The law requires both lights and reflectors on a bike after dark – our cycle lighting poster summarises the requirements.
In particular, remember that the clocks go back on the last Sunday in October, when sunset is around 4.40pm.
Cycling UK provides the following useful information:
Useful buyer’s guides
Choosing a light? Here are some cycle lighting reviews:
Cycle lighting regulations
If you need to consult the exact regulations, this is the relevant legislation:
- The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989
- 1994 amendment
- 2001 amendment
- 2005 first amendment
- 2005 second amendment
- 2009 amendment
From the archive: some past Camcycle articles on cycle lighting.
- Make your own cheap, bright headlight (Newsletter 20: October 1998) (start of thread)
- (S)Light disagreement (Newsletter 22: February 1999)
- Making life easier... (9) Lights for winter (Newsletter 32: October/November 2000)
- Making life easier... (13) Upgrade your dynamo lights (Newsletter 40: February/March 2002)
- Cycling shorts (Newsletter 43: August/September 2002)
- Making life easier... (15) Generator lights fault finding chart (Newsletter 46: February/March 2003)
- Bike lighting consultation (Newsletter 47: April/May 2003)
- Put some 'spring' into your lights this autumn (Newsletter 61: August/September 2005)
- "Flashing legalised" (Newsletter 63: December 2005 / January 2006)
- Riding without lights (Newsletter 64: February/March 2006)
- A tenner for bright lights that will fit in your wallet (Newsletter 87: December 2009/January 2010)
- Lights and reflectors for bikes (Newsletter 92: October/November 2010)
- Bikes and lights (Newsletter 94: February/March 2011)
- Are you LIT up? Police launch Lights Instead of Tickets initiative (Newsletter 104: October/November 2012)
- Choosing bike lights (Newsletter 104: October/November 2012)
- Cycle lights (Newsletter 116: October - November)
- Bike lights (Newsletter 122: October - November)
- The Blaze Laserlight (Newsletter 122: October - November)
- Bike lights (Newsletter 128: October - November 2016)