Are bicyclists required by law to have safety lights/blinkies on all the time?
 

Are bicyclists required by law to have safety lights or blinkies on at all times while riding? This isn't for only certain times of the day or at night but all the time. Some bicycle clubs recommend but don't require it to increase the cyclist's visibility and/or safety. Does this apply as a law where you live? Please discuss.

I'm sure it varies by location but I doubt that many places (if any) require that lights be on all the time.

You do need them at night here and they have to be visible from a certain distance but I don't remember what that is.

Check your state's laws (Google for "Maine bicycle laws" and you should get what you need).

In my state, the stipulated visibility equipment is required from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise, and in conditions where "persons and vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of one thousand feet ahead." (RCW 46.61.780, RCW 46.37.020). The rest of the time, you could legally ride a bike that doesn't have the safety equipment at all (in the state of Washington).

To the best of my knowledge (and the bicycle law page posted by the local cycling advocacy group) front light/rear reflector are required only in hours of darkness. Rear light/blinkie only required on roads with 35 mph speed limit. This applies to all 3 local jurisdictions (MD/VA/DC) but obviously your local law could be different.

I don't know of any place that requires lights or reflectors during the day. Most roadies would be in violation if that was the case. I think all localities require at least reflectors, and many if not most require lights at night. Most of the laws in the US specify that the light has to be "visible for a distance of not less than 500 feet"

Not here and I wouldn't follow it if they were.
I don't even run reflectors on my non commuting road bike.

Lights and reflectors on bicycles, etc.
(17) When on a highway at any time from one-half hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise and at any other time when, due to insufficient light or unfavourable atmospheric conditions, persons and vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of 150 metres or less, every motor-assisted bicycle and bicycle (other than a unicycle) shall carry a lighted lamp displaying a white or amber light on its front and a lighted lamp displaying a red light or a reflector approved by the Ministry on its rear, and in addition white reflective material shall be placed on its front forks, and red reflective material covering a surface of not less than 250 millimetres in length and 25 millimetres in width shall be place on its rear. 2009, c. 5, s. 28 (1).

Edit: fixed to full text of Ontario HTA

In Portland we must have a white front light and red rear light or reflector from dusk to dawn. It is dark during winter commute hours so lighting would be mandatory at those times.

I checked my state's bicycling laws and found that lights are required and to be on only at night. I, myself, have equipped my bicycle with lights and use them whenever I ride.

In Portland, ME, I recently learned at a club meeting that bicycle-mounted police officers pulled over a civilian cyclist for the reason that his bicycle's safety lights weren't on. This was during the daytime. Could they have been just a bit overzealous? Hmmmm...

IIRC, NY state requires lights at night, but not during the day. Not sure about reflectors.

NYC (maybe the state too?) requires a *bell*, yes, a bell at all times. The impracticality of a bell on NYC should be obvious. I've heard of ticket blitzes where cyclists are hit with tickets for not having a bell.

I used my bell all the time when I rode/lived in the city.

Ohio requires headlight and rear blinky from sunset to sunrise, or any other time when conditions make it impossible to see at least 1000 feet ahead. (Same as for cars headlights and taillights, refers to the same section of code.)

I think you've gotten your answer already, but I just want to add that I use mine all the time. I think it helps to be seen, but even if it doesn't, I use rechargeable batteries, so it's no big deal either way.

I think in Florida lights are required for the same times/conditions as for cars: from 1/2 hour before sunset to 1/2 hour after sunrise, and when raining.

Wow, I just found out i've been breaking the law by not having a bell. I have lights, reflectors, and usually follow every other provision. Time to give up cycling and get an SUV.

What happens if you are in a bike race?

As far as I know Illinois has no such law. If we do we citizens have not been informed of it and I have made no effort to find out what our laws are. Using a light at night is a no brainer. I've been running my headlight during the daytime in blinky mode since my accident earlier this year, but not on bike trails just on public roads. It seems like a good idea even though it is not 100% effective. I believe that Illinois motorcycles are required to burn their headlights all the time, either that or most modern motorcycles come set up with DRLs and riders don't bother to defeat them. Any state that requires daytime use of motorcycle headlights is game to require them for bicycles too, I suppose. Probably Big Nanny just hasn't thought of it yet....

Ken

In WA a white light to front (visible from 500') and red reflector to rear (visible from 600' under state patrol car low beam) are required in 'hours of darkness' (30 min after sunset to 30 min before sunrise).

Red light to rear is allowed in addition to the required reflector.

Nothing is required outside of hours of darkness.

Street racing is illegal :)

Kentucky requires lights at night or when overcast! I run lights all the time so not an issue. Kentucky also requires a bell, but only half of my bikes have a bell. I've never heard of anyone getting a ticket for it though.

Here in Quebec, every bicycles must have these reflectors:

- White in front
- Red in the rear
- Yellow in front wheel spokes
- Red on rear wheel spokes
- One yellow on each pedals (it doesn't say on each side of both pedals.

Now, about lights:

- At night, every bicycles must have a front light capable of lighting an object at 10 meters, and rear light.

Furthermore...

- It is forbidden to sell or rent a bicycle without the proper equipment cited above.

That means...

- The Bixis are illegal. This is the city's bike sharing program.
- My bike, as sold to me, was illegal and still is. My wheel reflectors are white and I have none on the pedals.
- Just about everyone's bike is illegal, including the police's.

Was this incident confirmed to really have happened? That's a bit hard to swallow, especially for bike cops to be involved.

Depends on a state. In NYS you're only required to have reflectors on the front, rear and spokes during daylight. Then flashing or steady lights after dark.

If you don't have passive reflectors you may be required to run your lights, although most lights act as reflectors too, so without solid confirmation, this is hard to believe. Or maybe the cyclist did something else that got the cop's attention.

In some places it is illegal to have blinkies. Only solid lights are legal. IIRC, in New York the bicycle section of the VTL does not say it, but another section states that only emergency vehicles are allowed to have blinking lights.

IMO, lights on a bike during the day are of limited use since the majority of lights built for bikes will have a very poor lumens output. I can understand using bike lights during very dark cloud cover or when weather conditions dictate a need for lighting, but using bike lights as "running lights" are basically useless since they're not bright enough anyway.

Blinking lights are legal in NYS as long as they're red and white, blue are illegal.

Adam