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so i was riding into work this morning in the pouring rain...as i was heading towards Manchester city centre, via the back of the printworks, a police officer stepped out onto the road and stopped me...
i had my light on flash and i though "oh shit, he's going to tell me the light isnt road legal and i'm going to get a ticking off/on the spot fine..."
he surprised me with his next comment...
"can i say sir, that your lights are absolutely brilliant! i saw you a mile off coming down the road and all motorists would have done the same!"
there were four of them stopping cyclists and "advising" them on safe road riding tips
the officer then began to tell off another rider who they had pulled up with no lights, using me as an example "this is how you should be doing it" etc
then i got loads of questions about the light itself and they checked i had rear lights so i showed them all 3
they kept me there for 10 minutes before giving me a free reflective vest and a pair of reflective ankle strips
but its now a bit of a relief to know that a 1200 lumen light on flash mode is perfect for use on the road
This thread needs a "like" button. 🙂
Did you ask him to concentrate on finding stolen bikes? 😉
"I PAY YOUR WAGES!"
Indeed!
I'd have asked for his badge number and not only dropped a line of commendation to his desk sergeant, but also as a possible contact for any incidents in the next couple of weeks.
Good on you!
It does surprise me about the number of road users (motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians) who use the roads without lights or reflectives in poor visibility. IME a lot of the cyclists who don't have lights tend to be those who aren't *into* cycling as such, but just use a bike to get around. Their bike is probably a £99 special from Aldi or Lidl and as such they regard spending £60 on a decent set of lights as an extravagance (sweeping generalisation I know) but then motorists lump all cyclists as a group who don't follow the rules despite a significant proportion of drivers driving a tonne or more of vehicle around without lights.
Ace post Gonzy
Hmmm, maybe I should be riding up and down in front of Police cars with my Taz 1500 fishing for complements.
Used to run nice inoffensive non-dazzling lights, then got SMIDSY'd and ended up flying across a moron's bonnet.
Now I'm very much in the [i]'say hello to my small, portable sun!'[/i] camp.
[s]Teacher's[/s] Policeman's pet
(Nice story though 🙂 )
they kept me there for 10 minutes before giving me a free reflective vest and a pair of reflective ankle strips
If they were so impressed by the lights why did they need to give you a free vest?
It's hard to argue against the cops pulling folk with no lights when it's dark/dusky and advising them to get it sorted, but I sometimes wish they'd do the same with drivers.
[i]but its now a bit of a relief to know that a 1200 lumen light on flash mode is perfect for use on the road [b]during the day[/b][/i]
Many high powered MTB lights are a liability a night if used on flashing mode or pointed in the wrong place.
I'll put the MaxxD on flash mode for the ride home then!
Never a copper when I need one, lad on a motorbike this morning with no lights at 6.30 wasn't winning many friends on his commute in to Nottingham this morning. Although by sticking with the bus and cycle lane he wasn't with the bulk of the traffic.
If they were so impressed by the lights why did they need to give you a free vest?
They probably get to go back to the canteen for [s]donuts and coffee[/s] fish & chips and a cup of tea when they've handed them all out.
Greater Manchester Police are doing an "Operation Considerate" at the moment - targeting a few junctions in/around Deansgate and advising road users about things like ASLs, lights etc. Check out their Twitter feed (@GMPolice) for more info on it.
I think this week is supposed to be "advisory", next week they'll be issuing FPNs for traffic violations.
At the moment it seems to be cyclists jumping lights and riding on the pavement and motorists encroaching into ASLs. So they're telling everyone to be considerate to everyone else.
Good stuff!
It just shows that some of the "cycling laws" are a bit outdated - like the one that the lights should be in "constant mode". The last bit of my commute it riding a mile long straight road, which has one roundabout and few traffic lights. There is a school on it too - in the morning it is extremely busy: long and slow ques of cars both ways.
The road is quite wide. I always get to the middle of it and overtake everything (the cars move approx 2 mph, both ways), while being very cautious about the traffic [u]and the kids[/u]. Two strong lights (handlebar and helmet) in "flash" mode work - most of the drivers give me extra room (I give them thumb up), some try to block me (I anticipate such a behavior, so I stop behind and overtake them when safe), usual thing... And there is always at least one police car in the queue and they always pull over slightly to the left, allowing me to overtake them, even if there is a double line in the middle. The same when the police are coming towards me and I'm on their lane - I've never been stopped, they always wave back when I thank them for giving me extra room...
It is great that the police are sending a positive message to those people riding with lights (and highlight the problems to ones who don't, but as a cyclist and a motorist, I find that flashing lights (front or rear)while doing a great job of showing your presence on the road, make it very difficult to judge how far away you are. A fixed light along with a flashing light seems to improve things considerably.
Bloody time wasters!
Poor effort OP, the perfect opportunity to denigrate them in public and change their perception of cyclists into cocks.
After all they represent "the man".
😆
If they were so impressed by the lights why did they need to give you a free vest?
they were giving them away to cyclists as part of their safer riding campaign
Many high powered MTB lights are a liability a night if used on flashing mode or pointed in the wrong place.
i asked about this and all 4 officers agreed that a constant beam just does the same as any headlight beam, whereas a flashing beam is easier to identify as a cyclist and the fact that a well powered one will illuminate road signs well ahead of you...as a driver this gives a clear indication that there is a cyclist on the road
Teacher's Policeman's pet
hardly....i got into work late as a result
but it was the funniest excuse i'd given to my line manager 😀
So what lights have you got?
Do tell what lights you have
Lucky they didn't search you..
I bet that light wasn't actually legal though, as if it has a constant mode then is needs to comply to the british standard, or an EU one.
There need to be some lights on the market that only flash, to get around that stupid legislation. Such as the lights on boris bikes.
did he check your pedal reflectors ?
Always bugged me flashing lights at the front. Personally at the front I prefer to see where I'm going, rather than have the road illuminated only every second or half second. I'm not a roadie anyway, just very occasional bit of road to get between trails, bridleways, tow paths etc. My MTB lights are bright enough to get drivers flashing to make me dip them! I run them low on road and twist slightly to the left.
Just remember to keep your mouth shut when you get arrested. I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, you can't prove anything.
they were giving them away to cyclists as part of their safer riding campaign
I'm not convinced that encouraging all cyclists to wear hi vis is a great idea. But we had the hi vis debate the other week, so probably no need to do it again
did he check your pedal reflectors ?
good job they didnt as i dont have any reflectors on the shimano SPD's! they were too busy being amazed by the light
I bet that light wasn't actually legal though, as if it has a constant mode then is needs to comply to the british standard, or an EU one.
i'm sure there is a CE mark on the packaging but i'll check this when i get home...the light has four settings...full power, medium power, low power(SOS flash), and flash mode
So what lights have you got?
candb seen 1200 lumen light
http://www.candb-seen.co.uk/bikehead-lights/cabs-02-series---cree-xml.html
Did you ask to see his truncheon?
If they were so impressed by the lights why did they need to give you a free vest?
Because it's home-time once they've handed out all the vests.
Do you have a red rear reflector? I don't but have white 3M tape on my rear fender, wonder if that'll do...?
did he check your pedal reflectors ?
reflective strips on the heel of your shoes?
Do you have a red rear reflector?
yes still have it on
reflective strips on the heel of your shoes?
there's some reflective detailing on the back of the shoe (shimano XC30)
Did you ask to see his truncheon?
he told me he'd lent it to you and never got it back! 😉
i'm sure there is a CE mark on the packaging
that's not the standard it needs to be though.
Worth getting a light german lightset just to comply just in case some clever lawyer tries to do you for being in an accident without legal lights.
Same for pedal reflectors I think - stick on strips won't cut it.
It might have been great from the front, but I doubt it would be any use from the side. If you look at lights designed for the road, they also send some light out sideways from the main beam, helping visibility from the side. You're a much bigger target side-on.
It might have been great from the front, but I doubt it would be any use from the side. If you look at lights designed for the road, they also send some light out sideways from the main beam, helping visibility from the side. You're a much bigger target side-on.
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/psa-chilli-fibre-flare-lights-bogof
The legality of the light is irrelevant unless you are accused of dazzling someone and causing the accident head on. To admit you saw the "illegal" lights is the same admission that you saw the person you drove into whilst driving without due care and attention.
If you look at lights designed for the road, they also send some light out sideways from the main beam, helping visibility from the side. You're a much bigger target side-on.
i have a helmet mounted light that can be seen from the side which will be going on this weekend.
i'll also be getting a set of spoke reflectors...i've seen some that seem to illuminate quite well
candb seen 1200 lumen light
Very effective at dazzling someone coming the other way:
http://www.ctc.org.uk/blog/chris-juden/bobby-dazzlers
B&M lights FTW.
Very effective at dazzling someone coming the other way:http://www.ctc.org.uk/blog/chris-juden/bobby-dazzlers
B&M lights FTW.
i agree they are a bit bright...i told the police officers, 2 of which were traffic officers, that te light kicked out 1200 lumens and it didnt seem to bother them.
the candb seen website does however say that the flash mode actually runs between 3-5w with full power being at 10w...so in theory the flash mode is running at 50% power so should only kick out 600 lumens
FWIW the light is pointed down so the main spot is projected about 5 metres in front of me and pointed to the left to reduce the amount of dazzle/glare to oncoming motorists
The legality of the light is irrelevant unless you are accused of dazzling someone and causing the accident head on.
not if you get into a legal dispute with a nit-picking lawyer. They could easily say that you are culpable if you haven't got correct lighting.
It's like having a car with lights that have failed their MOT.