![]() The reference to ‘4 candelas’ isn’t very useful because most bike lights are given an output in ‘lumens’. There is a fashion for helmet lights which can be pointed in the direction you’re looking which might be useful but doesn’t meet legal requirements.Ī single helmet-mounted light doesn't conform – and if you’re an adult, then chances are that your helmet light will be more than the 1,500mm height limit from the ground anyway. It might sound obvious, but the light needs to be fixed to the bicycle. If capable of emitting only a flashing light, it must emit at least 4 candelas.If capable of emitting a steady light, it must be marked as conforming to BS6102/3 or an equivalent EC standard. At least one lamp is required, showing a white light, positioned centrally or offside (the right-hand side of the bike), up to 1,500mm from the ground, aligned towards and visible from the front. ![]() However, you only have to look around to see that most reflectors are subsequently removed from the bike and, in the case of racing bikes, the pedals are frequently changed for cleated versions that rarely have have space for reflectors to be fitted.īelow is little more explanation of the details of the regulations so that you can be sure you’re equipped with at least the minimum requirements. The Pedal Cycles (Safety) Regulations (PCSR) ensure that every new bicycle is sold with several extra reflectors, some of which are not required by RVLR you may have seen bikes with yellow or white reflectors in the spokes, for example. Reflectors have to be fixed to the rear of your bike and to the front and rear of each pedal. When they are required, the lights and reflectors listed below must be clean and working properly.Lights and reflectors are not required when the cycle is stationary or being pushed along the roadside.Lights and reflectors are required on a pedal cycle only between sunset and sunrise.However, if you’re involved in an accident at night, any slight irregularity could be challenged in court and may be regarded as ‘contributory negligence’ (a polite way of saying that the incident was partly your fault). It is true to say that few police officers will know the finer details of these regulations, and so long as you are showing a white light at the front and a red light at the rear then you are unlikely to be challenged. While most of the amendments made no difference to cyclists, it is still quite a task to work out what exactly the law requires. RVLR were first published in 1989, and then amended in 1994, 1996, 2001, 2005, again in 2005 and most recently in 2009. When you ride a bicycle in the dark, the law requires you have lights and reflectors and the law is quite detailed as to what lights and what reflectors you should use. Exactly which lights and reflectors, where to fit them and when to light up, is defined by the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (RVLR). It is illegal to cycle on a public road after dark without lights and reflectors.
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