I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a set of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. Since he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him much more room than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as they will associate them with the emergency services. I have ordered one myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate his findings.
> I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a > set of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. > Since he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him > much more room than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as > they will associate them with the emergency services. I have ordered > one myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate his findings.
Good luck with that, but I'm not certain the result will be what you want:
Restrictions on fitting blue warning beacons, special warning lamps and similar devices 16. No vehicle, other than an emergency vehicle, shall be fitted with-
(a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or
(b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.
> (a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or
> (b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special > warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.
Presumably those boy racers who have blue leds all over their cars are clamped down on then. The guy who has used them for 3 years has only been stopped once by the police and that was to say what a good idea it was and that they would far prefer not to have to scrape him off the road than to do him for a technicality.
>> I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a >> set of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. >> Since he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him >> much more room than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as >> they will associate them with the emergency services. I have ordered >> one myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate his findings.
> Good luck with that, but I'm not certain the result will be what you > want:
> Restrictions on fitting blue warning beacons, special warning lamps > and similar devices 16. No vehicle, other than an emergency > vehicle, shall be fitted with-
> (a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or
> (b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special > warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.
A while back I followed a PCSO on a bike. I was amazed how drivers gave her, her right of way and passed us wide and with care.
I have also seen cars fitted with blue lights too.
Blue lights might be a good idea, even if they *are* illegal. I may even try them myself and accept that I might be subject to a small fine if plod catches me. A small fine is better than being dead.
>> (a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or
>> (b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special >> warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.
> Presumably those boy racers who have blue leds all over their cars are > clamped down on then. The guy who has used them for 3 years has only > been stopped once by the police and that was to say what a good idea > it was and that they would far prefer not to have to scrape him off > the road than to do him for a technicality.
> I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a > set of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. > Since he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him > much more room than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as > they will associate them with the emergency services. I have ordered > one myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate his findings.
It may be fun but it is strictly illegal if that bothers you at all.
>> I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a >> set of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. >> Since he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him >> much more room than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as >> they will associate them with the emergency services. I have ordered >> one myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate his findings.
> It may be fun but it is strictly illegal if that bothers you at all.
Hey! We all jump red lights and ride on pavements, why should legality bother us :-)
>> I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a >> set of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. >> Since he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him >> much more room than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as >> they will associate them with the emergency services. I have ordered >> one myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate his findings.
> It may be fun but it is strictly illegal if that bothers you at all.
Indeed, but if it saves my life, I will pay the fine quite happily should I get pulled by plod.
>I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a set of >rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. Since he >fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him much more room >than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as they will associate >them with the emergency services. I have ordered one myself and will use it >to see if I can duplicate his findings.
On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:42:07 +0000, Simon Mason wrote: > I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a set > of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. Since > he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him much > more room than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as they > will associate them with the emergency services. I have ordered one > myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate his findings.
Keep in mind that your efforts to make people associate you with the emergency services might result in a prosecution for impersonating a police officer.
> On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:56:59 +0000, Simon Mason wrote: >>> (a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or
>>> (b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special >>> warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.
>> Presumably those boy racers who have blue leds all over their cars are >> clamped down on then.
> There's nothing to clamp down on, as long as the blue lights don't flash > they're not illegal.
If you read the regs posted by Mark, nowhere does it mention flashing blue lights. In fact, the regs he posted are out of date as they state:
Lamps to show a steady light 13.—(1) Save as provided in paragraph (2), no vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp which automatically emits a flashing light.
As we know, flashing white and red cycle lights are now legal.
On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:01:16 +0000, Simon Mason wrote: > "Brown Cat" <br...@eye.invalid> wrote in message > news:r1jJm.13391$yW6.4822@newsfe11.ams2... >> On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:56:59 +0000, Simon Mason wrote: >>>> (a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or
>>>> (b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special >>>> warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.
>>> Presumably those boy racers who have blue leds all over their cars are >>> clamped down on then.
>> There's nothing to clamp down on, as long as the blue lights don't >> flash they're not illegal.
> If you read the regs posted by Mark, nowhere does it mention flashing > blue lights.
Actually, it does. According to the interpretation section of the regulations Mark posted, both "warning beacon" and "special warning lamp" are types of flashing lights, the latter being a blue flashing light.
> In fact, the regs he posted are out of date as they state: > Lamps to show a steady light > 13.—(1) Save as provided in paragraph (2), no vehicle shall be > fitted > with a lamp which automatically emits a flashing light.
> As we know, flashing white and red cycle lights are now legal.
The regulations have been amended but are still the same in regards to cars which was the topic of the post I was replying to. :)
> On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:42:07 +0000, Simon Mason wrote: >> I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a set >> of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. Since >> he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him much >> more room than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as they >> will associate them with the emergency services. I have ordered one >> myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate his findings.
> Keep in mind that your efforts to make people associate you with the > emergency services might result in a prosecution for impersonating a > police officer.
There's a huge leap from having a blue light on your bike to impersonating a police officer! I would say that women on a night out dressed in police fancy dress garb with handcuffs and truncheons are much more likely to be guilty of that offence :-)
On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:11:53 +0000, Simon Mason wrote: > "Brown Cat" <br...@eye.invalid> wrote in message > news:xejJm.13392$yW6.7936@newsfe11.ams2... >> On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:42:07 +0000, Simon Mason wrote: >>> I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a >>> set of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. >>> Since he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him >>> much more room than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as >>> they will associate them with the emergency services. I have ordered >>> one myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate his findings.
>> Keep in mind that your efforts to make people associate you with the >> emergency services might result in a prosecution for impersonating a >> police officer.
> There's a huge leap from having a blue light on your bike to > impersonating a police officer! I would say that women on a night out > dressed in police fancy dress garb with handcuffs and truncheons are > much more likely to be guilty of that offence :-)
Google "Stuard Kennedy", he was convicted of impersonating a police officer after fitting a flashing white light to his car. Not a great deal of difference between that and what you're suggesting.
You might be right to say it's unlikely that the police would take any notice but personally I wouldn't want to take the risk.
> Google "Stuard Kennedy", he was convicted of impersonating a police > officer after fitting a flashing white light to his car. Not a great > deal of difference between that and what you're suggesting.
No, not a lot of difference. Here is Mr Kennedy dressed much the same as I am when I am on my bike!
In article <a7KdnUK6wYbzJ2jXnZ2dnUVZ8tadn...@eclipse.net.uk>, Simon Mason wrote: >"mileburner" <milebur...@btinternet.com> wrote in message >news:hd4chh$tnu$1@news.eternal-september.org... >> Mark McNeill wrote:
>> A while back I followed a PCSO on a bike. I was amazed how drivers gave >> her, her right of way and passed us wide and with care.
Personally I think fitting blue flashing lights with the deliberate intention of being mistaken for an emergency vehicle is wrong, and I'm surprised the police haven't suggested he change his ways. It risks undermining respect for genuine emergency vehicles (and as a result removing the protection it might give cyclists while it is uncommon), and encourages the view that cyclists are scofflaws.
mileburner wrote: > Mark McNeill wrote: >> Response to Simon Mason:
>>> I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a >>> set of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red >>> ones. Since he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have >>> given him much more room than when he rides with them turned off, >>> presumably as they will associate them with the emergency services. >>> I have ordered one myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate >>> his findings.
>> Good luck with that, but I'm not certain the result will be what you >> want:
>> Restrictions on fitting blue warning beacons, special warning lamps >> and similar devices 16. No vehicle, other than an emergency >> vehicle, shall be fitted with-
>> (a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or
>> (b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special >> warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.
> A while back I followed a PCSO on a bike. I was amazed how drivers > gave her, her right of way and passed us wide and with care.
> I have also seen cars fitted with blue lights too.
> Blue lights might be a good idea, even if they *are* illegal. I may > even try them myself and accept that I might be subject to a small > fine if plod catches me. A small fine is better than being dead.
If you go to page two, there is a reasonable argument for not using them as they may not be as safe as you think:
"Quite bluntly put, if I find anyone using a flashing blue light on thier bike on my patch, at the very least it will get confiscated, next level up is a £30 fine, then arrest for impersonating a police officer. Now would I get impersonating a police officer through court for somebody using a flashing blue light. Very Unlikely, but the 3 hours + sitting in a cell, being photographed, fingerprinted and dna taken. Then interviewed etc. may just make somebody think again about using blues. Heavy handed? Possibly!. However until you use blues and two's you do not realise how dangerous they are as road users will react in very different ways. Yesterday I stopped a young lady for speeding and jumping a red light (I was on a motorcyle). Her reaction on seing blue lights was to do an emergency stop right in front of me in lane two. Not fun going from 50 to 0 in a nano second on a trail bike on wet greasy roads. Had I not been trained to anticipate this the consequences could have been unthinkable. Quite simply....DO NOT USE FLASHING BLUE LIGHTS on your bike, car. wheelbarrow etc. They are for Emergency services only! "
> > (a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or
> > (b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special > > warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.
> Presumably those boy racers who have blue leds all over their cars are > clamped down on then.
They're not flashing, so they're OK.
> The guy who has used them for 3 years has only been > stopped once by the police and that was to say what a good idea it was and > that they would far prefer not to have to scrape him off the road than to do > him for a technicality.
Right, so with cyclists, you're quite happy for petty technicalities to be ignored if it's for the greater good, but with motorists, "The law is the law" and technical infringements have to be prosecuted to the letter no matter what the overall consequences. And if the motorist then tries to "wriggle out of it on a technicality", that's bad as you're concerned.
Ergo, you're happy for technicalities to be ignored when common sense dictates it - unless that technicality can be used against a motorist. Like mileburner in other words. While I've never thought of you as also being a member of the URC Car-Haters' Club (Dishonorary President: Chapman), I must admit I'm struggling to find an explanation other than "He doesn't like motorists".
On 7 Nov, 17:42, "Simon Mason" <si...@simonmason.karoo.co.uk> wrote:
> I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a set of > rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red ones. Since he > fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have given him much more room > than when he rides with them turned off, presumably as they will associate > them with the emergency services. I have ordered one myself and will use it > to see if I can duplicate his findings.
Fitting them to the bike and using them is illegal. Clipping them to your person is not. Police use blue pedal lights and using the lights clipped to your legs may be sufficient for the average joe to give you the room you need when he would otherwise 'need' to pass without sufficient room. It could stilll warrant a stop from the police, but you would be legal.
Plutonium) wrote: > I have scientifically tested all available lights on the market, and > have concluded following. To be published in Nature vol 554, Jul 95, > pages 1098-1099, the most visible is the Belt Beakon yellow flasher. > The deciding test was in the laboratory and the Safeway foodstore where > every shopper in every aisle noticed me coming through and moved their > carts out of my way in the presence of the yellow blinking light. > Tested at 4.3 erg at 22% candela. > -- > Archimedes Plutonium > Lawrence Livermore Lighting > div. Plasma Fuses LTD, Gmbh > Tel: daytime at work 1- VIR GIN ITIES
> When young, did eagerly frequent both virgin and virgins, and evermore > had fun
>>> I was greatly interested in a letter from a cyclist who had fitted a >>> set of rear blue flashing leds to go alongside his flashing red >>> ones. Since he fitted them 3 years ago, he says that drivers have >>> given him much more room than when he rides with them turned off, >>> presumably as they will associate them with the emergency services. >>> I have ordered one myself and will use it to see if I can duplicate >>> his findings.
>> It may be fun but it is strictly illegal if that bothers you at all.
> Indeed, but if it saves my life, I will pay the fine quite happily > should I get pulled by plod.
In the same way that running a red light saves your life?
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