Latest e-mail from CTC. Legal changes will make flashing lights legal
from October.
"Flashing legalised
Following sustained campaigning by CTC, the UK's national cyclists'
organisation, and just in time for when the clocks go back this year,
it should at last become legal to use flashing lights on your bike. The
Minister of State, Dr Stephen Ladyman, this week signed the order; and
provided there are no parliamentary objections before then, it should
become law in October.
The details were decided in close consultation with CTC's technical
officer, Chris Juden, who said: "This is a welcome liberalisation of
cycle lighting law because provided they are bright enough, flashers
front and rear will not only be legal, but will be all the lights you
need."
In brief, to be legally approved a light may flash at least once and
not more than four times per second with a brilliance of at least four
candle-power. Most of the better quality flashing lights on sale today,
meet that simple requirement.
Unfortunately DfT felt unable to make any changes beyond the matter of
flashing lights. This will have some strange and unintended
consequences. Since lamps emitting a steady light must still conform
with BS6102/3 and all that entails, it now becomes much simpler to be
legal by flashing than not! DfT are aware of this paradox and intend to
add a recommendation to the Highway Code (currently also under review)
to use a steady headlamp on unlit roads.
CTC continues to campaign for a similar, simple legal approval of lamps
emitting steady light, and for a permitted alternative to pedal
reflectors in cases where these cannot be used or seen. Until then:
cyclists who sensibly light their way with one of those brilliant
rechargeable headlamps, that emit thousands of candle-power but are
non-the-less, non-BS, can most easily make themselves legal by also
fitting a little 4-candela flasher. "
Iain