Flashing or Steady Lights?

[Barks]

I have just seen a video clip of the East/West Cycle Super Highway at night here https://youtu.be/d1FzjE1murs
- it seems to me that the flashing lights are much harder to track than traditional steady ones. It’s something I have thought for some time now when I have been driving yet more and more people are now using flashing lights rather than steady ones. I find it particularly noticeable if two or more cyclists are in close proximity and often seem to not realise how many are in the group. I was wondering how others find them and whether or not there was any specific technical assessment carried out prior to flashing lights being allowed?

[mjr]

I dislike them because I would rather stand more chance of being mistaken for a motorcycle than be easily identified as a bicycle.

I don't know what assessments were carried out but http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/2559/note/made says there are impact assessments available by writing in and http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/writ ... 108_LWA_62 claims DfT research supported them being allowed. I didn't find specific discussion of the 2005 amendment in Parliament before the Secretary signed it off. Others may know/remember more.

[Psamathe]

From driving I've found the most effective are what I'd call "pulsed" lights i.e. ones that remain on but have a brighter pulse. Same would be achieved from two lights close together where one is continuous and the other flashing.

From my driving/personal drivers perspective I'd rate:

Best: "Pulsed"
Medium: "Steady"
Worst" "Flashing"

Trouble is that when cycling you don't get much impression re how effective your rear lights are (other than collisions/close passes/etc. which are hopefully rare enough and down to poor drivers whatever lights you're using).

Ian

[Cyril Haearn]

Both maybe

[foxyrider]

Whilst flashing lights are permissable they are not actually law compliant in the UK (or most of the EU AFAIK).

My PE is that a fixed light is much more useful than a flashing one in most situations - why else would motor vehicles use them. Or conversely why don't they use flashing lights other than to bring attention to a manouevre? I completely agree that it's difficult to track riders only using a flashing front light and they are easily lost against a background of other traffic. Rear flashing are somehow more visible and less issue.

I use flashing lights in low light but if i'm actually doing night riding it will be in combination with a fixed light.

[LollyKat]

I agree. At night I always use two lights front and rear - one flashing, one steady.

[gaz]

Whilst flashing lights are permissable they are not actually law compliant in the UK (or most of the EU AFAIK).

It's not that simple.

Lights that only flash (i.e. have no steady mode) at a rate between 60 and 240 times per minute (1 – 4Hz) and emit at least 4 candela are fully complaint with UK law for use as position lamps on cycles.

Of course most flashing lights also have a steady mode and are not legal unless the steady mode also complies with RVLR.

[geocycle]

Bright flashing lights at the front should be banned. I’ve had serious vision problems after approaching them on cycle tracks. I also saw someone nearly knocked off as he had a central steady light and a flasher to the left. A car at a junction thought he was signalling to turn left and began pulling out. Flashing rear lights are usually ok and I have one but even they can be too bright and very irritating to follow.

[kwackers]

I think flashing lights are falling out of favour.
Used to be they were the only ones you saw, now they're actually pretty rare - and when I do see them they're usually used along with a steady light.

Personally I have a steady light attached to the bolt that holds my brake caliper. Judging by how long most motorists will sit and wait for me to go by I reckon it looks like a motorcycle from the front.

[Scunnered]

Steady light at the front.
One steady plus one flashing at the rear on seat tube, plus another steady rear-facing on the end of the drop bars

[SA_SA_SA]

Steady light at the front.

+1

At the Rear: one or more Steady (at least one BS or Stzvo+RKF3 'approved' unless used in conjunction with 'approved=legal as sole lamp flashing lamp')
plus
an optional single simple flashing rear lamp (I prefer closer to 4Hz than 1hz as I presume this improves distance judgement in case of steady lamp failure). A max of one flashing cos it limits cacophoney : it would be nice if rear flashing lamps could communicate so that only the rearmost in a clump of cyclists flashed(the others automatically extinguishing but perhaps lighting another steady lamp instead.... *).

One steady plus one flashing at the rear on seat tube, plus another steady rear-facing on the end of the drop bars


*This complication due to the law: markspace cannot vary therefore a lamp may not switch from steady to flashing and vice versa...

[The utility cyclist]

I stopped using a front flashing lights quite a few years back even though my commuter/utility light/s have the facility to do so, even just for me the front one is annoying on flash and mine is pretty slow by comparison to most. I mostly run the rear on a steady but an emergency/race bike one I do put on a slow flash sometimes.
The problem stems from poor motorist standards and the hype/belief that flashing lights (or even having 'more') is going to make you more visible, this is clearly a load of rubbish, just as is hi-vis/reflectives (and other plastic adornments that are pushed as 'safety' equipment).

24 years ago when I started car commuting early mornings to the edge of London and latterly into/around London for work I fell into the daytime lights trap (after reading some stats/blurb in Scandinavia) and used to run them all the time, then I stopped about 4-5 years later after learning more and being rear ended sitting at a set of traffic lights.
Though I've pretty much given up driving, for quite a few years I've driven in urban areas with side lights on only, for me more lights/flashing lights makes matters far far worse, motorvehicle lights these days break the law or at least what it says in the HC and far too often bicycle lights are that way too. There's simply no need to burn everyone elses retinas out or have flashing lights if any lights at all (at the back) if everyone is actually looking and going at a speed they can stop in the distance they can see to be clear, this addage/rule applies to people on bikes also.

[rmurphy195]

I don't like the flashing ones either at night, at least when not accompanied by a steady light, for the reasons the OP mentions.

If you think that what we are saying is nonsense, go to the coast, find a lighthouse, and see how many flashes of the lantern it takes for you to properly identify where it is.

[Username]

I use a flashing light and a constant light on the rear. The flashing mode is a mode that randomly flashes any 1 of 5 small LEDs within the light.
For the front I use 2 steady lights. Light I use to see by would irritate me if it was flashing or pulsing. My Volt 300 has a pulse mode, it is intended for use as a torture technique.

[BigFoz]

I use a back light that has 2 independent rows of LEDs, set the bottom on steady and the top on Knight Rider type scroll..