Cyclists! 1449

JNugent

I'd actually be quite happy with that - so long as they are used appropriately after dark or when circumstances (such as heavy fog) require it. However, it is a lot easier to walk with a bicycle or put it onto a train or into a taxi if you get stuck after dark, try doing that with a car...

I'm not arguing that at all. The facts point to the law as it stands - lights should be used by all vehicles after dark (including bicycles) and should be fitted as standard to motor vehicles. Any change in the current regulations would need to properly consider the practicalities of such a change.

Lets carry the argument through to its logical conclusion: - should all pedestrians should be fitted with lights and not be allowed out without them - even in daylight ?

That doesn't seem reasonable to me.

We currently have a situation where some road users have to have lights fitted (most motor vehicles) and some don't (pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists), I'd argue that is reasonable and the line has to be drawn somewhere, having a motor seems as good as dividing line as any other I've heard.

For practicalities sake I think sticking with the law as it stands makes a lot of sense. If you want to push for all new bicycles to be sold with lights, I understand and think it deserves consideration, however I'd argue that many cyclists already have a suitable set of lights that can easily be moved between bikes. Making lights a compulsory part of a bicycle sale would needlessly increase the cost of bikes at a time when we should be encouraging cycling.

Unfortunately due to current car (and other motor vehicle) design lights are not easily moved between different cars, so the situation is somewhat different.

Douglas