last couple of weeks amount of teenagers going home 5 ish without any high vis or any lights is nuts , do schools not teach how important lights are any more ?
Is there any chance we could get schools to teach 17 year olds about how Daylight Running Lights work? And to teach them how to change brake lights and head lights? This would mean that I won't see multiple drivers on every journey with no back lights at all in darkness, and with no lights on one or other side at the back?
So you've seen them, and a large amount evidently. I too have no problem spotting cyclists in urban areas with street lights and slow speed limits even if they don't have bright clothing or lights. I've never knocked one down or almost knocked one down.
Maybe we're both excellent drivers, maybe we stick to the speed limit, maybe we're not distracted drivers... What ever it is, we should keep doing what we're doing.
Or your relatives would do so on your behalf .
There is an obvious need for a 21st century lighting regulation which reflect the availability of LED lights etc. Then these need to be enforced rigorously, in this age of rechargeable batteries and led lights it is much easier to maintain lights than in times past. Regulations on the standardisation of mounts would help.
E-scooters
Bane of my life. Often no lights, kids wearing black puffer coats
I agree with you completely. And I agree with the op that there are loads of unlit teens cycling around in the past few weeks.
But I also have to say that my kid is a teen now and all those lovely 'rules' I had when he was younger - like the helmet and the hi-vis - are more easily abandoned by him now. More often that not, he leaves the house without even a jacket on, never mind any form of cycling protection. I don't say this lightly, it terrifies me, but unfortunately our 'control' of them eeks away as they become teens.
As for the adults without lights etc, the mind boggles. I often think people don't consider things from other points of view. I'm a big walker, and I have one neighbour at least who I am convinced will kill me some day. He flies past me, gravel whizzing, waving gleefully. He never walks anywhere so has no idea of how fast he is passing me on country roads with no footpaths. Equally, cyclists who don't drive (most teens) haven't a clue just how invisible they are to traffic. Drivers, who don't cycle, are guilty of not considering the cyclists too perhaps ..
It doesn't absolve the driver but it will play a large part in mitigation during sentencing. To be honest, any cyclist without half decent lights on them is a fool in this day and age. Halfords do half decent ones for next to nothing. As a driver, I have never had an issue seeing someone at night, I certainly don't see them until they are really close if they don't have lights on but I still see them in time. If they have lights though, I can see them from nearly 1km away or further if line of sight allows.
Aside from the legal side of things where the cyclist is in the wrong for no lights at night, the other thing is, law aside, people drive like sh1te in Ireland, and if someone hits me because they were not paying attention and I had no lights, I have to accept that if i had decent lights, it would have greatly increased my chances of not getting hit. It doesn't reduce it to zero, as if they aren't looking, they won't see you but it will reduce the chances.
There's legal responsibility and personal responsibility.
As a driver you are legally responsible for not crashing into people and cyclists, whether they are lit up or not. That was the first part of my post.
The second part of my post is personal responsibility, cycling without lights at night is a really stupid, reckless thing to do. It doesn't, however, legally absolve you of anything if you crash into someone not lit up, so the ultimate responsibility still lies with you, the driver.
we see a lot of deliveroo cyclists where we live; the guys with both front and rear lights are probably in the minority.
I cycled through Dublin city centre a week ago in the dark and was surprised at the number of people on bikes with no rear light. I also saw the gardai pulling over a deliveroo rider who had no rear light. I recall waiting at the lights on the south quays at O'Connell bridge and thinking that I was one of a few on bikes who had rear lights (or front lights).
That said, I don't think that I didn't see any of them. I also believe that the drivers travelling along the quays at the same time as me also saw them all given the vast majority were in excess of the speed limit and many were also preoccupied with their phone.
The main reason why there are people amongst all categories of road users who break rules is the lack of enforcement. The gardai pulling over the deliveroo lad was the first time I've ever seen that in a long time. No speed vans, no stopping drivers on their phones. Why would one stick to the rules when so many others couldn't be arsed?
In addition, the legislation on bike lights needs to come out of the sixties and be more specific. We need to specify minimum lumens for rear lights - too many people have lights that meet the mandatory size but have poor intensity from a reasonable distance. Maybe then the RSA and Gardai will stop giving out those crap yokes that give out less light as a toy from a Christmas cracker.
worth mentioning, there have been a few visitors to this thread who are not familiar with the cycling forum; the vast majority of posters in the cycling forum are fond of their lights. there's multiple threads about what the best lights are for various situations. most posters here are big fans of lights, but are wary about lights (and other factors which belong in The Other Thread) being offered as primary factors in cyclist safety.
in short, when cyclists talk about things which can affect their safety, they tend to talk about woeful road design, lack of enforcement of road traffic law etc.; when non-cyclists talk about cyclist safety, they tend to talk about things more obvious to a non-cyclist.
Mud flaps? I've never bought a car that had mud flaps fitted. And if I had, they'd be coming off straight away. Bit like wearing wellington boots with a suit.
I see quite a few people on e-bikes/Scooters who have a really, really bright front light, bit no rear light! I see them because they are coming towards me. I have sympathy for the motorists who come across these muppets from behind.
I also saw a guy walking along the Naul road with his back to oncoming traffic. No lights, bright clothing etc.
finally, it was amazing that I saw them at all...when I arrived at work I realized the front lights on my car were off! (I had Front Fog lights and DRL's and i assumed my lights were bad due to frost/ice on the lens)
Is this like a new version of pink unicornism? We can't see those mystical invisible cyclsts and pedestrians, but we have faith in the belief that they exist.
Reminds me of a conversation I had at a dinner table not too long ago. We were discussing a friend of mine who had been hit by a car while cycling in the hard shoulder in daylight. One of the people atthe table started saying that, she knew it wasn't his fault, but you know the way cyclists come out of nowhere, sometimes. I pointed out that for the 80 or so miles I'd cycled the previous week, I was always somewhere. I've yet to master the trick of appearing randomly on a road.
There were at least a few cars as well 😂
As previously mentioned, the issues with no lights stem from the wrong types of bikes being sold in this country. It's like selling cars without mudflaps and lights.
We don't know how many he didn't see 😉
Ah no, it's grand, sure you saw them...
Not just teens. We live near an industrial park, at about half 7 in the morning I see maybe up to a dozen adults cycling across junctions in dark clothing, no lights. Mad.
The vast majority of teenagers don't drive so they are unaware of how difficult it can be to see them.
(In my experience, it's the same for adult cyclists who don't drive - they tend to have no lights or very poor lights).
Of course it matters how luminescent they are, you completely contradict yourself in the second paragraph 🤔🤔. I don't drive around with my lights off at night, I'd like cyclists to return the favour.
Apologies to EviePie, MB had not warned everyone to drop Hi Vis. This is a warning to everyone. If you want to mention Hi Vis, go to the megathread, have a read of it first in case you want different opinions. This thread will only refer to lights and teenagers being teenagers.
Any issues please drop me a PM
Clearly all clothing should be hi viz in order for this to happen, we can't have drivers slowing down...don't be silly
pointless thread anyway we already have the hi viz one for people to give out about cyclists
any more ad hominem like this and you'll be taking a holiday from this thread.
oh for f**ks sake. high vis should be obligatory for pedestrians. how about reducing speed limits to 20km/h for cars when conditions are bad?
And will you be keeping a builders vest on your passenger seat, so you can pull it on when you get out of the car to go to the shop/cafe/wherever? You know, for when you're a pedestrian?
I'm not sure of the point of this thread anyway. How many of the teenagers with no lights on their bikes does the OP think will be reading this thread?
It's dangerous, drivers can't see them until they're on top of them. Yellow jackets with reflective strips should be obligatory in dull and dark conditions. For pedestrians, too.
I find it's even worse in the rain, with street and car lights reflected off wet surfaces it can be very difficult to see people in dark coats. I came close to running down two girls crossing the road a few years back in those conditions.
What's with the aggressive tone and smart remarks? Was I uncivil to you? You know nothing about me, or my driving habits, so quit it with the attitude. You don't need to be so rude. Jesus.
not just teens although it’s most a teen issue.
Safety on our roads is a culture thing. Enabling that culture is the responsibility of cyclists and motorists and indeed pedestrians. All Road users.
if you want to participate in enabling a safer culture on our roads for drivers, cyclists and indeed pedestrians…..part of that is lighting up, being visible. It’s for this reason the RSA are still having to advocate ‘be safe be seen’ and have a campaign to do so… if some in the cycling community want to moan about everyone else and demand better road safety.. they need to realise they have a responsibility themselves in that regard too…
From RSA.ie….. “Cyclists are reminded that at night you must a have a white light to the front and a red light to the back on your bicycle. These are the minimum lighting requirements laid down by law. However, to be even more visible to motorists at night, you should consider wearing a reflective armband, ‘Sam Browne’ reflective belt or reflective vest.”
but according to some cyclists… ‘ drivers should just be more careful ‘…..? no, yesterday in the fog, around dusk too…I observed cyclists without a single light and without illuminative clothing….many of course were compliant helping and enabling that culture of safe roads for everyone…hi vis, lights etc…
Hi vis vest costs about 5 euros. Get them anywhere.
USB rechargeable front and rear light 21.50 in Halfords.
26.50…. so it can’t be the money that is stopping people…. There really isn’t an excuse.
thanks so much for your concern. i suggest you drive slower and put your phone in the glove compartment when driving too especially at night.
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