jputnam

In a recent conversation about bicycle headlights, a legislative aide asked me which states, if any, allow blinking headlights on bicycles.

I've found writeups of which states allow blinking tail lights, but haven't been able to find a summary for blinking headlights.

Does your state:

(A) Explicitly allow blinking headlights
(B) Say nothing about blinking vs. steady headlights
(C) Explicitly prohibit blinking headlights


Here in Washington the answer is (C), blinking tail lights are allowed, but not headlights.

(3) Flashing lights are prohibited except as required in RCW 46.37.190, 46.37.200, 46.37.210, 46.37.215, and 46.37.300, warning lamps authorized by the state patrol, and light-emitting diode flashing taillights on bicycles.


(Of course, what's allowed by law and what's going to get you a ticket are different things. It would take a pretty extreme blinking headlight before most police would enforce Washington State's ban -- most of the time, they're just happy you have any light at all. But the legality of a particular headlight may play a role in liability after an accident.)

unterhausen

I would be surprised if blinking headlights are allowed anywhere. I think daytime use should be allowed. I wouldn't write my state congresscritter to tell them to keep night use outlawed, but I'm not a big fan of blinking lights at night. Got caught by someone on the mup who had a massive blinking front light, and I thought it was somewhat un-neighborly. I'm a little stumped at why someone would use only a blinking headlight, I've tried it and they drive me nuts in the dark.

Chris516

Maryland is B)

Chris516

I have used blinking headlights, when I am on the road. I make them steady when I am off the road.

unterhausen

I have a battery light that blinks, and it irritates me to no end if it's blinking and it's not bright and sunny. I guess you get used to it.

Chris516

Do you mean the type that uses AA cell batteries?

geo8rge

IMO head and tail light laws are just pretexts for stopping and searching bicyclists.

I look for stories like this snippet.

Sunday, Jan. 22

Bike: Bridgeway and Coloma Street. Subject was warned regarding no headlight. Consent search, nothing found.

https://marinscope.com/articles/2012/...3547184880.txt

In one case the situation spun out of control and an unarmed bicyclist was shot.

AlmostTrick

I believe Illinois is B. A while back after a co-worker questioned me on the legality of blinking lights I searched the vehicle code and found plenty of restrictions, but all were for motor vehicles.

CB HI

approach, blinking bicycle headlights are allowed in every state with the exception of those that specifically prohibit them. That the legislative aide needs to be asking.

At least OP has a better approach.

IndianaShawn

I can't stand it for very long but there are times when I do switch on the strobe. I usually turn it on when I come to a very busy or congested area so I don't get hit. Massive intersections are a good spot to put on the strobe but when I'm clear I turn it back to a steady setting.

lostarchitect 

I don't care. I do what I think is safest for me.

neurocop

I've looked at the California Vehicle Code (CVC) and the only thing I found regarding bicycle headlights is that they must be "white" and visible from at least 300 feet. I didn't find any prohibition against blinking white headlights. There is a prohibition against blinking blue lights (head or tail), as these are authorized only for police or emergency personnel. The intent of the CVC bike headlight laws seems to be that the bicyclist be visible to other road traffic and that the light allows the bike rider to see the road well enough to ride safely in the dark. One could argue that a flashing headlamp iincreases your visibility to other road traffic. It arguably decreases your own ability to see what's in front of you.

I opt to use a flashing headlamp in the daytime and a steady headlamp at night, but YMMV. If anyone can cite specific Cal CVC prohibitions against flashing bicycle (as opposed to motor-vehicle) headlights, please do so.

fuji86

I have basically a blinking flashlight up front. Traveling with traffic and not against it, I doubt it really matters. The light I have isn't powerful enough to see the road very far ahead and that keeps me from riding faster. The street lights actually light the road better. I figure mine are powerful enough to be seen and therefore, I prefer to use them in blinking mode. From what I read in FL statutes, couldn't find anything beyond requiring a front & rear light that can be seen at a certain distance. These Zefal lights comply in that regard.

As a motorist, I will relay that a constant on tail light is more difficult for me to see with the cyclists I've encountered. Flashing rear lights actually were more visible as the strobe effect caught my attention when encountering a cyclist at night. I couldn't say whether the Zefal rear light I have is any more effective either way, no feedback indicating which was more effective.

From the literature for the lights I have, the flashing mode increases battery life by about double. So for me, it actually is a better thing the lights flash on and off from a perspective of getting seen and battery cost/replacement.

CB HI

There is federal case law from a southern state (Alabama or Georgia maybe) that a man used a flashing blue light for safety when his car broke down. Cops arrested him and the state convicted him for using the blue light. He appealed to Federal Court and won. The Federal Court said the man had a constitutional right to use the light for his safety and as long as he did not attempt to impersonate police (pull someone over, etc.) or endanger others, the state could not prohibit the blue lights use for safety.

If anyone has access to a law library that they can find the case law, please post it.

I assume that a similar case can be made for cyclist safety in using a blinking white head light.

jputnam

Most states ban all flashing lights on vehicles except those that are specifically allowed by law, so that approach won't go far.

But not all states include bicycles in the definition of vehicles, so some states that ban blinking headlights on all vehicles may not ban them on bicycles.

IndianaShawn

I just saw a pickup truck today at Starbucks. All the spots were full and this truck had its hazzards on which were strobing. I think it was a Ford Diesel and it was part of the stock design (not sure though).

BHOFM

Arkansas requires a light at night. They allow the blinking head light during
the day. They allow the blinking tail light at any time.

While a bit off topic, still an interesting read.

https://www.northlr.org/pdfs/Arkansas...r+Cyclists.pdf

B. Carfree

Well, that sure takes the fun out of my occasional use of a blue light. Every so often I put a flashing blue light on the back of my helmet to confuse Bubba a bit and hopefully encourage him to pass me safely. (It works.) Here I was thinking I was being illegal and now you go and rain on my parade. Just for that, I'm going to roll through a stop sign without stopping tomorrow.

CB HI

And the Federal case law overrides those states laws.

CB HI

I use a flashing blue light as well. No surprise how well it works. Sort of blows the claim of how hard it is to see cyclist.

One of the reasons I would like to get the case law in hand.

Bekologist

a bicyclist that seeks to ban, add legislative clarity or otherwise strengthen enforcement against blinking headlights on bicyclists endangers bicyclists.

a blinky ban would endanger cyclists.

cyclists trying to ban blinkies are in effect, removing cyclists safety margins for riding bikes at night.

seeking to ban blinkies on bikes is reprehensible. the lowest of the low.

if jputnam is honestly concerned about maximizing bicyclist liability in accidents, he would be seeking to explicitly ALLOW blinking headlights for riders, not ban them!

chandltp

Pennsylvania is A.

From the BikeLaws Website, section 3507 A which deals with the time from sunset to sunrise:

Operators of pedalcycles may supplement the required front lamp with a white flashing lamp, light-emitting diode or similar device to enhance their visibility to other traffic and with a lamp emitting a red flashing lamp, light emitting diode or similar device visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear.

Tom Stormcrowe

Indiana allows both blinking headlamps for bikes, but blinking tail lights as well.

jputnam

Yes, amber hazard lights are generally among the exceptions allowed by law. In some states that is worded specifically for motor vehicles, in others it applies to all vehicles, but in no case I'm aware of does it apply to headlights.

irwin7638

I believe Michigan is "b". We are require to have a front reflector after sunset, the rest is a non-issue so far.

Marc