Lights On Your Bike

Kintarō Hattori

Hey Folks,

I'm just curious as to the law in regards to bicycle lights. Since I've started cycling again in town I'm amazed at the number of cyclists who whizz by me on these dark evenings with no lights and/or dark clothes. I've seen one or two stopped by the Gardai but I have no idea if anything actually happens to them. Do they have to have lights by law- if not what happens a warning or fine?

I should state that I'm fairly well lit up myself with 0.5W lights front and rear, a full reflective jacket and even reflective bicycle clips. As I stated at the beginning I'm curious as to what the law is as I can never figure out why someone won't spend €10 for a reasonable set of LED lights that could prevent them from injuring themselves.

Hooch

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Hey Folks,

I'm just curious as to the law in regards to bicycle lights. Since I've started cycling again in town I'm amazed at the number of cyclists who whizz by me on these dark evenings with no lights and/or dark clothes. I've seen one or two stopped by the Gardai but I have no idea if anything actually happens to them. Do they have to have lights by law- if not what happens a warning or fine?

I should state that I'm fairly well lit up myself with 0.5W lights front and rear, a full reflective jacket and even reflective bicycle clips. As I stated at the beginning I'm curious as to what the law is as I can never figure out why someone won't spend €10 for a reasonable set of LED lights that could prevent them from injuring themselves.

Yep its the law you must have lights front and rear....and they CANNOT be flashing lights!!!

You also need a bell.

Fine is pretty small....like €5 or something stupid. One of them laws that were never updated.

Kintarō Hattori

nice guy always wrote: »

Yep its the law you must have lights front and rear....and they CANNOT be flashing lights!!!

You also need a bell.

Fine is pretty small....like €5 or something stupid. One of them laws that were never updated.

Really? So pretty much every cyclist with flashing LED lights including myself is breaking the law?

Hooch

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Really? So pretty much every cyclist with flashing LED lights including myself is breaking the law?

Yep....static lights only.

And nothing beats a good high vis vest

Kintarō Hattori

nice guy always wrote: »

Yep....static lights only.

And nothing beats a good high vis vest

Wow I really didn't think that was the case. Many thanks for clearing that up, much appreciated.






*Don't think I'll be getting a bell anytime soon though!

briano

I think the flashing lights have actually been made legal since Noel Dempsey signed the "Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2009"

Linky

concussion

nice guy always wrote: »

You also need a bell.

Unless the bike is modified for racing

kirving

The amount of people with no lights is astonishing, they must not have any idea how difficult they are to see at night. I always have a light, and even very good ones aren't expensive.

I think it should be a larger fine, and good quality lights must be given free with the bike by law, so people reaelly have no excuse.

sdanseo

nice guy always wrote: »

Yep....static lights only.

And nothing beats a good high vis vest

That was changed recently. See S.I. 487/2009

www.irishstatutebook.ie wrote:

4. Article 29 of the Principal Regulations is amended by inserting after sub-article (4) the following:


“(5) In this article, ‘lit’ means the emission of a continuous light or a light that flashes not less than 60 times in each minute.”.


5. The following is substituted for Article 42 of the Principal Regulations:


“42. (1) Subject to sub-article (2), no lamp (other than direction indicators) fitted to a vehicle shall show or be constructed or adapted so as to be capable of showing a flashing light unless such light is invisible to persons outside the vehicle.


(2) This article does not apply to a lamp fitted to a pedal cycle in accordance with article 29.”.

I would tut tut about Gardaí not knowing the law but I reckon NGA would arrange unpleasantness if I did :P

Greenman

NGA wrote: »

Yep its the law you must have lights front and rear....and they CANNOT be flashing lights!!!

Am I allowed to ask, did you ever pull someone for using a flashing rear light?

Hooch

sdonn wrote: »

That was changed recently. See S.I. 487/2009



I would tut tut about Gardaí not knowing the law but I reckon NGA would arrange unpleasantness if I did :P

I stand corrected.....have never seen the SI to be honest and am surprised it wasnt sent to us.

Greenman wrote: »

Am I allowed to ask, did you ever pull someone for using a flashing rear light?

Not that I can recall. It never really bothered me on a pedal cycle, only MPVs.

I started cycling recently again myself, and stuck a pair of lights on the bike.

I don't cycle in places that are too dark, though. Usually fairly well lit (enough that I'd be seen anyway). I have two lights, but the rear one has one of those quick release thingy-ma-jiggies, so I don't bring it out unless I know I'll need it. I tend to vary between cycling on paths and roads; I only use the front light when I'm on the road (and never have it flashing, always static, because I reckon a flashing light is more distratcing than anything else. A static light is more than enough to let people know you're there).


I'm sure that most Gardaì, regardless of the law, would agree that taking a common sense approach is probably the best thing here.


That said, a friend of mine was stopped for not having lights on his bike before. He didn't get fined or anything, and the Garda was quite casual about it.