Lights - what's legal?

Noticed in a long thread that a couple of posters stated that dynamo lights
without standlights are perfectly legal.

Can anyone point me at the appropriate regs.?

I find it odd because the usual legalesse when talking about lights uses
expressions such as "showing a light" (to avoid going into detail that state
that lights mustn't be roken/must be turned on, etc).

It occurs to me that if bicycle lights are dealt with in the same way as
car/ship/aircraft lights are, a light that does not show when you're
stationary may well not be legal.

I submit that on or about Sun, 17 Jul 2005 17:29:19 +0100, the person
known to the court as "Euan" made a
statement in Your Honour's bundle) to
the following effect:

Noticed in a long thread that a couple of posters stated that dynamo lights
without standlights are perfectly legal.
Can anyone point me at the appropriate regs.?

Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations, 1989
url:http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891796_en_1.htm

I find it odd because the usual legalesse when talking about lights uses
expressions such as "showing a light" (to avoid going into detail that state
that lights mustn't be roken/must be turned on, etc).
It occurs to me that if bicycle lights are dealt with in the same way as
car/ship/aircraft lights are, a light that does not show when you're
stationary may well not be legal.

When /in motion after dark/. You are not in general required to show
a light when a vehicle is parked (I think there may be certain
exceptions to this).

Note that I strongly advocate the use of standlights or auxiliary "be
seen" lights where possible, although I freely admit that I have no
evidence that these make any difference. I think of it as
weaselproofing :-)


Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

Euan wrote:
Noticed in a long thread that a couple of posters stated that dynamo lights
without standlights are perfectly legal.

AFAIR there's no legal requirement to show a light if you are stopped at
the left hand side of the road. Dynamo lights without standlights are
therefore legal as long as you always pull in to the left hand side of
the road when you stop at night.

Can anyone point me at the appropriate regs.?

Probably in the lighting regs, which are he
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891796_en_1.htm

Usually in response to a question like this I'd dig around and try to
find the relevant part, but it's a bit hot for digging this afternoon.

Hmm, actually it only took a quick scrape on the surface. Part III,
clause 24 states:
"Save as provided in paragraphs (5) and (9), no person shall ...
allow to remain at rest, or cause or permit to be allowed to remain at
rest, on a road any vehicle between sunset and sunrise unless every
front position lamp, rear position lamp ... with which the vehicle is
required by these Regulations to be fitted is kept lit and unobscured."

So we look at the exceptions, and paragraph 9 lists:
"a pedal cycle waiting to proceed provided it is kept to the left-hand
or near side edge of a carriageway".


--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

On Sun, 17 Jul 2005 17:33:52 +0100 someone who may be "Just zis Guy,
you know?" wrote this:-

You are not in general required to show
a light when a vehicle is parked (I think there may be certain
exceptions to this).

Highway Code Rules 223 & 224 refer. I have only known one person who
complied with these laws, he was a police officer at the time.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

Euan wrote:
Noticed in a long thread that a couple of posters stated that dynamo lights
without standlights are perfectly legal.

Can anyone point me at the appropriate regs.?

I find it odd because the usual legalesse when talking about lights uses
expressions such as "showing a light" (to avoid going into detail that state
that lights mustn't be roken/must be turned on, etc).

It occurs to me that if bicycle lights are dealt with in the same way as
car/ship/aircraft lights are, a light that does not show when you're
stationary may well not be legal.

They are perfectly legal (partly for historical reasons), but you must
stop at the LH side of the road when turning right! A good reason for a
decent rear reflector - which is also mandatory after dark.

In article ,
says...
On Sun, 17 Jul 2005 17:33:52 +0100 someone who may be "Just zis Guy,
you know?" wrote this:-

You are not in general required to show
a light when a vehicle is parked (I think there may be certain
exceptions to this).

Highway Code Rules 223 & 224 refer. I have only known one person who
complied with these laws, he was a police officer at the time.


I didn't think there were any laws in the Highway Code ?

--
Mike

Zog The Undeniable wrote:
Euan wrote:
Noticed in a long thread that a couple of posters stated that dynamo
lights without standlights are perfectly legal.

Can anyone point me at the appropriate regs.?

I find it odd because the usual legalesse when talking about lights
uses expressions such as "showing a light" (to avoid going into
detail that state that lights mustn't be roken/must be turned on,
etc). It occurs to me that if bicycle lights are dealt with in the same
way as car/ship/aircraft lights are, a light that does not show when
you're stationary may well not be legal.

They are perfectly legal (partly for historical reasons), but you must
stop at the LH side of the road when turning right! A good reason
for a decent rear reflector - which is also mandatory after dark.

To be pedantic, with a bike supplied after 1980-something, as well as lights
after dark, the bike must have: rear red reflector, front white reflector
and yellow pedal reflectors to front and rear. All stamped with the relevant
BS numbers.

So, the vast majority of cyclists with clipped pedals or recumbents are
illegal on reflectors - see Guy's site for correspondence with the
authorities on the stupidity of pedal reflectors on most recumbents.



- Nigel (yellow reflective ankle straps after dark, in attempt to show
willing on the pedal reflector rules, though usual night time steed
pre-dates the pedal reflector rules by several years).


--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

On Sun, 17 Jul 2005 21:05:18 +0200 someone who may be mb
wrote this:-

Highway Code Rules 223 & 224 refer. I have only known one person who
complied with these laws, he was a police officer at the time.

I didn't think there were any laws in the Highway Code ?

Take a look at the Highway Code, which is available on-line. These
Rules are based on two laws, which are referred to.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

On 07/17/2005 17:29:19 "Euan" wrote:

Noticed in a long thread that a couple of posters stated that dynamo
lights without standlights are perfectly legal.

Can anyone point me at the appropriate regs.?

I find it odd because the usual legalesse when talking about lights uses
expressions such as "showing a light" (to avoid going into detail that
state that lights mustn't be roken/must be turned on, etc).

It occurs to me that if bicycle lights are dealt with in the same way as
car/ship/aircraft lights are, a light that does not show when you're
stationary may well not be legal.

I believe it is illegal not to show lights at night whilst on the road,
including while stationary.

--

Buck

I would rather be out on my Catrike

http://www.catrike.co.uk

On 07/17/2005 17:38:59 Danny Colyer wrote:

Euan wrote:

Noticed in a long thread that a couple of posters stated that dynamo
lights without standlights are perfectly legal.

AFAIR there's no legal requirement to show a light if you are stopped at
the left hand side of the road. Dynamo lights without standlights are
therefore legal as long as you always pull in to the left hand side of the
road when you stop at night.

Can anyone point me at the appropriate regs.?

Probably in the lighting regs, which are he
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891796_en_1.htm

Usually in response to a question like this I'd dig around and try to find
the relevant part, but it's a bit hot for digging this afternoon.

Hmm, actually it only took a quick scrape on the surface. Part III,
clause 24 states: "Save as provided in paragraphs (5) and (9), no person
shall ... allow to remain at rest, or cause or permit to be allowed to
remain at rest, on a road any vehicle between sunset and sunrise unless
every front position lamp, rear position lamp ... with which the vehicle
is required by these Regulations to be fitted is kept lit and unobscured."

So we look at the exceptions, and paragraph 9 lists: "a pedal cycle
waiting to proceed provided it is kept to the left-hand or near side edge
of a carriageway".

Yeah, I noticed that interesting point, so as long as you never stop while
turning right at night, your dynamo without standlights will be legal.

--

Buck

I would rather be out on my Catrike

http://www.catrike.co.uk