Cyclists without lights - something needs to be done
Discussion
bmwmike said:
Donbot said:
Some are, many aren't.
I don't think anything can be done. It will take getting run over or growing up to be more responsible for them to change (the people I see without lights are almost always kids).
Interesting. What age kids? Most of the unlit cyclists I see are adults, at night, and usually the lycra types. Kids though? Hmmm.. got to fall onto the parents in that case I would have thought.I don't think anything can be done. It will take getting run over or growing up to be more responsible for them to change (the people I see without lights are almost always kids).
It's what I see in Manchester. Probably varies between places though.
Edited by Donbot on Saturday 10th November 09:59
They aren’t really cyclists thought, anyone who identifies as a cyclist tends to at least have some lights.
The unlit ones are usually kids on bikes or someone older who isn’t quite right, like the drunk at my local who wobbles home on an old Raleigh shopper after eight pints.
Kids don’t like lights as they cost money and are seen as geeky, someone intent on their alcoholism ain’t going to waste time and money on them, anyone half normal has some lights even if they are crap.
Car drivers have to have a licence, an mot, insurance, tax and a car which, even though it doesn’t always seem itis a higher bar to entry than finding a Raleigh Twenty at the end of someone’s drive and snagging it before the scrap man does.
You can’t legislate against the Stans of this world easily, he doesn’t care about anything other that his pint of bitter, all you can do is stop them and impound the bike or if coppers carried round a bag of cheap led lights, just fit some, work of a moment and costs a lot less than an accident.
That said, the no lights type seem to do better than I would imagine, I think they rely too much on drivers lights and reactions but they tend to ride to avoid danger, on the pavement etc, with lights on the road it’s easy to assume you have been seen and not be quite as vigilant.
The unlit ones are usually kids on bikes or someone older who isn’t quite right, like the drunk at my local who wobbles home on an old Raleigh shopper after eight pints.
Kids don’t like lights as they cost money and are seen as geeky, someone intent on their alcoholism ain’t going to waste time and money on them, anyone half normal has some lights even if they are crap.
Car drivers have to have a licence, an mot, insurance, tax and a car which, even though it doesn’t always seem itis a higher bar to entry than finding a Raleigh Twenty at the end of someone’s drive and snagging it before the scrap man does.
You can’t legislate against the Stans of this world easily, he doesn’t care about anything other that his pint of bitter, all you can do is stop them and impound the bike or if coppers carried round a bag of cheap led lights, just fit some, work of a moment and costs a lot less than an accident.
That said, the no lights type seem to do better than I would imagine, I think they rely too much on drivers lights and reactions but they tend to ride to avoid danger, on the pavement etc, with lights on the road it’s easy to assume you have been seen and not be quite as vigilant.
I was a cyclist for many many years and I see the new lights available now and I am very envious they are superb. Clothing however drives me bonkers I see so many who ride in the Dark admittedly with lights on but with no High-Viz in sight.
Owning a bike doesn't mean you are a true cyclist the same way owning a Car doesn't make you a good driver anyone who cycles in the dark without lights should face a huge fine but you would need Police officers available to do this. Fat chance
Owning a bike doesn't mean you are a true cyclist the same way owning a Car doesn't make you a good driver anyone who cycles in the dark without lights should face a huge fine but you would need Police officers available to do this. Fat chance
caelite said:
There is a happy medium between being completely invisible on a dark country road and "Holy s
t is that a lighthouse driving towards me?". With cycle lights getting more and more powerful surely it is only a matter of time before they need guidelines as to where lights can be fitted and pointed, just as car/motorbike headlights do.
Agree on the happy medium but with these early dark nights and riding around rush hour on poorly lit streets I'm lit up like a Nissan cashcow or audi whatever because that's what I'm competing against. Better a driver sees a cyclists even if it's "wtf is that" than not. I've even got some blue and red flashing ones on the way to go under my seat. That should get noticed at a distance.. hehe.t is that a lighthouse driving towards me?". With cycle lights getting more and more powerful surely it is only a matter of time before they need guidelines as to where lights can be fitted and pointed, just as car/motorbike headlights do. cb1965 said:
Look I know the usual mob will roll their eyes, but this has actually come from my partner's 12 year old daughter who did a school project about cycle safety (really good idea by the school). Anyway she was with her mum yesterday travelling a journey of about 12 miles at 6:30pm, her mum was driving and she decided to record the number of cyclists without lights while her mum drove. In short she saw 102 cyclists of which she recorded 34 riding without any form of lighting or hi-vis clothing.
That is not a 'tiny minority'! It also pretty much backs up what I used to see in London.
I'm not getting into a drivers vs cyclists argument over this (as the vast majority of drivers have lights on their vehicles that work anyway), but asking what can sensibly be done? I believe the police did an operation in Birmingham last year where they stopped cyclists without lights, showed them why it was a stupid idea to not have them and then issued them with a free set. I think this needs to be rolled out across the country. I know people will say they should buy their own, but to be honest if it saves just one from being knocked down and killed and the angst to the driver who has to carry that for the rest of their lives it's a small price to pay. It's clear some education is required at the very least.
Thoughts?
So this fictonal person saw all 104 cyclists, doesn’t sound too tricky to navigate them That is not a 'tiny minority'! It also pretty much backs up what I used to see in London.
I'm not getting into a drivers vs cyclists argument over this (as the vast majority of drivers have lights on their vehicles that work anyway), but asking what can sensibly be done? I believe the police did an operation in Birmingham last year where they stopped cyclists without lights, showed them why it was a stupid idea to not have them and then issued them with a free set. I think this needs to be rolled out across the country. I know people will say they should buy their own, but to be honest if it saves just one from being knocked down and killed and the angst to the driver who has to carry that for the rest of their lives it's a small price to pay. It's clear some education is required at the very least.
Thoughts?
The trouble is, as usual your anti cycling agenda, along with the usual suspects, fails to consider anything other than your own bias. The rational person would identify that there are some cyclists who lack the brains to consider self preservation, similarly there are motorists who are so angry at the world they look at others to vent their frustrations. That’s you and how you consider cyclists. If there were no cyclists it would be horse riders.....get some help.
Thoughts. Cool story bro.
I agree with the OP here, people cycling without lights are taking their lives in their own hands.
Mandatory 1000lumem lights should be made available at cost via local councils in schools and the job centre to encourage cycling.
On a similar more serious note I always marvel a pedestrians and runners wearing dark colours in the winter nipping across the road etc, it’s suicidal in my view we should all wear a bit of scotchlite somewhere in the winter, they should teach it in school and make it normal, just a clip on band round the wrist or something
Mandatory 1000lumem lights should be made available at cost via local councils in schools and the job centre to encourage cycling.
On a similar more serious note I always marvel a pedestrians and runners wearing dark colours in the winter nipping across the road etc, it’s suicidal in my view we should all wear a bit of scotchlite somewhere in the winter, they should teach it in school and make it normal, just a clip on band round the wrist or something
Edited by Car-Matt on Saturday 10th November 10:28
Deerfoot said:
Steve91 said:
Whether on a bike or in a car, you can't educate the stupid.
This.Tune in next week when some PH regular will complain that he’s been blinded (he hasn’t) by the lights from a bike...
I’m a “cyclist”, and I also cycle to work some days for much of the year (depending on whether I can be bothered). Last night was my first after dark commute home of the season, it’s 14 miles, 4 on the road and 10 on unlit cycle track (disused railway line that is now part of the C2c route). I didn’t pass a single cyclist, but I did pass 3 separate people walking dogs. They were wearing dark clothes, and neither them nor the dogs had any form of lighting. Surely that’s as stupid as the cyclists with no lights? Should we force them to wear lights and high vis too?
I agree that cyclists should make themselves seen, it’s called common sense. As someone said earlier, you can’t educate the terminally stupid
I agree that cyclists should make themselves seen, it’s called common sense. As someone said earlier, you can’t educate the terminally stupid
Donbot said:
I don't think I've ever seen the road-racing lot without lights. They tend to be the road captain types, where rules must be obeyed. The ones I see without lights tend to be teenagers and Uni kids.
It's what I see in Manchester. Probably varies between places though.
Same in Cambridge. They may be the best and brightest intellectually, but some of the dimmest when it comes to riding at night . . .It's what I see in Manchester. Probably varies between places though.
Edited by Donbot on Saturday 10th November 09:59
blueg33 said:
Steve91 said:
To play devils advocate, I see several cars on my drive home in the dark with only their DRLs on, rather than the headlights.
Whether on a bike or in a car, you can't educate the stupid.
If the area has street lighting use of headlights is not obligatoryWhether on a bike or in a car, you can't educate the stupid.
Teddy Lop said:
Handing out freebies to law breakers is exactly the attitude the precipitates the stupid and reckless behaviour of many cyclists.
Would they pull over someone driving a car with bald tyres and fit some new ones for free?
No, but we do applaud police who pull over speeders and give them just a bWould they pull over someone driving a car with bald tyres and fit some new ones for free?
kingGassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff