People cycling this winter are being reminded to put lights on their bikes or face a €40 fine.
The ‘Light Up Your Bike’ is led by the Dublin Cycling Campaign and supported by the four Dublin councils, the Gardai, and the Road Safety Authority.
It’s a legal requirement in Ireland to have working lights on your bicycle in lighting up up hours — which is defined as “the period commencing one half-hour after sunset on any day and expiring one half-hour before sunrise on the next day”.
The lights must be yellow or white at the front and red at the rear. Solid or flashing lights are allowed.
Ellen Cullen, chairperson of the Dublin Cycling Campaign, said: “I am delighted that the four Dublin local authorities, An Garda Síochána, and RSA, have come together to support the Light Up Your Bike initiative. Using good quality lights on your bike is the best way to improve your visibility to other road users during darker mornings and evenings.”
Cllr Mary Hanafin, An Cathaoirleach, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, said: “This is an important safety campaign, particularly now with the darker evenings, and highlights how bike lights can be used as a simple but effective safety measure that will allow cyclists to be seen on the roads.”
Superintendent Thomas Murphy, Garda National Roads Policing Bureau, said: “An Garda Síochána is, as always, delighted to be part of this very important road safety initiative. A bicycle is not just for leisure but also used as a daily transport option. Cycling offers freedom and independence, but with that comes a personal responsibility for all cyclists to ensure they and their bicycles are appropriately equipped, protected and visible on the roads, particularly during these dark evenings and mornings.”
“The ‘Light Up Your Bike’ campaign is about bringing awareness to cycling safely on our roads. An Garda Síochána is committed to playing its part in educating and protecting all road users, through the issuing of road safety advice and the enforcement of Road Traffic legislation. It is an offence for a cyclist not to have a front lamp or rear lamp illuminated during lighting-up hours,” said Superintendent Murphy.
He added: “An Garda Síochána are asking cyclists to make sure they are visible to all other road users by equipping their bicycles, and children’s bicycles, with the correct lighting, while using the roads.”
Such emphasis on bicycle users to ‘ light up’ and make themselves visible in unfair. No doubt it is paramount that people on bicycles are easy to see.
However, in addition to the current legislation would it not be wise to make it illegal in Ireland to sell bicycles without appropriate lights?
Never understand why bikes are not provided with lights and a bell at point of sale as that’s the law could you imagine a car dealer selling a car without lights or seatbelts the garda would be onto them.its a strange one and has no basis on any shop selling bikes