Is my carrier rack illegal?

Quizmate
Quizmate Posts: 97
edited July 2013 in Road general
Hi

Obviously from the picture I've uploaded it looks like I'll need to attach a number plate as mine is obscured but are the lights covered up enough to make it likely I could get pulled over? Maybe I'll need to attach a proper light board in any case as I believe the number plate needs to be lit but am not sure. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as it could save me a shed load of money.

Thanks

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Comments

  • MountainMonster
    MountainMonster Posts: 7,423
    I don't it, most racks look like that and I have never heard of problems with police before!
  • nweststeyn
    nweststeyn Posts: 1,574
    Yes it is (because of the numberplate). If you sort that, then technically yes it still is but I have never had a problem with police. You can still see the lights through the wheels.
  • navrig
    navrig Posts: 1,352
    You need a proper tailboard to be legitimate. With your current setup you could be stopped and fined. It doesn't happen often but it does.
  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,121
    I'd get a numberplate for it. You should still be able to see your lights.

    A proper trailer board is what you really want, but getting the stuff wired into the car could be expensive unless you do it yourself.
  • Druidor
    Druidor Posts: 230
    totally. you need to have a clearly visible numberplate and lights,
    ---
    Sensa Trentino SL Custom 2013 - 105 Compact - Aksium Race
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    Yes!
  • 16mm
    16mm Posts: 545
    Langdales are nice. I never heard of anyone being stopped with a bike rack like this.
  • turnerjohn
    turnerjohn Posts: 1,069
    remember as a kid we had a rack like that, and even with a number plate the rozzers pulled my parents and told them they needed a fully lit tailboard..sorry but their not cheap !
  • chrisaonabike
    chrisaonabike Posts: 1,914
    Why do you have a big leafy potted plant in your saddlebag?
    Is the gorilla tired yet?
  • cattytown
    cattytown Posts: 647
    To be legal you need a no plate and lightboard. You may not get pulled, but get someone in grumpy mode and you could have trouble. Occasionally you get a plod at the exit to an event looking for easy tickets - motorbike racing looking for small no plates etc.

    The lights *may* be visible, but the bikes are in the way.

    Best ways to be legal are roof mounts or towbar mounted. There are high level carriers about, but they wouldn't help you with the high level lights.

    Paul.
    Giant Defy 2
    Large bloke getting smaller :-)
  • bigpikle
    bigpikle Posts: 1,690
    as others have said - get a board with lights and number plate. Apart from the legal side if someone had a prang with you then you'd be struggling with liability if they claimed your lights werent visible etc. Insurance companies are such barstewards these days as well that they make take the opportunity to claim your car wasnt road legal etc etc...
    Your Past is Not Your Potential...
  • Gizmodo
    Gizmodo Posts: 1,928
    As others have said, to be strictly legal and to be OK with insurance, you need a full tail board which means wiring in electrics - expensive.

    An alternative is a roof rack. I can recommend http://www.roofbox.co.uk/bike-carriers/ ... -range.php

    It might be cheaper than adding a tail board.
  • team47b
    team47b Posts: 6,424
    get a duplicate number plate and remove the wheels to expose your lights is the cheapest option :D
    my isetta is a 300cc bike
  • Would probably be cheaper to ditch your current set up and put the bike up on top on roof bars?
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    If you go for the trailerboard option, there might be a plug inside the car for it already, look for a panel behind either of the light clusters.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • lawrences
    lawrences Posts: 1,011
    How many cars do you see with rear slung bikes and a trailer board?

    1 in a 100 maybe at most.

    it's just not necessary, maybe an extra number plate but a trailer board is ridiculous.
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    team47b wrote:
    get a duplicate number plate and remove the wheels to expose your lights is the cheapest option :D

    ^^ This. I would definitely drop the wheels off (releasing some air from the tyres can help them go into a boot that may otherwise be too small). It would also make driving a lot safer (if you ended up passing white van man on a country lane then it may be a bit hairy).

    Regarding the numberplate, a friend of mine actually got stopped by the police last year after he was driving with his and his daughters bikes onthe back of a car. The policeman, or rather PC Jobsworth, insisted that the driver either clearly displayed the numberplate or did not drive...after about 30 minutes of the "I have my whole family in the car so I cannot just leave them at the side of the road with the bikes whilst I drive around and try get a spare numberplate on a Sunday" discussion, the policeman finally relented, or rather was happy his point was made and let my friend drive on with a flea in his ear. Must have been a quiet Sunday.
  • shortcuts
    shortcuts Posts: 366
    Out of interest and digressing from the lighting issue slightly, is the width not an issue also. I wonder if there is a con and use regulation regarding the fact that the bikes extend beyond the body width of the car?
    As said this is a question purely out of interest and is not a statement or opinion. I used to carry my bikes in a similar manner to this, allbeit higher so no lighting issues for me. I have changed however to roof bars as I actually felt vulnerable as often travel narrow roads/lanes and was concerned about the bikes catching on roadside furniture, trees or vehicles. I am now more relaxed with the bikes up on the roof. If I screw up a height restriction so be it but it is only one thing to be concerned about and makes life a bit easier IMO.
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    lawrences wrote:
    How many cars do you see with rear slung bikes and a trailer board?

    1 in a 100 maybe at most.

    it's just not necessary, maybe an extra number plate but a trailer board is ridiculous.

    Yeah you're right. Why on earth would you want people to be able to see your tail lights? :roll:
    More problems but still living....
  • cattytown
    cattytown Posts: 647
    Bobbinogs wrote:
    Regarding the numberplate, a friend of mine actually got stopped by the police last year after he was driving with his and his daughters bikes onthe back of a car. The policeman, or rather PC Jobsworth, insisted that the driver either clearly displayed the numberplate or did not drive...after about 30 minutes of the "I have my whole family in the car so I cannot just leave them at the side of the road with the bikes whilst I drive around and try get a spare numberplate on a Sunday" discussion, the policeman finally relented, or rather was happy his point was made and let my friend drive on with a flea in his ear. Must have been a quiet Sunday.

    Your friend didn't think to pull the plate from the car and attach it to the bikes/rack?
    lawrences wrote:
    it's just not necessary, maybe an extra number plate but a trailer board is ridiculous.

    Sorry, but that's utter rubbish. Your lights need to be visible on two counts. The first should be blatantly obvious - they are there for a reason - so that people can see your signals. Don't make it difficult for others. The second reason is that should some knob drive into the back of you, there will be immediate claims of contributory negligence.

    Paul.
    Giant Defy 2
    Large bloke getting smaller :-)
  • lawrences
    lawrences Posts: 1,011
    cattytown wrote:
    Bobbinogs wrote:
    Regarding the numberplate, a friend of mine actually got stopped by the police last year after he was driving with his and his daughters bikes onthe back of a car. The policeman, or rather PC Jobsworth, insisted that the driver either clearly displayed the numberplate or did not drive...after about 30 minutes of the "I have my whole family in the car so I cannot just leave them at the side of the road with the bikes whilst I drive around and try get a spare numberplate on a Sunday" discussion, the policeman finally relented, or rather was happy his point was made and let my friend drive on with a flea in his ear. Must have been a quiet Sunday.

    Your friend didn't think to pull the plate from the car and attach it to the bikes/rack?
    lawrences wrote:
    it's just not necessary, maybe an extra number plate but a trailer board is ridiculous.

    Sorry, but that's utter rubbish. Your lights need to be visible on two counts. The first should be blatantly obvious - they are there for a reason - so that people can see your signals. Don't make it difficult for others. The second reason is that should some knob drive into the back of you, there will be immediate claims of contributory negligence.

    Paul.

    Next time you're out an about count the number of trailerboards attached to bike racks you see. Also the lights are pretty clearly visible through the wheels.
  • gubber12345
    gubber12345 Posts: 493
    Why do you have a big leafy potted plant in your saddlebag?
    :lol: good spot :lol::lol:
    Lapierre Aircode 300
    Merida
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    Another thread that degenerates into tiresome moral relativism...

    It's the law, end of story. You want to take the risk you will probably get away with it all your life but you may get pulled over and spot fined. More likely in France I would think. It depends whether the police can be bothered, need the paperwork, or have better things to do with their time.

    Excuse me while I go out and jump a red light with earphones in and no helmet...
  • cattytown
    cattytown Posts: 647
    lawrences wrote:
    Next time you're out an about count the number of trailerboards attached to bike racks you see. Also the lights are pretty clearly visible through the wheels.

    Are you totally sure that all relevant lights will be clearly visible from all relevant angles even in low sun despite the following driver having to peer through the wheels? RH indicator not obscured by (aero?) wheel rims to a driver in the next lane out?

    It's the law (and actually a sensible one as some laws go) and should someone rear end you it gives them a huge hand in that at best you are looking at contributory negligence, reducing your claim. At worst, they may mange to actually pass the blame, and your insco would probably decline to pay out for your repairs because you didn't follow the law.

    Paul.
    Giant Defy 2
    Large bloke getting smaller :-)
  • andyd77
    andyd77 Posts: 27
    cattytown wrote:
    Bobbinogs wrote:
    Regarding the numberplate, a friend of mine actually got stopped by the police last year after he was driving with his and his daughters bikes onthe back of a car. The policeman, or rather PC Jobsworth, insisted that the driver either clearly displayed the numberplate or did not drive...after about 30 minutes of the "I have my whole family in the car so I cannot just leave them at the side of the road with the bikes whilst I drive around and try get a spare numberplate on a Sunday" discussion, the policeman finally relented, or rather was happy his point was made and let my friend drive on with a flea in his ear. Must have been a quiet Sunday.

    Your friend didn't think to pull the plate from the car and attach it to the bikes/rack?
    lawrences wrote:
    it's just not necessary, maybe an extra number plate but a trailer board is ridiculous.

    Sorry, but that's utter rubbish. Your lights need to be visible on two counts. The first should be blatantly obvious - they are there for a reason - so that people can see your signals. Don't make it difficult for others. The second reason is that should some knob drive into the back of you, there will be immediate claims of contributory negligence.

    Paul.

    thanks saved me a long post about the 'friend' of his - none of us were there; we can't rely on his evidence after all he was happy to endanger his family and other road users with his actions.
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    The problem is traffic policing is mostly done by robocop now, so they need to see your number plate in case they want to randomly select you to pay speeding tax. If they can't see your plate they wont know who to send the speeding tax invoice to.

    Might it be possible to adjust the rack to be high enough not to obstruct the plate?
  • Daz555
    Daz555 Posts: 3,976
    I would not be concerned about the lights as they are probably veyr visible through the wheels (and it not adjust it so they are). Of course those suggesting a full plate and light bar are totally correct - this is the only way 100% to comply with the law.
    You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
    If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
    If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.
  • Bar Shaker
    Bar Shaker Posts: 2,313
    I would be more worried about advertising my bike to every road using scumbag that wanted to follow me home... and later break in to steal it.
    Boardman Elite SLR 9.2S
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  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    andyd77 wrote:
    cattytown wrote:
    Bobbinogs wrote:
    Regarding the numberplate, a friend of mine actually got stopped by the police last year after he was driving with his and his daughters bikes onthe back of a car. The policeman, or rather PC Jobsworth, insisted that the driver either clearly displayed the numberplate or did not drive...after about 30 minutes of the "I have my whole family in the car so I cannot just leave them at the side of the road with the bikes whilst I drive around and try get a spare numberplate on a Sunday" discussion, the policeman finally relented, or rather was happy his point was made and let my friend drive on with a flea in his ear. Must have been a quiet Sunday.

    Your friend didn't think to pull the plate from the car and attach it to the bikes/rack?

    Paul.

    thanks saved me a long post about the 'friend' of his - none of us were there; we can't rely on his evidence after all he was happy to endanger his family and other road users with his actions.

    No need for the 'ironic' marks on the term friend, he is a friend of mine (Andrew, since you don't ask :wink: ). I didn't say his lights were not visible so it is a bit harsh to jump to a "we can't rely on his evidence after all he was happy to endanger his family and other road users with his actions" stance. Andrew had the bikes stacked up on the back, the lights were visible but the plate wasn't, which was why I simply referred to the numberplate, as did the policeman.

    I do think the "pull the numberplate" suggestion was a good short term solution though (I certainly didn't think of that when he mentioned the issue), although Andrew eventually sorted his problem by buying a spare numberplate the next time he was in Halfords reviewing their Pinarello range :wink:
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    Pinarello number plates... They're the biz!