Legality and morality around wearing a red / blue flashing light on a bicycle in the UK?

Question

I recently bought a red and blue flashing light to wear on my helmet when I cycle into work in London.

I abide by road rules, cycle safely, never cycle on footpaths, obey stop signs and traffic lights etc, so my intent here is not to dash through red traffic lights whenever I want.

But it is incredible how much more drivers pay attention to red / blue flashing lights compared to standard white bike lights; I've noticed a measurable increase in how safe motorists drive when they see my red and blue flashing lights, from slowing down, to actually indicating when turning (a rarity in London) and giving ample room on the inside lane to me as a cyclist.

I appreciate that some people may think of this as "trickery" and that I am decieiving motorists into thinking that I am emergency services so that they drive on their "best behaviour". That is not my intention. My intention is to make cycling as safe as possible, which in London, where there aren't very many protected cycle lanes, is crucial to preventing accidents.

I only turn it on when I share a road lane with no protective barrier with motorists (which is about 60% of my commute); as soon as I get into a protected bike lane I turn it off. I don't want to have to use the light, but if its a question of safety or some people confusing me for emergency services, I would rather choose the former.

I have two questions:

1. Is it legal under UK road law for bicycles to use red / blue flashing lights? I read in a road law handbook that motor vehicles cannot use them for obvious reason, but bicycles...?
2. Provided it is legal, is it moral to do so? Yes, there is an element of deceiving drivers, which is not the direct intention. But if it makes motorists drive safer, ensuring a safer road expereince for all road users, what is the issue?

Answer 1

Don't show a red light of any kind on the front unless you want a head-on crash.

Red is for the back only, steady or flashing. In the shadows it will look like you're riding the wrong way down the street and confuse everyone. As a worst case consider narrow roads where any cyclist will be in the middle to avoid the doors of cars parked on both sides. A flashing red light on the back is legal, and a good idea, though probably unhelpful as your only rear light (it's not as easy to track something moving if it's flashing). It should also be set up so as not to dazzle a following cyclist. That can be tricky in cities when you want to show up to cars, but is doable.

The blue is probably illegal (The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989): "No vehicle, other than an emergency vehicle, shall be fitted with ... a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp". I say "probably" because in some contexts (though not, I believe, this one) bikes are excluded from the definition of "vehicle".

Answer 2

Legality aside, this is a bad idea.

The entire point of putting distinctly colored lights on emergency vehicles is to make them instantly recognizable as such, letting people know that they need to make way for the emergency vehicle. By placing them on another vehicle, you are desensitizing people to these important warning indicators. This desensitization could easily lead to slower response times for emergency vehicles, making the road, and all of the surrounding area more dangerous for everyone.

If you'd like to make yourself more visible without using blue lights, check out this answer which focuses on steady state vs. flashing lights.

Answer 3

Restrictions on fitting blue warning beacons, special warning lamps and similar devices

16. No vehicle, other than an emergency vehicle, shall be fitted with

(a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or

(b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/part/II

Answer 4

Related - I used to have a small flashing LED on my dog's collar when out walking at night, and it was red/white/blue.

Gave it up after a few months because it got all sorts of attention, like yobs and drunks asking if he was a police dog. The end was when one entirely sconsed chap took a kick at the dog for being "a pig" (he missed and fell over, dog was fine)

Perhaps this is not the kind of attention you want to attract while out in public on your bike.

Answer 5

To contribute an underlying question of your question: how to "stand out" as cyclist in the dark when from the point of view of a driver's mirror (it's a bit too long to be written as comment, and may be of interest).

In some countries (at least France and Belgium), the front light of a bike light can be white or yellow. If yellow lights are legal in the UK, it can also be a solution, as a single yellow light is more likely to be noticed than "another white light".

During my last stay in the Netherlands, I also noticed that a significant amount of bikes have front lamps (white) mounted on the fork, on each side. It also creates a distinct visual signature, that is clearly distinct from a car one.

Answer 6

https://video.repubblica.it/edizione/bari/bari-i-vigili-urbani-sulle-bici-elettriche-controlleranno-isole-pedonali-e-piazze/289466/290078

I suppose they are thinking that it's a cop bike in an emergency.

In the link above there's an example in Italy, but I suppose it's possible that the same idea could pop up in UK. So as someone has already said it's illegal.

But, on the other hand imagine if a motorist thinks to do the same and basically impersonates an unmarked cop car. People seeing a car with blue flashing lamp are normally going slower and it's going to be safer for the wanna be cop car.

Ask yourself: do you want to impersonate a cop?

Better idea is use a big red light non flashing on the rear, with a big red reflector and a white light on the front, possibly that illuminates the road in front.