Originally Posted by
ijsbrand
Flashing bike lights are ferboten mainly because German police and the rescue and aid services have reserved the right to carry flashing lights on their vehicles.
Because of this, it is thought that other flashing lights on the road are too distracting for the normal road users. [Ordinary car drivers have to give aid vehicles the right of way, even if this means they themselves have to stop or drive onto the hard shoulder].
Yes, I know all this. My statement ( "Do the police in Germany use blinking/flashing lights"? ) was stated to show the obvious "double standard" and was intended to be rhetorical. Strange it is though, I could swear every German made car I've ever seen uses blinking lights for turn signals and also has blinking hazard lights. Where I live it is not unusual to see these lights used on a regular basis. Since I'm not an idiot I'm assuming these same "blinking lights" are also used by motorists in Germany. God forbid that someone not know a car is going to turn and run into the back of that $40K BMW.. Too bad that the same consideration is not given to cyclists riding on the shoulder of the road.
