Night riding with no bike lights

[SteveRuss]

Although I live in Bristol, I spend a reasonable amount of time in London. I am currently working in Greenwich and have been quite shocked at the amount of people (adults) riding on the roads at night with no lights whatsoever. One after another.. It felt like it was approaching one in every three cyclists that just hadn't bothered with lighting.

This does happen in Bristol but not to the level i've seen in the past two weeks. I am actually quite shocked at the sheer amount of them.

 

[Alan Quay]

A colleague of mine quit his job and cycled to Africa, with his brother. They cycled around a bit, then cycled home.

They had a great time by all accounts.

A few months after he'd returned to the UK he was cycling to work in Exeter early one morning. The Devon country roads are totally unlit.

His front light failed. No problem he thought, I'll just pull in whenever I see another vehicle coming.

Unfortunately, as he rounded a bend there was another unlit bike coming the other way.

Head on impact. Broken bikes. Injuries (thankfully not serious).

When he told me this story I LMFAO!

 

[mike killay]

I cannot understand why the Police don't do something about this.
It contributes to the general lawless view of bikes that motorists get and is no help to those who would like to see better cycling facilities.
I notice that in Belgium, everyone uses lights.

 

[Yamdude]

There seems to be a lot of unlit cyclists in my town..... especially the ones who use a cheap BSO to go to the pub.

 

[Gubbins]

Is it me or what but around here there are so many out after dark dressed on black/dark colours?

 

[anotherkiwi]

Not to mention pedestrians crossing wherever they choose dressed in black. I dress in dark colours but always cross on pedestrian crossings at night. Just in case... I'm sure it will make my sons richer when the insurance company pays out...

We have the obligatory fluorescent jacket law as soon as you leave city limits. I wear a fluorescent yellow wind-breaker when it isn't raining and my safety vest over rain clothes when it is.

 

[tillson]

I cannot understand why the Police don't do something about this.
It contributes to the general lawless view of bikes that motorists get and is no help to those who would like to see better cycling facilities.
I notice that in Belgium, everyone uses lights.

Having spoken to a policeman, he tells me that The Crown Prosecution Service are no longer willing to prosecute this offence. Therefore, there is no point in spending time pulling over cyclist and issuing tickets or notices of intended prosecution.

 

[Nealh]

Having spoken to a policeman, he tells me that The Crown Prosecution Service are no longer willing to prosecute this offence. Therefore, there is no point in spending time pulling over cyclist and issuing tickets or notices of intended prosecution.

In that case then then they should fine them £30 on the spot or confiscate the bike, I have no sympathy for unlit cyclists that get injured at night. I had a run in with a spotty numpty last winter who no lights and had a right slanging match with him, his mates were there as well keeping quite he soon shut up when his mates laughed at him after I called him a retard. They all road off still laughing except one. These unlit night cyclists just can't see anything wrong with their actions and must be happy with the fact that they are the undertakers next port of call.

 

[tillson]

In that case then then they should fine them £30 on the spot or confiscate the bike, I have no sympathy for unlit cyclists that get injured at night. I had a run in with a spotty numpty last winter who no lights and had a right slanging match with him, his mates were there as well keeping quite he soon shut up when his mates laughed at him after I called him a retard. They all road off still laughing except one. These unlit night cyclists just can't see anything wrong with their actions and must be happy with the fact that they are the undertakers next port of call.

On the spot fines are no good either as they are offered as an alternative to prosecution. "Yeruman Rights" entitle you to a fair trial, so there is no obligation to accept an on the spot fine. And, since the CPS won't take the matter to trial, you won't be prosecuted.

I agree with you, people riding without lights in dark clothing on unlit fast roads are in grave danger. I see an increasing number of them.

There is no doubt that we are over populated, so I can't see what harm a bit of pruning at the shallow end of the gene pool can do. I look at these unlit cyclists as doing a public service and scarcely give them a second thought.

 

[flecc]

These unlit night cyclists just can't see anything wrong with their actions and must be happy with the fact that they are the undertakers next port of call.

On practice in London this isn't the outcome though, the few cycling deaths are usually of commuters, and mainly in the morning commute on properly equipped bikes.

The fact that the unlit casual night cyclists get away with it is perhaps a tribute to the drivers and also to the high intensities of much of London's street lighting.
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