Be seen or pay the price !

[Barrel of Fun]

I'm with the ginger Mod here.

I live on the outskirts of Burgess Hill and the amount of times I get yoofs on their BMX's kerbing (if thats the word) in front of me at night when i'm driving so they can see themselves is frightening.

One day soon, and I hope beyond hope it's not me, it will happen, and the driver will be blamed.

There's a young chap, who skateboards in the road, round by Preston Park station who definitely needs lights or his parents need a lobotomy or both.

 

[BensGrandad]

And will invalidate your car insurance.

Rubbish I know a WPC who tried this for a car with no tax and CPS said she would lose so not to bother. The insurance company may try to wriggle out ofa claim but if you stick with it they will pay up.

It has always been an offense as long as I can remember to ride a bike with no lights as it is to ride on the pavement but nobody took any notice. It is good to see they are going to now and follow it up with cycling the wrong way up a one way street.

 

[vegster]

There's a young chap, who skateboards in the road, round by Preston Park station who definitely needs lights or his parents need a lobotomy or both.

I have seen a lot of this in Brighton, it's so weird as you drive they look at you as if YOU are mad and that it is you who is in the wrong. I saw one once going down the road towards the junction by The Level where it joins The Lewes Road, buses and cars but he did not care.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Just posturing.
A) There aren't enough police to do any effective enforcement against anyone except motorists who are easy meat because they have number plates.
B) If they don't have any lights, the police won't see the dopey pillock cyclists anyway, who will continue on their lawless, light jumping, pavement riding, wrong way cycling, peedestrian crossing jumping way regardless.

 

[happypig]

Driving without lights is a non-endorsable offence punishable by a band A fine (50% of relevant weekly income) with a maximum of £1000

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Of course you would be to blame. If you crashed into a parked car it would be your fault, or into a tree on the side of the road you could'nt blame the tree..
Does'nt excuse the stupid cyclist for being to tight to buy lights though!

What a stupid argument. Parked cars have reflective lights, so are always visible. Trees at the side of the road are exactly that - at the side of the road. Neither of these things are comparable to a cyclist dressed all in dark clothes, weaving about the road late at night.

 

[£1.99]

Its not stupid though is it! You said in your original reply, "when I'm driving at night and I come up behind some tosspot cyclist with no lights. If it were to hit him, no doubt it would be me as the driver who was blamed".
Do you not anticipate any dangers that might lurk around a bend or when driving in low light and ajust your speed accordingly allowing enough stopping distance. To be a good driver you must think ahead.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

I cycle and I drive so I see both sides.

As a cylist the thing that bugs me most is some drivers judgement, for example when approaching those new style islands where one side of the road has priority. On many occasions cars seem to think that because I am cycling that I don't have priority, and try to squeeze past me at the same time I am passing the island. It's bloody dangerous.

The other thing I absolutely hate is the way some drivers pull out at junctions, again they don't judge your speed. On many occassions I have been forced to break.
But the biscuit for me is when people cross the road to park up on the opposite side. Two or three occassions this has happened to me now, where I see a car coming towards me. To say I was angry is understatement.

If some drivers could be a little bit more patient it would be much better for everyone.

And as for cyclists when I drive, I just absolutely cringe when I see people without lights, or go through red lights they are just making all sensible cyclists look like ********s.
I really hope the police do clamp down, fine them, just do something.

I would be happy to pay this government a year road cycle fee, if it meant we could have more cycle paths, so we can keep away from the cars and vice versa and make it safe for everyone.

 

[£1.99]

I would be happy to pay this government a year road cycle fee, if it meant we could have more cycle paths, so we can keep away from the cars and vice versa and make it safe for everyone.

I would also be happy to pay this as long as they did spend it on quality cycle lanes.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Police target Brighton and Hove cyclists riding without lights
Cyclists who ride in the dark with no lights face being fined £50 from Monday (28 October) in a crackdown by Sussex Police.

The force said: “Cyclists spotted using their bikes without lights could be stopped and fined in a road safety crackdown.

“From Monday officers will be on the streets of Brighton and Hove from when it begins to go dark looking for anyone cycling dangerously.

“People seen cycling in the dark or in gloomy conditions without lights will be stopped, told that they are breaking the law and issued with a cycling warning notice.

“If officers are particularly concerned by a cyclist’s behaviour they will issue them with a fine for £50 for failing to use their lights.

“However, anyone issued with a fine for not having lights in the week-long campaign will have it cancelled if they prove within seven days that they have subsequently had lights fitted to their bike.

“The campaign is aimed at educating riders about how they can make the streets safer for themselves and other road users.

“Many young people and students do not have lights on their bikes and believe the street lights in the city centres are bright enough for them to not need the equipment, despite the law saying they must have it.”

Inspector Gareth Davies said: “We don’t want to criminalise people. We just want them to cycle safely.

“Our message is all about seeing and being seen.

“Using lights on your bike makes it easier for drivers and pedestrians to see you and for you to see your surroundings, meaning the roads are safer for everyone.”

http://www.brightonandhovenews.org/...817?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Speaking as a cyclist, I don't want education, I want law enforcement. Either enforce the law on an ongoing basis or don't bother.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

Its not stupid though is it! You said in your original reply, "when I'm driving at night and I come up behind some tosspot cyclist with no lights. If it were to hit him, no doubt it would be me as the driver who was blamed".
Do you not anticipate any dangers that might lurk around a bend or when driving in low light and ajust your speed accordingly allowing enough stopping distance. To be a good driver you must think ahead.

that's true,same for a cyclist isn't it
regards
DR

 

[GingerBeerMan]

What is your point then GBM, spell it out FFS.

Brilliant! I don't think they are going to have dedicated patrols just officers more likely to take action against the offenders. It's sensible. If you drove your car and night and the lights didn't work you would get a ticket so cyclists should too.

Cars only get a ticket for driving with faulty lights, whereas cyclists can get a ticket for driving with no lights at all. This isn't the 'fairground' Ozseagull was talking about. Cars can drive without lights in town and bikes can't Seems fair.