Would I get done for green daytime running lights?
Discussion
Much good advice from a number of contributors. Any colour lights other than those authorised in motoring law will very probably get you pulled and possibly prosecuted. Seems altogether easier to me to try to remain within te law and not be stopped for infringements although that s beicoming more difficult as the infringements keep escalating.
Steffan said:
Much good advice from a number of contributors. Any colour lights other than those authorised in motoring law will very probably get you pulled and possibly prosecuted. Seems altogether easier to me to try to remain within te law and not be stopped for infringements although that s beicoming more difficult as the infringements keep escalating.
No-one's pulling all the HGVS with masses of blue LEDs on the frontV8forweekends said:
Steffan said:
Much good advice from a number of contributors. Any colour lights other than those authorised in motoring law will very probably get you pulled and possibly prosecuted. Seems altogether easier to me to try to remain within te law and not be stopped for infringements although that s beicoming more difficult as the infringements keep escalating.
No-one's pulling all the HGVS with masses of blue LEDs on the front
Vaud said:
OP... Given your experience and extensive training ... Do you really need to ask?
Yes, because car drivers waiting at a junction don't always see motorbikes, then they pull into the bike's path. All bikers have experienced this. It's the commonest form of bike accident and I'll take any possible advantage to reduce the chance of it happening.My "extensive training" has kept me accident-free for the last decade's riding. But my riding's not perfect. I might make a human error. If a car pulls into the path of my bike, what if I'm having an off-day? We're all human and can make mistakes.
Earlier this year, I had a very close call. It was caused by a driver failing to see my bike. I needed every last ounce of "experience and extensive training" to avoid a possibly fatal accident. Luckily I was on form. If I'd had an off-day, however, I wouldn't be able to type this today.
This is the most comprehensive study into why drivers crash into motorcycles. It says: "the most promising intervention type (and the one on which there is least work in real-world settings) would appear to be physical changes to motorcycle lighting. These could be configurations that lead to greater contrast with the background (especially differentiation of motorcycles from surrounding traffic with lights – for example differently coloured lights that stand out from the white lights typically see on cars)"
V8forweekends said:
No-one's pulling all the HGVS with masses of blue LEDs on the front
Hence my question! 
Edited by SVS on Friday 11th April 11:40
SVS said:
Vaud said:
OP... Given your experience and extensive training ... Do you really need to ask?
Yes, because car drivers waiting at a junction don't always see motorbikes, then they pull into the bike's path. All bikers have experienced this. It's the commonest form of bike accident and I'll take any possible advantage to reduce the chance of it happening.My "extensive training" has kept me accident-free for the last decade's riding. But my riding's not perfect. I might make a human error. If a car pulls into the path of my bike, what if I'm having an off-day? We're all human and can make mistakes.
Earlier this year, I had a very close call. It was caused by a driver failing to see my bike. I needed every last ounce of "experience and extensive training" to avoid a possibly fatal accident. Luckily I was on form. If I'd had an off-day, however, I wouldn't be able to type this today.
This is the most comprehensive study into why drivers crash into motorcycles. It says: "the most promising intervention type (and the one on which there is least work in real-world settings) would appear to be physical changes to motorcycle lighting. These could be configurations that lead to greater contrast with the background (especially differentiation of motorcycles from surrounding traffic with lights – for example differently coloured lights that stand out from the white lights typically see on cars)"
V8forweekends said:
No-one's pulling all the HGVS with masses of blue LEDs on the front
Hence my question! Edited by SVS on Friday 11th April 11:40
PAULJ5555 said:
If you dont feel safe then dont ride a bike.
That is exactly what I have done. Once I reached 40 I no longer felt quick enough or fit enough to enjoy riding a m/c and I retired henceforth. Still get the wind in the hair with a number of kit cars and they are much safer for me. And probably for the other road users. Riding m/c's is not for old men IMO, but that is personal choice. I admire other riders who go on and on but even a Honda armchair would be too much for me now.Biking's way too much fun to give up! 
I feel safe motorcycling 99% of the time, thanks to the training I've had. Otherwise I wouldn't enjoy it so much! However, I see no harm in seeking to increase my safety margins. My roadcraft, physical skills and protective gear are the three things that keep me safe. I like to keep on top of all three of them.
Can nobody give an informed answer to my original question?
If trucks routinely use blue DRLs without issue, how about green or blue lights at the front of a bike?
I feel safe motorcycling 99% of the time, thanks to the training I've had. Otherwise I wouldn't enjoy it so much! However, I see no harm in seeking to increase my safety margins. My roadcraft, physical skills and protective gear are the three things that keep me safe. I like to keep on top of all three of them.
Can nobody give an informed answer to my original question?
If trucks routinely use blue DRLs without issue, how about green or blue lights at the front of a bike?SVS said:
Biking's way too much fun to give up!
I feel safe motorcycling 99% of the time, thanks to the training I've had. Otherwise I wouldn't enjoy it so much! However, I see no harm in seeking to increase my safety margins. My roadcraft, physical skills and protective gear are the three things that keep me safe. I like to keep on top of all three of them.
Can nobody give an informed answer to my original question? If trucks routinely use blue DRLs without issue, how about green or blue lights at the front of a bike?
I feel safe motorcycling 99% of the time, thanks to the training I've had. Otherwise I wouldn't enjoy it so much! However, I see no harm in seeking to increase my safety margins. My roadcraft, physical skills and protective gear are the three things that keep me safe. I like to keep on top of all three of them.
Can nobody give an informed answer to my original question?
If trucks routinely use blue DRLs without issue, how about green or blue lights at the front of a bike?Quite and since I lack one of those I gave it up willingly. I still miss the sense freedom on the bike! But a decent kit car is close enough for me now.
SVS said:
Can nobody give an informed answer to my original question? If trucks routinely use blue DRLs without issue, how about green or blue lights at the front of a bike?
My last word on this. If you read this thread you will find links defining the legal colour of forward facing lights. Neither green nor blue are, whether it's a bike or a truck, or anything in between. The only time blue or green lights are legal is for beacons on specific vehicles (emergency services and doctors). Why plod doesn't pursue all the abuse of the regulations is beyond me. If trucks routinely use blue DRLs without issue, how about green or blue lights at the front of a bike?untakenname said:
How about a coloured DRL mounted on the helmet? Could that be any colour (or even flash) due to it not being physically attached to the bike? There's no law against pedestrians strapping lights to their heads after all.
Sorry, but that just reminds me of this series of adverts...http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_xWqkv_-nAY
Police discretion
If I ride with a dark visor at night, the police will quite rightly take action. If I ride with an dark visor during a bright sunny day, the police will ignore it. Most dark visors are illegal, but dark sunglasses are perfectly legal. The law's an ass. Thankfully, the police exercise their discretion in what they do about it.
Similarly, I imagine this is why truckers get away with blue running lights. It makes them more visible and does no harm.
rolando said:
Why plod doesn't pursue all the abuse of the regulations is beyond me.
Because we live in a country in which the police are expected to use their discretion. It's an important part of our justice system.If I ride with a dark visor at night, the police will quite rightly take action. If I ride with an dark visor during a bright sunny day, the police will ignore it. Most dark visors are illegal, but dark sunglasses are perfectly legal. The law's an ass. Thankfully, the police exercise their discretion in what they do about it.
Similarly, I imagine this is why truckers get away with blue running lights. It makes them more visible and does no harm.
AdeTuono said:
SVS said:
Because we live in a country in which the police are expected to use their discretion. It's an important part of our justice system.
Key word; expected. Shame it doesn't work like that, isn't it?I've had experiences over the years of the Police using their discretion when they've decided to give Me some advice about the speed I'd chosen to drive at rather than just give Me a ticket.
The last time I got stopped for speeding, it was only for the fact that the Police officers used their discretion that I avoided an automatic ban and got 3 points and a fine instead.
The Police using their discretion has also saved Me from having My car seized one Christmas Eve when it came up on their system incorrectly as being uninsured! - I was given the benefit of the doubt when I explained how I was convinced that it was insured and so I was given a producer to take to My local Police station.
They could have just taken the car and left Me stranded at Watford Gap services if they'd been inclined to!
Sometimes the Police simply don't use their discretion because the people that they're dealing with approach them the wrong way, getting all bolshie and aggressive and failing the "attitude test", even though they have blatantly done something wrong (because that's always going to be a winning tactic isn't it!
).Sometimes they've dealt with so many prats that day that they're simply fed up trying to educate people and so just give out a ticket instead.
Take this topic for example.
How hard is it to find out whether blue/green/red etc., etc., lights on the front of a vehicle are legal? It's pretty easy, and most drivers with them know full well that they're not legal. However, there will be plenty of them who, when they get stopped by the Police for having the lights, will come on here bemoaning the fact that the Police dared to do their job and enforce the Law!
"They could have used their discretion and let Me off with a warning!" they'll cry!
"Haven't they got better things to do?".
The thing is, they don't have to use their discretion, they choose to use it when they feel it's appropriate, and that might not be when it suits us.
And if they're dealing with people who are too thick/ignorant/bolshie to comply with a simple Law that's no secret to anyone, then why should they use discretion? - If you can't understand or accept that you've broken the Law then you're probably not worthy of being given any discretion!
The truth is that the police use their discretion every hour of every day on duty or not. If they acted on every instance of law breaking that they saw regardless how minor they wouldn't get further than a quarter mile from the nick.
They would be acting the same as civilianised cctv enforcement or many parking attendants however.
They would be acting the same as civilianised cctv enforcement or many parking attendants however.
4rephill said:
AdeTuono said:
SVS said:
Because we live in a country in which the police are expected to use their discretion. It's an important part of our justice system.
Key word; expected. Shame it doesn't work like that, isn't it?I've had experiences over the years of the Police using their discretion when they've decided to give Me some advice about the speed I'd chosen to drive at rather than just give Me a ticket.
As the old saying has it, 'One bad apple....'
SVS said:
Similarly, I imagine this is why truckers get away with blue running lights. It makes them more visible and does no harm.
Plus, a HGV is not likely to be mistaken for a Plod or Fire Engine is it?A bike with green lights, that if say railings are blocking the view between car driver and bike could give the impression that its a beacon.
Dont do it.
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