Icandoit wrote:
Good job the police are not the law makers then isn't it? I know of a serious incident that a rider without lights on was involved in (SMIDSY on a mini-roundabout) and the question never came up as part of the investigation or was reflected in his final pay-out.
Well then I guess it depends on the officer and the insurer. I certainly don't want to feel obliged to use lights when I don't need to or it would be detremental.
Icandoit wrote:
It is not a 'law' in the UK because no-one has called for it to be so. The recent government study suggested that the effective compulsory DRL on motorcycles should be removed (perhaps with an 'AHO off switch'!). The DfT have shown support against compulsory DRL too. There is a cross European manufacturers agreement to sell bikes with DRL as a way (IIRC) of attempting to 'reduce motorcycle injuries'.
It wasn't the UK government that was trying to bring it in, it was the EU. I seem to recall saying that it was a manufacturers agreement with the EU, not a law...
Icandoit wrote:
A friend has just bought a run-out Triumph Tiger (995?) and it came with DRL. He has converted it to a switch (£95 of bits from Triumph) as in the first few weeks he had some unexpected near ROWV's. Since switching his lights off this has now stopped. (BTW before you question his experience he is an ex Police class 1 instructor and currently an IAM examiner)
I can well believe it. For the record I only use my lights when its actually dark or visibility is poor.
Icandoit wrote:
Sixy_the_red wrote:
The DSA don't actually have a clue and that's the problem. The rules on visor tinting are about to change, yet if 'my mate the instructor' is caught riding with a tinted visor AT ALL he will lose his job. Go figure.
That is not correct either. The DSA do not have objections to the use of legal and tinted visors. (Can you point me to the information about pending changes to visor legislation please?)
At what point did I say that the DSA were against legal and tinted visors for the general public? They have banned all their instructors from wearing them at any time.
The legislation change is not imminently pending, but in the pipeline.
Bottyburp - according to the latest bumf issued to instructors they are relaxing the rules on tinting, allowing for a darker tint.