Thread started by graciela at 10.21.10 - 10:22 pm

Aside from a blue light, are there other light colors you're not supposed to put on your bike? Saw a girl with blue spoke lights and was interested in getting some since they were so visible but then I read that per the CVC you can't put a blue light on a bike. Curious if anyone has been stopped and ticketed for blue lights. Any other colors I should avoid on spokes?

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I don't see why there should be any problems with them mounted on spokes.
I see LE being more concerned about anything easily visible in a rearview mirror.

Now if they were up on the bars, then you officially have a problem.



bentstrider
10.21.10 - 11:00 pm

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just blue



Joe Borfo
10.22.10 - 12:04 am

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Well, graciela, solid or flashing red on your bars would be trouble, I think, as well as blue. Better to just use White up front I think.
I feel you'd be safe with any color on your spokes. I know it would be cool!
Blue is mentioned as a “warning light” so I feel as long as your not impersonating an emergency vehicle you’d be O.K. with blue spokes. See CVC below.

This next part is AMAZING to me:
All Flashing lights are ILLEGAL on bicycles in the state of California...
Headlights and taillights are only allowed to be solid!
Seems like an archaic unenforced law, right?
I have a co-worker whose dad was ticketed for his tail light flashing a while back. Sometimes karma plays out in strange ways.
I will still break that law, and keep my lights: FLASHING, thank you very much.
I really like the ‘Down Low Neon’ lights I’ve seen ($100) over the years, too.
Now that I have a commuter bike I think I’ll put the reflectors on; I’m not worried about it hurting the fashion, lol.

25250: Flashing lights are prohibited on vehicles except as otherwise permitted. Amended Ch. 223, Stats. 1963. Effective September 20, 1963.

I looked at all the permitted exceptions and I could not find a bicycle exception antwhere. That means my headlight must burn solid; it may not flash as I prefer it to.

25269: No person shall display a flashing or steady burning red warning light on a vehicle except as permitted by Section 21055 or when an extreme hazard exists. Added Ch. 653, Stats. 1961. Effective September 15, 1961.

That means my tail light also, may not flash. I always have at least one flashing.

CVC: http://www.dmv.ca.gov
21201.3.  (a) A bicycle or motorized bicycle used by a peace officer, as defined in Section 830.1 of, subdivision (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), or (i) of Section 830.2 of, subdivision (b) or (d) of Section 830.31 of, subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 830.32 of, Section 830.33 of, subdivision (a) of Section 830.36 of, subdivision (a) of Section 830.4 of, or Section 830.6 of, the Penal Code, in the performance of the peace officer's duties, may display a steady or flashing blue warning light that is visible from the front, sides, or rear of the bicycle or motorized bicycle.
21201.3. b) No person shall display a steady or flashing blue warning light on a bicycle or motorized bicycle except as authorized under subdivision (a).
(a) A bicycle or motorized bicycle used by a peace officer... in the performance of the peace officer's duties, may display a steady or flashing blue warning light that is visible from the front, sides, or rear of the bicycle or motorized bicycle. Added Sec. 65, Ch. 877, Stats. 1998. Effective January 1, 1999.
21201.  (a) No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it is equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
(b) No person shall operate on the highway a bicycle equipped with handlebars so raised that the operator must elevate his hands above the level of his shoulders in order to grasp the normal steering grip area.
(c) No person shall operate upon a highway a bicycle that is of a size that prevents the operator from safely stopping the bicycle, supporting it in an upright position with at least one foot on the ground, and restarting it in a safe manner.
(d) A bicycle operated during darkness upon a highway, a sidewalk where bicycle operation is not prohibited by the local jurisdiction, or a bikeway, as defined in Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways Code, shall be equipped with all of the following:
(1) A lamp emitting a white light that, while the bicycle is in motion, illuminates the highway, sidewalk, or bikeway in front of the bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle.
(2) A red reflector on the rear that shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle.
(3) A white or yellow reflector on each pedal, shoe, or ankle visible from the front and rear of the bicycle from a distance of 200 feet.
(4) A white or yellow reflector on each side forward of the center of the bicycle, and a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle, except that bicycles that are equipped with reflectorized tires on the front and the rear need not be equipped with these side reflectors.
(e) A lamp or lamp combination, emitting a white light, attached to the operator and visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle, may be used in lieu of the lamp required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (d).
Amended Ch. 723, Stats. 1979. Effective January 1, 1980. 
Amended Sec. 1, Ch. 232, Stats. 2007. Effective January 1, 2008.



Gern
10.22.10 - 1:05 am

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Also, many LE agencies have noticeably gotten rid of the chunky, red and blues for those low-profile, super LED light-bars.
Just to make it that easier to blend in with the roof-line of traffic.

Sneaky little prats they are.



bentstrider
responding to a comment by Joe Borfo
10.22.10 - 1:08 am

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News to me, granted its something i never thought about looking this info up. Hmmm, anyone potentially can get a ticket and one person has been.

It has worked against us that the majority of police don't exactly know all the laws surrounding cycling it can work in our favor that they don't know these vehicle codes, until cyclist can be an exception in these codes.



mechazawa
responding to a comment by Gern
10.22.10 - 1:17 am

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unite.......petition........get signatures and change the laws.......power to da people yo



shotgun_mike
10.22.10 - 2:52 am

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SUPER!



^olsko*jr7
10.22.10 - 9:00 am

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I've been stopped before on my bike because of a blinking front headlight. I still keep it in blink mode tho.





Mook
10.22.10 - 9:17 am

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You are right about the blue and I will tell you why.... I was with someone in a car that put blue lights on the valve stems of the car ... We get pulled over in burbank and the cops said from a distance all people see is the flashing blue and they think its a cop ....



OsnapsonJC
10.22.10 - 9:27 am

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Thanks for all the info, Gern. I had also seen the blinky light portion of it but practically everyone I've seen on a bike has their front and rear lights flashing. I know I do.

The language in the CVC makes it sound like you can't have a blue light, even from the side on a spoke. Not sure if anyone would enforce it on a bike but I do know some people have gotten tickets for certain lights on cars. I have one spoke light that cycles through 5 colors, including blue, but it's only for a few seconds before it moves onto a different color.



graciela
responding to a comment by Gern
10.22.10 - 9:33 am

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Ah, well there you go.



graciela
responding to a comment by OsnapsonJC
10.22.10 - 9:36 am

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I was yanked for this back in '05, I simply told Deputy DipShit(ironically some punk I knew from 12th grade) that batteries had to be conserved in cold weather and showed off both modes.
He sighed and drove off.



bentstrider
responding to a comment by Mook
10.22.10 - 3:02 pm

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This guys bike was on the last CM and tons of cops saw it.
Not one ticket.
Even Krumer checked the bike out as you can see from this video.




Ninja biker
10.22.10 - 8:43 pm

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