anyone really understand all the requirements to make up a legal light?

From my understanding the manufacturer has to submit the light for evaluation and then pay for a licence to aquire the BS standard if it passes. My understanding from talking to the Exposure people is that they have worked towards the standards needed, but cant see it being cost effective to keep paying for the licenses as they have to be paid for each light...

Many see the BS standard as prohibitively expensive....

I was reading the CTC site the otherday and there was some blurb on there about German lights. They have some amazing standards so if you buy a light with one of their marks on its a compatable Euro standard, infact a superior one in many ways.

yeah, the decathlon light I got for £6 has a German K mark!

downfader

PBo wrote:

downfader wrote:

spen666 wrote:

Does anyone really understand all the requirements to make up a legal light?

From my understanding the manufacturer has to submit the light for evaluation and then pay for a licence to aquire the BS standard if it passes. My understanding from talking to the Exposure people is that they have worked towards the standards needed, but cant see it being cost effective to keep paying for the licenses as they have to be paid for each light...

Many see the BS standard as prohibitively expensive....

I was reading the CTC site the otherday and there was some blurb on there about German lights. They have some amazing standards so if you buy a light with one of their marks on its a compatable Euro standard, infact a superior one in many ways.

yeah, the decathlon light I got for £6 has a German K mark!

I think a couple of the L&M and B&M lights have aquired the K mark too. It will be listed on their websites as to what standards they've followed and licenses they've paid for.

I do have some BS cateyes but to be perfectly honest their naff at making me visible to others. Since using the exposure Race I've had a better time of it when cyclist past cars waiting at junctions.

Wappygixer

I service bikes for the Stockport police and surrounding areas and they use many different lights.
BS standards have been somewhat superceded by Euro standards but some parts still exist.

This was taken from the CTC website and its what I use for my lighting regs.
Lighting Regulations

Abbreviated to RVLR: the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 (amended in 1994 and 2005) require pedal cycles to have various lights and reflectors fitted, clean and working properly, when being ridden on a public road between sunset and sunrise. Cyclists may also be required to light up in conditions of seriously reduced visibility during the day, but only if they have functional lights already fitted. Lights are not required when the cycle is stationary or being pushed along the roadside.

It has to be said that the fine details of RVLR are seldom enforced; and provided you show some kind of white light in front and red behind you are unlikely to be challenged. If you are involved in a night-time accident however, any slight illegality with respect to your lights or reflectors may be regarded as contributory negligence. The following items are the minimum required, on a bicycle or tricycle, in order to ride it legally at night:
Front Lamp

One is required, showing a white light, positioned centrally or offside, up to 1500mm from the ground, aligned towards and visible from the front. If capable of emitting a steady light it must be marked as conforming to BS6102/3 or an equivalent EC standard. If capable of emitting only a flashing light, it must emit at least 4 candela.
Rear Lamp

One is required, to show a red light, positioned centrally or offside, between 350mm and 1500mm from the ground, at or near the rear, aligned towards and visible from behind. If capable of emitting a steady light it must be marked as conforming to BS3648, or BS6102/3, or an equivalent EC standard. If capable of emitting only a flashing light, it must emit at least 4 candela.
Rear Reflector

One is required, coloured red, marked BS6102/2 (or equivalent), positioned centrally or offside, between 350mm and 900mm from the ground, at or near the rear, aligned towards and visible from behind.
Pedal Reflectors

Four are required, coloured amber and marked BS6102/2 (or equivalent), positioned so that one is plainly visible to the front and another to the rear of each pedal.
Exceptions and explanations

Age brings privileges. To name but two: cycles manufactured before October 1990 can have any kind of white front lamp that is visible from a reasonable distance, and pre-October 1985 cycles don’t need pedal reflectors.
Cycle trailers need a rear lamp and reflector; sidecars also need a front lamp.

The Euro-friendly clause

Thanks to a European Directive of a few years ago, wherever a British Standard (BS) is referred to, equivalent standards from other EC countries must now also be recognised, but only if they provide an equivalent level of safety etc. It’s not exactly clear which do. However Germany has arguably the strictest cycle lighting laws in Europe so we consider it safe to use equipment that is marked accordingly, with a “K~number”.

It should also be noted that wherever a British Standard is referred to, that reference applies to a specific edition. In the case of BS6102/3, that is the 1986 edition, as amended on 15th April 1995 and again on 1st September 2003. These amendments removed the filament bulb design restrictions, so that lamps may now get their light from LEDs – or indeed anything else!
Dynamos

Dynamo powered lights are legal even though they go out when you stop. That’s allowed so long as you stop on the left. Usually it’s much safer to stay where you are (e.g. in a stationary queue with left-turning traffic filtering up your inside), since most cars do stop for red traffic lights and those that don’t are unlikely to pay more heed to a bike lamp! Nevertheless: dynamos and lamps are now available with reliable back-up (standlight) features that either keep them on or light up a diode instead of the bulb.
Additional lamps and reflectors

Some cyclists like to fit extra lamps and reflectors, in addition to the approved ones, specified above. This is perfectly legal provided they are the correct colour and in an appropriate position. These optional lamps and reflectors do not have to comply with any standards, but it’s illegal to use some designs of lamp or reflector that have specific other uses. You must not, for instance, show a red light at the front, or a white light to the rear, or fit triangular-shaped rear reflectors on anything except a trailer.

The Pedal Cycles (Safety) Regulations (PCSR) ensure that every new bicycle is sold with several extra reflectors, not required by RVLR, but (strangely) does nothing at all to facilitate the fitment of front and rear lamps. These additional reflectors are found on the sides of the wheels, clear white or coloured yellow, and there's also a "white" reflector on the front of the bike. You are at liberty to remove the surplus side and front reflectors, which in any case are of dubious benefit, but be sure to fit the necessary front and rear lamps.
Flashers

Thanks to the enactment of Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 2559: on 23rd October 2005, it finally became legal to have a flashing light on a pedal cycle. Even better: it became possible for a flashing light to be approved, meaning no other light would be needed in that position. And since BS6102/3 does not yet cater for flashing (but is likely to be amended to do so quite soon), approval is for the time being, granted simply on the basis of brightness.

Because DfT very much prefer anything that possibly can be evaluated against a proper technical standard, so to be evaluated: 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 (probably all) flashing lights do also have a steady mode, and since none of their manufacturers can be bothered to test and mark them to the pernickety standards of one small country on the fringes of Europe, it's unlikely that any flashing light actually qualifies for approval. But since it became theoretically legal to ride a bike with only flashing lights on it, the Police are nowadays no more likely to quibble its legal status than one equipped with steady lights – unless they're rather dim or involved in an accident of course.

de_sisti

Wappygixer wrote:

contributory negligence....

I believe, has been used by insurance companies against cyclists in courts cases and
have failed.

(Correct me if I wrong).

downfader

De Sisti wrote:

Wappygixer wrote:

Icontributory negligence....

I believe, has been used by insurance companies against cyclists in courts cased and
have failed.

(Correct me if I wrong).

There are two stories on Bikeradar in the news section where there have been rulings over claims payouts - arguing contributary negligence on the cyclist's part, for not wearing a helmet.