legal lights

[seph]

I'm after some battery powered LED lights that conform to the relevant BS3648 or BS6102/3 standards. I have other lights that are plenty effective enough, i just want some cheap additional lights that comply with the letter of the law, (so that in the event of an accident I wont be held partly to blame for having the wrong lights...) Can anyone tell me of any that qualify?

[Cunobelin]

While you are looking, could you please also find the Holy Grail and the city of Atlantis?

The weird thing is that what you are after does not exist as there are very few lights out there that fit the standards of BS6102/3.

There is also th issue that many of the lights that do fit BS6102/3 do not meet the requirements of the road Vehicle Lighting regulations (and vice-versa)

Even when they do claim to meet BS it remains unclear whether they do...
The Cateye AU100 being stamped with the kite mark, but it only applied to the reflector not the light part ofthe unit.

[Brucey]

just as importantly you need a full set reflectors too, which could vary with the age of your bike.

The easiest way of being compliant with the law is to buy a set of flashing lights. Your other lights then become 'additional lights'.

It is all explained very well here;

http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/regulations/lighting-regulations

cheers

[[XAP]Bob]

Or buy German K marked (?) lights - as EU harmonisation rules mean thay they should be considered legal.

They are also useful...

[MartinC]

.............wont be held partly to blame for having the wrong lights...

Realistically you'll always be partly to blame 'cos you're a cyclist and it's dangerous.

[gaz]

I'm after some battery powered LED lights that conform to the relevant BS3648 or BS6102/3 standards.

There are a few links in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=79705&start=15

[meic]

While you are looking, could you please also find the Holy Grail and the city of Atlantis?

The weird thing is that what you are after does not exist as there are very few lights out there that fit the standards of BS6102/3.

There is also th issue that many of the lights that do fit BS6102/3 do not meet the requirements of the road Vehicle Lighting regulations (and vice-versa)

Even when they do claim to meet BS it remains unclear whether they do...
The Cateye AU100 being stamped with the kite mark, but it only applied to the reflector not the light part ofthe unit.

I dont know quite how literally you meant the comment about a kite mark but the AU100 (I have one here in my hand) is clearly marked both BS6102/3 on the light part of the lens AND BS6102/2 on the reflector part of the lens.
Thirdcrank did point out that the Eurolight's BS rear lamp could possibly fail the letter of the law because the BS mark is on the body rather than the lens. I dont see any civil court case accepting that as meaning you were not adequately lit (though it could waste time and money deciding that ).

[Urticaria]

It pains me to mention it, but the Bikehut range in Halfords are often marked up as conforming to BS.
Their website is also clear about under what conditions it meets the BS, or the RVL regs.
There are some special offers at the moment, such as this or this.

It might be a good idea to keep the packaging or retain a copy of the web page, so that the light's conformance is not in doubt, as I'm not sure it is stamped on the lights. Now I come to write this, I wonder whether they are using weasel words in that they conform, but have never actually been certified?

[maxwellhadley]

The Brompton battery rear light is BS marked, and is available as an aftermarket accessory. It includes a reflector, and I think the marking applies to both light & reflector - I'm not able to check at the moment. This is made by Spanninga, and against expectations, fits the standard two holes back-of-rack bracket. I've got one on my Giant.

[andrew_s]

Or buy German K marked (?) lights - as EU harmonisation rules mean thay they should be considered legal.

They are also useful...

This is what I do. Get a dynamo hub, fit B+M lights*, job done for the next several years.
The K-number is specific to an approved light, so all you need to look for is that there is one. A lot of them are also have BS 6102 markings, on rear lights at least.

*other brands available, but B+M are usually better, at least without paying lots.

The easiest way of being compliant with the law is to buy a set of flashing lights. Your other lights then become 'additional lights'.

Flashing lights only provide legal lighting ifthey don't have a steady mode. That excludes almost everything that' on the market other than the Reelights. These may be illegal lighting because of fitting too low (min 350mm height, iirc), or you may not want to use then for orther reasons.

[Brucey]

The easiest way of being compliant with the law is to buy a set of flashing lights. Your other lights then become 'additional lights'.

Flashing lights only provide legal lighting if they don't have a steady mode....

true... CJ suggests that such lights with a flashing mode that isn't being used are 'legal, but not compliant' and that you might want something else as well. I wonder if there has been (or ever would be) a test case for this?

cheers

[meic]

It appears that the Eurolights that I always used to recommend have vanished along with the website for the company.

If you want a rear light which is stamped with the letters BS then it is the Cateye BS100.
Though it is a bit big and heavy for many people and the difficulty of removing batteries can mean rechargeables get damaged.
You also get the light and reflector both in one unit.

The Cateye TL LD500 has a BS reflector and is BS stamped for that alone. Now I wonder what are the chances of (in the exceedingly rare case of someone looking for BS marks) anybody noticing that the BS only applies to the reflector and not the whole unit?
This is a good light that isnt heavy or bulky and takes up little more space than the reflector which it replaces.

[NUKe]

I'm after some battery powered LED lights that conform to the relevant BS3648 or BS6102/3 standards. I have other lights that are plenty effective enough, i just want some cheap additional lights that comply with the letter of the law, (so that in the event of an accident I wont be held partly to blame for having the wrong lights...) Can anyone tell me of any that qualify?

If you have lights and they are conspicuous then don't worry about the legality of the said lights. No one as yet has been held culpable for having non standard lights. Worry about having the approriate equipment for the conditions so that the accident can be better avoided in the first place rather than conforming to a standard which is probably more about not poisoning you if you decide to eat it rather than being seen.

[Brucey]

It appears that the Eurolights that I always used to recommend have vanished along with the website for the company...

eh? Still here;

http://eurolightcycling.com/products.aspx?id=2#

with my browser, anyway.

cheers

[meic]

Thank you, I was using an old link which I have gone back and modified now.

The EL153 is BS marked but on the body not the lens, not perfect but I wonder if anybody would hold that manufacturer's mistake against the user?

I have them fitted on quite a few bikes as my regulation lights, nice compact and light, not a bad light either perfectly adequate if anybody is actually looking where they are going.