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Flashy Lights


Dicky

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Does that mean cyclists are always braking hard?

Most have flashy front and rear LEDs....

 

Yeah if they can have them why can't I. Not seen anything yet to suggest the're not legal in fact a lot of new cars have them fitted.

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Flashing brake lights when you're slamming the anchors on is fine. Constantly flashing whenever you tap the brakes is daft, and is likely to cause an accident.

 

Put it this way, you're going to have an interesting conversation with your insurer when you try and explain this mod to them.

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Usage of emergency vehicle lighting is restricted in the United Kingdom through the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989.[18] It is illegal for any vehicle to show a flashing coloured light (with the exception of the normal direction indicators and Anti lock brake indicators[clarification needed], unless it is an emergency or other authorised vehicle.[19] However recently pedal cycles can exhibit a flashing rear red lamp

Edited by jumping350
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Personally I'm not a fan of these "flashing" type brake lights. It should be a bright solid red light whenever someone is braking.

 

If the car behind can't see this then they are obviously not paying enough attention to the road/car in front & will probably crash regardless at some point.

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Personally I'm not a fan of these "flashing" type brake lights. It should be a bright solid red light whenever someone is braking.

 

If the car behind can't see this then they are obviously not paying enough attention to the road/car in front & will probably crash regardless at some point.

 

You're missing the point. It can be difficult in certain situations to see how hard the car in front is braking. If the brake light flashes when the anchors are put on, then this will indicate to the person following that the person in front is braking harder than normal.

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Personally I'm not a fan of these "flashing" type brake lights. It should be a bright solid red light whenever someone is braking.

 

If the car behind can't see this then they are obviously not paying enough attention to the road/car in front & will probably crash regardless at some point.

 

You're missing the point. It can be difficult in certain situations to see how hard the car in front is braking. If the brake light flashes when the anchors are put on, then this will indicate to the person following that the person in front is braking harder than normal.

I'm not missing the point at all.

I know why they flash but I'm in a minority I'm sure as if you asked normal joe public who's not into cars why the brake light flashes on XYZ car he/she wouldn't have a clue I'm sure.

 

Just keep your eyes on the road & vehicles in front and it should be obvious whether the car is braking hard or not as it will start getting closer to you really quickly.

 

Cars never used to have this feature and I don't think everyone almost died because of it. Just imo.

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Personally I'm not a fan of these "flashing" type brake lights. It should be a bright solid red light whenever someone is braking.

 

If the car behind can't see this then they are obviously not paying enough attention to the road/car in front & will probably crash regardless at some point.

 

I agree with you to a point. You do have two other solid brake lights, but I think the flas sing 3rd light wakes you up faster and brings more urgency to the situation. Yeah I know if someone in front is breaking then your in an urgent situation, but some people do daydream. I would lay money that many of us (I have many times) drive on auto pilot a lot of the time especially driving a famiiure road and I just think the flashing light helps in such situations and is why I think there a great idea.

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Personally I'm not a fan of these "flashing" type brake lights. It should be a bright solid red light whenever someone is braking.

 

If the car behind can't see this then they are obviously not paying enough attention to the road/car in front & will probably crash regardless at some point.

 

I agree with you to a point. You do have two other solid brake lights, but I think the flas sing 3rd light wakes you up faster and brings more urgency to the situation. Yeah I know if someone in front is breaking then your in an urgent situation, but some people do daydream. I would lay money that many of us (I have many times) drive on auto pilot a lot of the time especially driving a famiiure road and I just think the flashing light helps in such situations and is why I think there a great idea.

Fair point Dicky. :thumbs:

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I cycle to work every now and then, definitely have flashing red lights on the rear :ninja: especially in the winter season to be seen and I'm definitely not braking hard.

 

IMO, these flashing rear brake light is a good idea if, and only if they only work during hard braking and the are being assembled at the bottom of the rear bumper to avoid dazzling others but good enough to give them warning. (not easy to balance I suppose)

 

Don't fancy being stuck in a traffic jam behind a car with that flashing every time he/she touches the brake! That would definitely pass me off!

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I cycle to work every now and then, definitely have flashing red lights on the rear :ninja: especially in the winter season to be seen and I'm definitely not braking hard.

 

IMO, these flashing rear brake light is a good idea if, and only if they only work during hard braking and the are being assembled at the bottom of the rear bumper to avoid dazzling others but good enough to give them warning. (not easy to balance I suppose)

 

Don't fancy being stuck in a traffic jam behind a car with that flashing every time he/she touches the brake! That would definitely pass me off!

 

As I understand it from previouse posts hard breaking is only considered to happen when the ABS operates and is why some believe the flashing lights should only come on then. But let's face it hard breaking doesn't only occur when the ABS operates, I've break hard on many occasions without it cutting in.

With regard to positioning the flashing lights to avoid dazzling. Can't see this point, flashing the 3rd brake light doesn't increase the brightness it's just the same, maybe less because it's going on/off and no one complains about the Z 3rd brake light brightness at the moment.

As I've mentioned above, following activation, the light doesn't flash again until a programmable time has elapsed so driving in traffic shouldn't be to much of a problem for other drivers.

I'm still not convinced by the against reasoning but I am concerned about the legal aspect.

 

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Saw one of these on a Vauxhall the other night, he had screamed by me on the M11 then was doing the same on the A14 using left hand lane to over take - he did get boxed one and sat behind me and then seemed to fire of a flashing white light from the front then screamed off again

 

I wondered at one stage if it was plod unmarked or doing some kind of speed training but it was pretty reckless so discounted that

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