Bicycle Lighting Legal Requirements
Under the International Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (1968) of the United Nations, a bicycle is a vehicle. Article 44 of the Convention stipulates that: “Cycles without an engine in international traffic shall: (c) Be equipped with a red reflecting device at the rear and with devices such that the cycle can show a white or selective-yellow light to the front and a red light to the rear.” In some countries, for example France, it may be an offence to even sell a bicycle not fitted with legally compliant lighting system. Germany requires that all bikes over 11 kg are fitted with compliant dynamo lighting systems, but even lightweight bikes are required to be fitted with lights (battery powered lights allowed) except when racing. However not all countries impose this requirement on their domestic cyclists.
Many jurisdictions require bicycles to be fitted with reflectors at point of sale. In the United States this is regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC compliant reflectors (also commonly fitted in other markets) have three retro-reflective panels positioned at 30° angles. The standard requires a forward facing white reflector on the front of the bicycle, sideways facing white reflectors on each wheel, a red reflector mounted on the rear, and yellow reflectors mounted on the front and back of each pedal. Some interpret this as an endorsement of reflector-only night cycling.
Many jurisdictions require the use of a headlight and a rear light or reflector after dark. Most European countries and some US states require front and rear lights at night, while others allow reflectors only at the rear. Individual jurisdictions define specific legal requirements in terms of light output and the size of lamp and reflector lenses, compliance with specified standards, or simply stipulate a minimum distance from which any lighting device should be visible. In some jurisdictions, some safe and practical systems (usually involving LED based flashers) are illegal because blinking lights are only allowed on emergency vehicles, but those rules are rarely enforced.
UK requires a light approved to BS 6102 Part 3: 1986, but allows additional non-standard lights. In practice this means that users of powerful rechargeable systems need to add an additional light to meet legal requirements (but the requirements are rarely if ever enforced that strictly). Recent changes mean that a flashing LED may be used. If it has a steady mode (as almost all flashing LEDs do) then it must comply to BS6102-3; otherwise it does not, as the current standard does not cater for flashing lights. National cyclists’ organisations such as LAB (US) or CTC Lighting Regulations (UK) are a source of lighting information.