Cyclists at night

[RemainAllHoof]

Not a rant but I saw two cyclists tonight cycling on the road without lights or reflective gear. Are they mad? Or is the driver to blame even if the cyclist is doing his best to be a ninja when he gets knocked off his bicycle?

[RemainAllHoof]

I mean, if I'm cycling at night, I'd wrap a "light rope" round me that flashes.

[hardcorehobbit]

Not unusual unfortunately.

Regularly see idiots in Lincoln cycling with no lights, no helmet and all black clothing.

[BliarOut]

I have three flashing rear lights, each with at least 5 LED's. One fits to the collar of my high viz jacket, one fits under my seat and one is on the rear upright near the deraiileur.

If you can't see me it's time to take public transport

[RemainAllHoof]

BliarOut said:

I have three flashing rear lights, each with at least 5 LED's. One fits to the collar of my high viz jacket, one fits under my seat and one is on the rear upright near the deraiileur.

If you can't see me it's time to take public transport

That's what I'm talking about! As I've said elsewhere, whether I'm pedalling or riding, I want to be lit up like a Christmas tree.

[RemainAllHoof]

hardcorehobbit said:

Not unusual unfortunately.

Regularly see idiots in Lincoln cycling with no lights, no helmet and all black clothing.

Isn't there some kind of law about wearing helmets and using lights while cycling on the road? I guess not having a reg plate means they can do what they want.</can of worms>

[Cemesis]

I always feel that those who do it don't drive a car and honestly believe as they can see the car with its lights, you can see them.

Darwinism at work.

[Chicane-UK]

I live near to a University. The number of students wobbling around on badly maintained bikes, on very dark local roads with heavy traffic is toe curling. As a cyclist myself I cringe whenever I see these cycling ninja's around.. They don't need to spend more than £20-£25 to get an acceptable starter kit which will at least give motorists a sporting chance of seeing them!

Can't quite understand the mentality.

[timbob]

I've always thought it very selfish of them after a near miss I had a few years ago. Coming over the brow of a hill of a dark A road at about 50mph. I was briefly dazzled by the headlights of an oncoming lorry and only saw the reflectors in the pedals of a cyclist in my dipped beam yards before I would have hit him. Luckily, I was able to swerve out and around him before the lorry passed me.

But if I had have hit the cyclist - and, no doubt killed or seriously injured them - I'd have that image of them hitting my bonnet and bouncing over the car in my mind and on my conscience for the rest of my life.

[Pothole]

RemainAllHoof said:

hardcorehobbit said:

Not unusual unfortunately.

Regularly see idiots in Lincoln cycling with no lights, no helmet and all black clothing.

Isn't there some kind of law about wearing helmets and using lights while cycling on the road? I guess not having a reg plate means they can do what they want.</can of worms>

There is no helmet law, no, thank God. There is law on lights but then if nobody can see them they're not going to get caught are they?

[davepoth]

Even the £100 bike I bought, which is terrible in every respect, came with some flashing LED lights. As above, pure Darwinism for those who can't be bothered.

[RemainAllHoof]

Pothole said:

here is no helmet law, no, thank God. There is law on lights but then if nobody can see them they're not going to get caught are they?

Wouldn't a helmet law be a good thing? Not sure what you mean by the light thing unless you're being funny.

[Cactussed]

Frankly, eny cyclist who doesn't have front and rear lights and at least some reflective gear is asking to get wiped out. End of story. There is no other plausible viewpoint on this.

[Harji]

I cycle and cyclists at night without lights pi** me off too. However, blame the police for not being anywhere to enforce these issues, I don't knolw where they are but yesterday during the day I saw three people driving while talking on the mobile phone (within a minute) and two cyclists in the evening without lights. Didn't see a single copper though.

If you don't get caught/warned you're going to carry on aren't you?

[Cactussed]

Really??? Why should the police get blamed for the astounding stupidity of the general public? The general culture of personal rights coupled with absolution of responsibility is part of what's driving the world into the ground.

Exercise some common sense.

[ZesPak]

Cactussed said:

Really??? Why should the police get blamed for the astounding stupidity of the general public? The general culture of personal rights coupled with absolution of responsibility is part of what's driving the world into the ground.

Exercise some common sense.

What angers me most is the kids that do this.

I can't imagine me leaving the house with a bike that hasn't got all the lights working properly when I was little, yet I see a lot of 12yo without proper lighting!

Do their parents really not care whether their kid gets hit?

[Harji]

Cactussed said:

Really??? Why should the police get blamed for the astounding stupidity of the general public? The general culture of personal rights coupled with absolution of responsibility is part of what's driving the world into the ground.

Exercise some common sense.

Police are supposed to enforce the law and the only way some people are going to get the message is by getting caught and fined. No Police around, people who do this think they can do it any time all the time.

Getting harrased by the cops at 17 about brake light not working made sure that I check the brake lights reguarly, now I see it all the time, a front light gone, brake lights, indicators not working. And police around to stop them. If I see it reguarly then surely a regular police patrol will see it, but there are not any.

[Liquid Knight]

I've noticed this a lot more this year. Even though you can get a set of lights from Aldi for £4.00

I think someone's realised the Police are short staffed and underfunded so the chances of them getting away with it are higher than ever.

[Ed.]

RemainAllHoof said:

Pothole said:

here is no helmet law, no, thank God. There is law on lights but then if nobody can see them they're not going to get caught are they?

Wouldn't a helmet law be a good thing? Not sure what you mean by the light thing unless you're being funny.

I think Medical response was the increased health risk from the number of people who would stop cycling if forced to wear a helmet outweighed the health risk from cycling injuries. Perhaps those who can't sort out having a cycle helmet are no better at getting lights fitted? Either way, no sense bringing a new rule for helmets when the rules for lights aren't enforced.

[Pannywagon]

Thankfully the cyclists on both my morning and evening commutes tend to be lit up like Christmas trees which helps. The other evening, driving into Plymouth on an unlit NSL SC in rain, with a long line of oncomming cars, so quite a lot of dazzle: suddenly something slightly darker than the rest of the hedge appears at the side of the road and within a couple of tenths has flashed by, inches from the side of the car.

Silence, then I enquire of my wife. "Did you see that?"

"Yes"

"That was a person wasn't it?"

"Yes"

The mind boggles. I was doing just under 60. Prior to the cars coming the other way, my lights hadn't reached the pedestrian and with them coming, there was no way I was going to see him early. If I'd hit him you can guarantee that would have been game over for him and court for me.