No Winter Hazard Reduction
A very well-connected chap on ACF posted today (and I quote) that the new amendment to the Road Safety Bill which will legalise the use of flashing rear lights for pedal cyclists, is not due for royal assent (i.e. become law) until March or April 2006.
The initial publication date was 21 October 2005 but this date has slipped by 6 months due to the general election. The law received its final reading in the Lords earlier this month and now has to be closely scrutinised before being passed into law.
Bugger.
Whilst driving in to work in the dark this week (25 miles, nasty route, wish I could bike it, maybe one day) I've been specially watching for cyclists without flashing lights and checking out what their lights are if I have trouble seeing them.
I'm seeing a lot of the old, white plastic cased BS approved type steadies, and just can't believe now much dimmer they are compared to the LEDs. Someone posted a while ago that the flashies shout "BIKE!! BIKE!!! BIKE!!!" to drivers and I have to agree, to me, they do.
I hopehopehope that the slippage of this bill will not contribute to more injuries and deaths this Winter. I know that it will though, as there will be parents who insist that their children have the "proper" lights not the "trendy" LEDs for cycling to school - as my parents would have. Just as an example.
As for me, I've decided that could not care less. I will continue to use the Passubio supernova on the front backed up by a white flashing LED (Topeak Whitelite), and two monster 5-LED arrays on the back (Cateye TL-LD600) - one on me and one on the bike. Plus reflective gear....
The initial publication date was 21 October 2005 but this date has slipped by 6 months due to the general election. The law received its final reading in the Lords earlier this month and now has to be closely scrutinised before being passed into law.
Bugger.
Whilst driving in to work in the dark this week (25 miles, nasty route, wish I could bike it, maybe one day) I've been specially watching for cyclists without flashing lights and checking out what their lights are if I have trouble seeing them.
I'm seeing a lot of the old, white plastic cased BS approved type steadies, and just can't believe now much dimmer they are compared to the LEDs. Someone posted a while ago that the flashies shout "BIKE!! BIKE!!! BIKE!!!" to drivers and I have to agree, to me, they do.
I hopehopehope that the slippage of this bill will not contribute to more injuries and deaths this Winter. I know that it will though, as there will be parents who insist that their children have the "proper" lights not the "trendy" LEDs for cycling to school - as my parents would have. Just as an example.
As for me, I've decided that could not care less. I will continue to use the Passubio supernova on the front backed up by a white flashing LED (Topeak Whitelite), and two monster 5-LED arrays on the back (Cateye TL-LD600) - one on me and one on the bike. Plus reflective gear....
posted by Catherine at 10:40
2 Comments:
I am inclined to agree with you about the LEDs - but you still occasionally see the odd cyclist on a dark and dingy night using the tiniest 1 LED light on flash. Sometimes you even see them in enough time to take early evasive action... but more often than not its a mad last-minute swerve.
Glad to see there are cyclists out there that illuminate themselves like a Christmas Tree - it gives us horseless carriage drivers a fighting chance to leave you guys in one piece!
:-))
They're suicidal aren't they? I'm having the most issue with a set of chav-on-an-apollo with black hooded jackets at the moment - delivering papers in the morning and diving off the pavement in front of me with no warning in the evening.
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