Originally Posted by
mechBgon
In my state (and others whose laws I've studied), being CPSC-approved would mean nothing in court. CPSC approval is simply what the bike must be sold with. What counts in court is that it's visible from 600 feet to the rear in low-beam headlights (in Washington). A dirty reflector might be enough to fail the acid test. If it were me, I'd go with a stripe of red on the bucket pannier, which is off-center from the wheel and wouldn't get dirty very fast from tire spray.
It's clean in the photo, and directly in line with the camera flash. Reflectors just aren't very bright when seen next to good reflective materials.
Legally, CPSC approval does mean something -- you don't have to prove the reflector was capable of being seen at 600 feet if it was clean and properly aimed. Use a non-certified reflector and you may have to prove that it was present, clean, aimed correctly, AND that it was bright enough to meet requirements. While the CPSC reflector standard is weak and poorly conceived, it does at least demonstrate compliance with a standard.