Bicycle Lights Law Uk

You must obey all traffic signs and traffic light signals.

Bicycle lights law uk. When you ride a bicycle in the dark the law requires that you have lights and reflectors. Laws rta 1988 sect 36 tsrgd reg 10 1 rule 70. Bike lights and the law new bikes are sold with reflectors and many people dress in high visibility clothing which are good additions but in no way make up for a bike with no lights. James huang immediate media.

In the uk a change in the law from 21st october 2005 permits a bike to be fitted with flashing lights rear and or front. The current uk law on bike lights it is a legal requirement to have a front and rear light as well as reflectors fitted to your bike if riding at night. A light obscured by a saddlebag isn t legal and neither is a torch on your head though. The people who penned the rvlr also require your bike to have rear and pedal reflectors which is why your 5 000 carbon race bike came complete with a cheap set of budget plastic pedals.

Under the road vehicles lighting regulations 1989 and its subsequent amendments cyclists must have a white front light 1 and red rear lights lit at night 2 have their cycle fitted with a red light reflector on the rear 3 and each pedal needs two amber light. Cycling uk s guide to cycle lighting regulations explains the road vehicles lighting regulations in detail but in summary you need a white light at the front and a red light at the rear visible from the front and rear respectively and fixed to your bike. The rvlr which were first published in 1989 and then amended in 1994 1996 2001 2005 again in 2005 and most recently in 2009. Road cycle track bridle path footpath without the bell being in place and in working condition capable from a simple flick of generating a ring of a certain audible to a person not wearing headphones number of decibels.

And the law is quite specific as to what lights and what reflectors you use. Law rta 1988 sects 24 26 28 29 30 as amended by rta 1991. First let s briefly consider the law on cycling on the road and bike lights. The exact specification for flashing lights is flashing between 1 and 4 times per second with a brightness of at least 4 candelas.

Department for transport advice and guidance. And now there should be introduced a new law whoch says that no bicycle shall be used where others may be present eg.