Helmet mounted spotlights

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

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Hmm, what to write...
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#1312817 27-May-2015 15:20

mattwnz: 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.

I would love to know as well, specifically "how many accidents are caused by cars with their fog lights on" It is an offence to use your fog lights unless it is foggy but when was the last time you heard of someone getting a ticket for it.

As for flashing front cycle lights, I hit a cyclist once because when I turned my head looked up the road I saw nothing, but he had a flashing light that flashed about every 1.5 seconds so I completely missed the flash.

Matthew

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#1312820 27-May-2015 15:23

mdooher: As for flashing front cycle lights, I hit a cyclist once because when I turned my head looked up the road I saw nothing, but he had a flashing light that flashed about every 1.5 seconds so I completely missed the flash.

Yeah, thats the biggest issue with slow flashing. And that also makes it hard to judge distance as well.

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#1312823 27-May-2015 15:25

Slow flashing is not very useful at all, but a steady light (particularly a rear-facing one) tends to get lost in the wash of everything else in the environment. A flashing light is much more noticeable, provided it is on more than off!

keewee01

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#1312827 27-May-2015 15:29

I wrote to the NZTA about this issue 2 years ago and this was their response:

Good morning Craig,

Thank you for your email of 15 July 2013.

The following link is the information the NZ Transport Agency holds for Road rules and Equipment (Factsheet 1) for cycles: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/factsheets/01/cycles-rules-equipment.html, it includes the rules and requirements for cyclists.

As the NZ Transport Agency is not an enforcement agency, I recommend forwarding your query to the NZ Police.

Regards,
Kirsty

The referenced page notes that if cycling during the hours of darkness lights must be fitted - to me this suggests that lights are to be attached to the cycle, not the cyclist.

djtOtago

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#1312854 27-May-2015 16:00

keewee01: The referenced page notes that if cycling during the hours of darkness lights must be fitted - to me this suggests that lights are to be attached to the cycle, not the cyclist.

From the Cycle Lights section of The official New Zealand code for cyclists

Headlights should be attached to handlebars and pointing down

Plain and simple. Lights are to be attached to bike.

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#1312857 27-May-2015 16:03

Thats for a headlight on a bike. Does it forbid person attached lights while riding a bike? I couldnt see anything about that.

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mattwnz

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#1312858 27-May-2015 16:07

mdooher:
mattwnz: 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.

I would love to know as well, specifically "how many accidents are caused by cars with their fog lights on" It is an offence to use your fog lights unless it is foggy but when was the last time you heard of someone getting a ticket for it.

As for flashing front cycle lights, I hit a cyclist once because when I turned my head looked up the road I saw nothing, but he had a flashing light that flashed about every 1.5 seconds so I completely missed the flash.

I'm not concerned about fog lights that are built into cars, as they are usually focused down, and I haven't had any issues with them startling me. The two things that annoy me are high beams (sometimes accidental), and the really bright white light bulbs that some cars have even when dipped, which still startle you.

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#1312859 27-May-2015 16:09

mattwnz:
I'm not concerned about fog lights that are built into cars, as they are usually focused down, and I haven't had any issues with them startling me. The two things that annoy me are high beams (sometimes accidental), and the really bright white light bulbs that some cars have even when dipped, which still startle you.

The bright white lights are probably daytime running lights, which are intentionally bright since they run during the day.

They are supposed to turn off when you have the park or headlights on. But I dont think that gets enforced at all at WOF time based on how many old men in corollas have a set on their car running all the time that its on.

Richard rich.ms

mdooher

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#1312861 27-May-2015 16:12

mattwnz:
mdooher:
mattwnz: 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.

I would love to know as well, specifically "how many accidents are caused by cars with their fog lights on" It is an offence to use your fog lights unless it is foggy but when was the last time you heard of someone getting a ticket for it.

As for flashing front cycle lights, I hit a cyclist once because when I turned my head looked up the road I saw nothing, but he had a flashing light that flashed about every 1.5 seconds so I completely missed the flash.

I'm not concerned about fog lights that are built into cars, as they are usually focused down, and I haven't had any issues with them startling me. The two things that annoy me are high beams (sometimes accidental), and the really bright white light bulbs that some cars have even when dipped, which still startle you.

Driving home from work around sunset when its raining and the road is wet and shiny I get really pissed off with Subaru driving Neanderthals and their big stupid foglights.

as an aside, it makes it very hard to see cyclists when these "look at me" drivers are about

Matthew

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#1312864 27-May-2015 16:17

richms: Thats for a headlight on a bike. Does it forbid person attached lights while riding a bike? I couldnt see anything about that.

I'm sure there's no explicit law against carrying a smoke machine on my back that produces incredibly dense smoke... Sometimes things are a bad idea, and should be avoided, even if not explicitly against the law.

Cheers - N

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surfisup1000

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#1312865 27-May-2015 16:19

mdooher:
" Subaru driving Neanderthals "

Careful, people seeking offence might report you for name calling.

Personally, I don't mind fog lights, they're low and pointing downward so rarely dazzle.

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mattwnz

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#1312867 27-May-2015 16:23

richms:
mattwnz:
I'm not concerned about fog lights that are built into cars, as they are usually focused down, and I haven't had any issues with them startling me. The two things that annoy me are high beams (sometimes accidental), and the really bright white light bulbs that some cars have even when dipped, which still startle you.

The bright white lights are probably daytime running lights, which are intentionally bright since they run during the day.

They are supposed to turn off when you have the park or headlights on. But I dont think that gets enforced at all at WOF time based on how many old men in corollas have a set on their car running all the time that its on.

Daylight LED running lights (some are even crystals) are becoming very common now, but they are non directional, so shouldn't dazzle. I don't think rules legislation has kept up to date with lighting technologies. We have neighbours that have big powerful floodlights on their house that shine onto our house, but there are no council rules to prevent it, and the rules they do have are based on old standards from the 60's, where these sorts of LED lights didn't really exist.

mdooher

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#1312868 27-May-2015 16:25

surfisup1000:
mdooher:
" Subaru driving Neanderthals "

Careful, people seeking offence might report you for name calling.

Personally, I don't mind fog lights, they're low and pointing downward so rarely dazzle.

fair enough, but is still illegal to use them. If they don't turn off when you turn on your headlights then they are either fog lamps or illegally fitted daytime running lamps.

It could be of course that I just have a complex about all these people that buy Imprezzas and then proceed to drive them like a nana (with their fog lights on)

On my way home over 3 mile hill in Dunedin I have seen Cyclists pass them (ok only once)

Matthew

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#1312870 27-May-2015 16:30

mattwnz:
Daylight LED running lights (some are even crystals) are becoming very common now, but they are non directional, so shouldn't dazzle. I don't think rules legislation has kept up to date with lighting technologies. We have neighbours that have big powerful floodlights on their house that shine onto our house, but there are no council rules to prevent it, and the rules they do have are based on old standards from the 60's, where these sorts of LED lights didn't really exist.

They are on the list here http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/get-your-lights-right/get-your-lights-right.html that they should turn off with the other lights being turned on, and nothing about the location of them on the car making them fog lights if they are low, so IMO the people that put them in and have them on all the time should be getting pulled over and talked to about it.

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#1312872 27-May-2015 16:31

mdooher:
I looked this up, if the lights are below the level of the headlights and the source of light can be seen they are fog lights and must only be used when it is foggy.

What was the source for that? Its quite common to have them in the lower bumper of the car and seems to make it thru WOFs ok there as DRLs not fogs. Since they dont ask to turn them on and see them go off with the parks coming on.

Richard rich.ms

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