Helmet mounted spotlights

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Helmet mounted spotlights - legality?

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1527 posts

Uber Geek

#1312783 27-May-2015 14:39

I think there should be a ban on any flashing head light if theres not already, they are dangerous. I have no problem with the rear lights flashing as they aren't as bright. If the govt want more people to cycle they need to make the law easier to understand and enforce it with hefty fines.

And perhaps require bikes used on the road to be registered, just $10 a year for a rego number thats linked to the owner/rider.

Talkiet

4792 posts

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Trusted

#1312786 27-May-2015 14:42

BTR: [snip] And perhaps require bikes used on the road to be registered, just $10 a year for a rego number thats linked to the owner/rider.

Oh MAN! I'm getting popcorn for this!

Cheers - N

(ps, I agree with you, but cyclists in the past seem vehemently opposed to being able to be identified like most other road users are required to be)

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

keewee01

1737 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1312797 27-May-2015 15:01

As someone pasted a few posts up - on the roads the only working lights should be mounted on the bike itself, and if one is intended as a headlamp it should be angled towards the road. When I was a kid growing up we were taught by the police that the "headlamp" on a bike was to see the road in front of you.

Whilst driving on a 100km/h road I was temporarily blinded by one of these helmet mounted lights a while back - cyclest right on the inside of the barrier in the oncoming lane looked right at me. I had to slow right down as I was pretty much blind for about 5 seconds and saw large purple spots for the following 20 or 30 seconds. It was bloody frightening. Far, far, far worse than an oncoming car with lights on full and not an experience I wish to repeat ever.

jfanning

438 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1312798 27-May-2015 15:02

BTR: I think there should be a ban on any flashing head light if theres not already, they are dangerous. I have no problem with the rear lights flashing as they aren't as bright. If the govt want more people to cycle they need to make the law easier to understand and enforce it with hefty fines.

And perhaps require bikes used on the road to be registered, just $10 a year for a rego number thats linked to the owner/rider.

They are legal, but why do you think the are dangerous? Surely if you notice them, it is beneficial to you, and the cyclist with them on.

Also, the administration costs around registering a cyclist would be much more than $10, and what would it actually achieve?

jfanning

438 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1312799 27-May-2015 15:05

Talkiet:
(ps, I agree with you, but cyclists in the past seem vehemently opposed to being able to be identified like most other road users are required to be)

What about pedestrians, shall we get them registered as well? After all they use the road, how about skateboards, rollerblades, scooters?

keewee01

1737 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1312801 27-May-2015 15:06

BTR: I think there should be a ban on any flashing head light if theres not already, they are dangerous. I have no problem with the rear lights flashing as they aren't as bright. If the govt want more people to cycle they need to make the law easier to understand and enforce it with hefty fines.

And perhaps require bikes used on the road to be registered, just $10 a year for a rego number thats linked to the owner/rider.

Some of those flashing one look more like strobe lights!! I often have to squint when cyclists coming towards me have these on - at that is at dusk when there is some daylight left.

Not sure about the registration idea thou. Cyclist just need to be aware that using such powerful lights is illegal, and that any lights they are using must be mounted on their bike, not on their helmet. And the police need to actually police this rather than ignoring the problem.

mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#1312802 27-May-2015 15:09

keewee01:
BTR: I think there should be a ban on any flashing head light if theres not already, they are dangerous. I have no problem with the rear lights flashing as they aren't as bright. If the govt want more people to cycle they need to make the law easier to understand and enforce it with hefty fines.

And perhaps require bikes used on the road to be registered, just $10 a year for a rego number thats linked to the owner/rider.

Some of those flashing one look more like strobe lights!! I often have to squint when cyclists coming towards me have these on - at that is at dusk when there is some daylight left.

Not sure about the registration idea thou. Cyclist just need to be aware that using such powerful lights is illegal, and that any lights they are using must be mounted on their bike, not on their helmet. And the police need to actually police this rather than ignoring the problem.

They are bright, but they don't tend to shine in your eyes though, as the reflector isn't usually directional.

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Talkiet

4792 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1312803 27-May-2015 15:09

jfanning:
Talkiet:
(ps, I agree with you, but cyclists in the past seem vehemently opposed to being able to be identified like most other road users are required to be)

What about pedestrians, shall we get them registered as well? After all they use the road, how about skateboards, rollerblades, scooters?

Nope, just cyclists.

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

GregV

928 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1312805 27-May-2015 15:09

keewee01: As someone pasted a few posts up - on the roads the only working lights should be mounted on the bike itself, and if one is intended as a headlamp it should be angled towards the road. When I was a kid growing up we were taught by the police that the "headlamp" on a bike was to see the road in front of you.

Whilst driving on a 100km/h road I was temporarily blinded by one of these helmet mounted lights a while back - cyclest right on the inside of the barrier in the oncoming lane looked right at me. I had to slow right down as I was pretty much blind for about 5 seconds and saw large purple spots for the following 20 or 30 seconds. It was bloody frightening. Far, far, far worse than an oncoming car with lights on full and not an experience I wish to repeat ever.

Did you report this to *555 at the time? I'd imagine that if the Police received increased reports about this being an issue, they may takes steps to address it, either by way of education campaigns, or targeted enforcement in hot-spots.

keewee01

1737 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1312807 27-May-2015 15:11

jfanning:
BTR: I think there should be a ban on any flashing head light if theres not already, they are dangerous. I have no problem with the rear lights flashing as they aren't as bright. If the govt want more people to cycle they need to make the law easier to understand and enforce it with hefty fines.

And perhaps require bikes used on the road to be registered, just $10 a year for a rego number thats linked to the owner/rider.

They are legal, but why do you think the are dangerous? Surely if you notice them, it is beneficial to you, and the cyclist with them on.

Also, the administration costs around registering a cyclist would be much more than $10, and what would it actually achieve?

A lot of the lights out there being used by cyclist are not legal for roads, and/or are being used illegally by being helmet mounted. If some of these lights are strobing and temporarily blinding other road users, then how are they not dangerous. It does not take something as strong as some of the lights out there in use on the roads to make you visable to other road users.

I do agree about the registering cyclists being not worth while.

mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#1312809 27-May-2015 15:12

It would be interesting to know how many crashes were caused by bright oncoming lights. I suspect quite a few, but probably very difficult to prove. I have had to almost stop when being blinded by highbeams, so they do certainly cause problems.

GregV

928 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1312810 27-May-2015 15:13

Talkiet:
jfanning:
Talkiet:
(ps, I agree with you, but cyclists in the past seem vehemently opposed to being able to be identified like most other road users are required to be)

What about pedestrians, shall we get them registered as well? After all they use the road, how about skateboards, rollerblades, scooters?

Nope, just cyclists.

Cheers - N

How about we commit to building a whole lot more separated cycle paths, and get bikes off the road altogether. Bad things happen when heavy vehicles and bikes share the same space. A moment's lack of concentration by either party can have devastating results.
Before anyone complains about who should pay for this - how many toll-booths do you see on footpaths? :)

keewee01

1737 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1312812 27-May-2015 15:15

mattwnz:
keewee01:
BTR: I think there should be a ban on any flashing head light if theres not already, they are dangerous. I have no problem with the rear lights flashing as they aren't as bright. If the govt want more people to cycle they need to make the law easier to understand and enforce it with hefty fines.

And perhaps require bikes used on the road to be registered, just $10 a year for a rego number thats linked to the owner/rider.

Some of those flashing one look more like strobe lights!! I often have to squint when cyclists coming towards me have these on - at that is at dusk when there is some daylight left.

Not sure about the registration idea thou. Cyclist just need to be aware that using such powerful lights is illegal, and that any lights they are using must be mounted on their bike, not on their helmet. And the police need to actually police this rather than ignoring the problem.

They are bright, but they don't tend to shine in your eyes though, as the reflector isn't usually directional.

True, but some of the ones I've seen send out these huge pulses of light - all you see is a huge ball of very bright light, then a cyclist, then a ball of light, then a... I see several cyclist regularly whose strobing lights actually cause to to have to squint. If I have to squint then their strobing lights are surely overkill? As a motorist I also find these strobing lights highly distracting, and I am not easily distracted when driving.

GregV

928 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1312813 27-May-2015 15:16

keewee01:
jfanning:
BTR: I think there should be a ban on any flashing head light if theres not already, they are dangerous. I have no problem with the rear lights flashing as they aren't as bright. If the govt want more people to cycle they need to make the law easier to understand and enforce it with hefty fines.

And perhaps require bikes used on the road to be registered, just $10 a year for a rego number thats linked to the owner/rider.

They are legal, but why do you think the are dangerous? Surely if you notice them, it is beneficial to you, and the cyclist with them on.

Also, the administration costs around registering a cyclist would be much more than $10, and what would it actually achieve?

A lot of the lights out there being used by cyclist are not legal for roads, and/or are being used illegally by being helmet mounted. If some of these lights are strobing and temporarily blinding other road users, then how are they not dangerous. It does not take something as strong as some of the lights out there in use on the roads to make you visable to other road users.

I do agree about the registering cyclists being not worth while.

That's the issue though - there doesn't seem to be a clearly-defined set of restrictions around what is legal. I have yet to find anything detailed the maximum brightness, or that helmet-mounting is actually illegal. Edit - Obviously having these shining directly at oncoming traffic is wrong, and should be reported.

keewee01

1737 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1312814 27-May-2015 15:17

GregV:
keewee01: As someone pasted a few posts up - on the roads the only working lights should be mounted on the bike itself, and if one is intended as a headlamp it should be angled towards the road. When I was a kid growing up we were taught by the police that the "headlamp" on a bike was to see the road in front of you.

Whilst driving on a 100km/h road I was temporarily blinded by one of these helmet mounted lights a while back - cyclest right on the inside of the barrier in the oncoming lane looked right at me. I had to slow right down as I was pretty much blind for about 5 seconds and saw large purple spots for the following 20 or 30 seconds. It was bloody frightening. Far, far, far worse than an oncoming car with lights on full and not an experience I wish to repeat ever.

Did you report this to *555 at the time? I'd imagine that if the Police received increased reports about this being an issue, they may takes steps to address it, either by way of education campaigns, or targeted enforcement in hot-spots.

I didn't at the time as I wasn't able to, but I phoned the local police station the follow day

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