Cycling UK Forum

As the proud owner of a new (well, second hand) trailer - just thinking about lights for it (some loads that I will carry would obscure my bike light which is on the seat post).

I know what I want to do, but does anyone know what the legal minimum is? I've just tried googling for this but can't find anything. I like to stay on the right side of plod if I can...

Dunno the law but standard practice on trikes and dual track trailers is two lights near the width limit. Anything less and the lawyers would be rubbing their hands in case of a shunt I suspect.

I don't know the law, but one on the off side should be enough

I was going to have one each side - it seems the safest. But I'd like to know what the law says in case the hyper-active Brixton police decide to have one of their little initiatives.

Lighting regulations see (e)

One, on the centre line or off side. (The logic behind the regulation is that a trailer is generally considered to be a part of the towing vehicle.)

FWIW I should have thought that two, one on each side was a safer bet.

thirdcrank wrote:Lighting regulations see (e)

Bingo! Many thanks. I just wanted to know the actual law so I can do my barrackroom lawyer impression when/if I get pulled.

but only when its dark - you don't have to have lights or reflectors to use in daylight

Don't forget that the light MUST be at or over 350mm from the ground. May be difficult with a low bike trailer like mine - Carry Freedom.

Light on a stick?

there are very few regs for trailers towed by pedal cycles. As the previous poster said you only need one rear light mounted as said, but you still need the bike light as well even if it's not visible. also you need one rear reflector which is supposed to be cycle type and NOT a triangular trailer type.I guess thats to stop idiot drivers from thinking you're a 'proper' trailer and vehicle. Other than that you can tow what you can tow i.e for most cyclists that would be about 250Kg before you slow down too much, but remember some brakes on the trailer or you will get pushed by it when braking. In theory because there is no regulation, you could tow a trailer which was more than 8'6" wide and longer than is it 44' now for LGVs.

On the other hand motorcyclists have lots more regs to comply with including restrictions on total length, width and weight.

thirdcrank wrote:FWIW I should have thought that two, one on each side was a safer bet.

So long as they don't make your trailer look like a car some way off in the distance...

I'd go for one constant light on the off-side, and perhaps a flasher somewhere else too, but I'd avoid two side-by-side constant lights.

I have a flashing LED on the top right of my trailer, but what about reflectors (I have two at the bottom) are they required?
A car trailer does not need to have ligts or number plates if it doesnt obscure those on the car, why dont we have that allowance?
Having the bike's own light left on is a bit dazzling to the poor child whose face is just a couple of feet behind it.

Meic

I wrote:Lighting regulations see (e)

That link takes you to the current lighting regs., as displayed on the minsitry website, although it lands you amongst pedal cycle rear lights. Plough through it all and you will find everything about every requirement for every type of vehicle.

Without ploughing through myself, I think you need a round cycle type red reflector on the back of a cycle trailer in the dark. (This is not an area of law that I would ever have bothered committing to memory.)

I'm not sure you are right about rear number plates etc., on trailers - I have a feeling that you are confusing trailers with things like tow-ball mounted bike carriers, which need a lighting board if they obstruct lights / reg plate. I think a motor vehicle (nowadays possibly a'mechanically propelled vehicle) is defined to include '...any trailer drawn thereby' so the back of the trailer is effectively the back of the vehicle. If there is a difference in the requirements, it will be because of the way a pedal cycle is defined.

So long as you are well lit up, white at the front, red at the back, I cannot see any cyclist attracting enforcement attention. Very few police officers will know the law in this detail and I fancy cyclists without any lights will be a geater priority (or less of a non-priority.)

As a copper I can confirm there are going to be a very very few cops who know the regs.
As long as you are sensible and have a minimum of one red light (BS standard) and reflector you will not go wrong.
Personally I would go for solid red on the offside and flashing red on centre line, maybe even on the back of your jacket so it is visible further away.

fullupandslowingdown wrote:...lso you need one rear reflector which is supposed to be cycle type and NOT a triangular trailer type.....

No, in the UK you do need an Ece III OR IIIa Triangular reflector on a cycle trailer* (its the Germans who ban them on pedal-cycle trailers ("you're in a country with too many rules... where are you?" said the pub landlord )

*https://web.archive.org/web/20170113065923/https://www.cyclinguk.org/cyclists-library/regulations/lighting-regulations

I've two bike lights and two triangle reflectors on the back of my large carry freedom trailer.
But I'm not sure how 100% legal it is because the lights are setup above the reflectors which I gather is illegal for car trailers.
I've also wrapped some reflective hgv trailer boards around the corners just at add some yellow reflective area.
You can also see the light on the back of my bent trikes rack over the top of the trailer.
I always run both my trailer lights in flashing mode just so it even more different from a car trailer at night.