New Clause 3 - Cycle lights
Road Safety Bill
10:30 am
Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton, Conservative)
I rise briefly to support the new clause. First, I must declare an interest to the Committee. I own both a pulsating front light for my bicycle and a red pulsating light for the rear. Purely from the point of view of being a motorist and a pedestrian—not really thinking as a cyclist—when I needed to purchase some lights for my rather old-fashioned bicycle I thought that that would be a sensible choice. The Minister seems surprised that I mention that my bicycle is old-fashioned. The point is that it did not have lights attached to it; I had to purchase them separately.
Like most people looking to purchase lights, I was given a choice. I thought about what I had observed as a motorist and a pedestrian: it is important that we make the point that pedestrians need to be able to see cyclists. It is evident to someone such as me, who does not need to wear glasses all the time, but who cannot see details far off in the distance, that a pulsating light makes the presence of a cyclist stand out far more than a steady light that could seem to be further away. The pulsating light highlights the fact that it is a cyclist on the road and not necessarily a vehicle much further away.
The change would be helpful to all those who cycle, certainly those who do so at night. Pulsating lights would be effective and would help immensely in improving safety, not just for motorists who are trying to watch out for bicycle riders, but for pedestrians. I hope that the Minister will see that this is a sensible and well meant suggestion, and that he will support it.