Lightless cyclists fined in safety operation (From The Oxford Times)
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Lightless cyclists fined in safety operation
11:00am Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News
Cyclist David Sarvasidze, 17, from Headington, was among those who were stopped. Picture: OX55155 Greg Blatchford
CYCLISTS who did not have lights on were fined by police in three areas of Oxford last night.
Officers, who were in two spots in High Street and one in Botley Road, were giving £30 fines to those without lights.
Those stopped could either pay, dispute the fine in a magistrates’ court or buy cycle lights within seven days of the notice being issued.
Cyclist Josh Jacobs, 21, from Cowley, was pulled over by officers and said: “It is a logical thing to do. I already have lights, which is annoying, but I will buy spare ones.”
Cyclist David Sarvasidze, 17, from Headington, was also fined by police and said: “I think it is a good thing that they stop people. I wanted to buy lights but I thought I would the next day, and the next day. I will buy lights now.”
Pc Mark Pilling, from Abingdon’s Road Policing Department, said: “We are being kept busy. We tend to find once the clocks go back people don’t immediately light their bike up, so this is more than anything a reminder to people. Forty per cent of all collisions in Oxford involved a pedal cyclist.”
Comments(18)
Dilligaf2010
says...
2:16pm Wed 31 Oct 12
Although I applaud EMBOX1 for monthly checks, lights are something that should be checked every time you use the car, bulbs can blow at any time.
EMBOX1
says...
3:53pm Wed 31 Oct 12
Dilligaf2010 wrote:True, but as a sensible driver, you'd notice the distinct lack of light coming from your vehicle (headlights, anyway!) which most people with broken lights seem not to realise.
Sod this giving them chance to buy lights within 7 days lark, there's no excuse for them not having lights.
Although I applaud EMBOX1 for monthly checks, lights are something that should be checked every time you use the car, bulbs can blow at any time.
Personally, I'd make carrying a spare set of bulbs a legal requirement, as it is in many European countries.
Dilligaf2010
says...
3:57pm Wed 31 Oct 12
EMBOX1 wrote:Completely agree, I've been carrying spare sets in my cars since 1984, even have some H7 headlight lamps in my filing cabinet that I ordered in error ;-)
Dilligaf2010 wrote:True, but as a sensible driver, you'd notice the distinct lack of light coming from your vehicle (headlights, anyway!) which most people with broken lights seem not to realise.
Sod this giving them chance to buy lights within 7 days lark, there's no excuse for them not having lights.
Although I applaud EMBOX1 for monthly checks, lights are something that should be checked every time you use the car, bulbs can blow at any time.
Personally, I'd make carrying a spare set of bulbs a legal requirement, as it is in many European countries.
Carfax Cabby
says...
4:01pm Wed 31 Oct 12
Robie
says...
4:29pm Wed 31 Oct 12
Carfax Cabby wrote:There are diversion courses for seat belts, speeding and mobile phone.
I do find this buy lights and we will let you off policy rather strange. If a motorist is caught without his seat belt he gets a ticket. He is not told wear a seat belt in future and we will let you off. A fine should be a fine and if the cyclist has no proper ID, then it is pay on the spot, or the cycle impounded until it is paid. I learnt quickly as a driver the penalties for ignoring the law, points and a fine, and now I make sure that I don't get them again, but if I had been let off, then I think I would have carried on speeding, red lighting etc, the same with letting off the cyclists, they don't think it is a deterrent, as all they have to do is pop into a poundland or whatever and escape punishment. I saw many motorists pulled in St Giles this morning (20mph speed trap again) and they were given £60 and 3 points, I would be very aggrieved to know that other road users were being let off for other offences.
How do you know what was said to those speeding in St Giles?
The most worrying part of this article for me is that 40% of collisions in Oxford involve pedal cyclists.
timeonmyhands
says...
5:01pm Wed 31 Oct 12
"Cyclist Josh Jacobs, 21,was pulled over by officers and said: “It is a logical thing to do. I already have lights, which is annoying, but I will buy spare ones.”
so why are you not using them?
Cyclist David Sarvasidze, 17 said: “I think it is a good thing that they stop people. I wanted to buy lights but I thought I would the next day, and the next day. I will buy lights now.” this is why young people today are so flippant, as a parent it is our responsibility to make sure our children have lights, my daughter is in her early 20's she wasn't allowed out without lights on her bike, as a 17 year old you are still a minor maybe a £30 fine for the parents also!
Feelingsmatter
says...
11:57pm Wed 31 Oct 12
Lovelo Bicycles
says...
6:53am Thu 1 Nov 12
Carfax Cabby wrote:I recently read of a police operation in another town, where they were simultaneously stopping cyclists running red lights and stopping drivers who had come to a halt in the Advanced Stop Zone. In both cases it was primarily an education exercise and the road users were informed about their bad behaviour but most weren't fined.
I do find this buy lights and we will let you off policy rather strange. If a motorist is caught without his seat belt he gets a ticket. He is not told wear a seat belt in future and we will let you off. A fine should be a fine and if the cyclist has no proper ID, then it is pay on the spot, or the cycle impounded until it is paid. I learnt quickly as a driver the penalties for ignoring the law, points and a fine, and now I make sure that I don't get them again, but if I had been let off, then I think I would have carried on speeding, red lighting etc, the same with letting off the cyclists, they don't think it is a deterrent, as all they have to do is pop into a poundland or whatever and escape punishment. I saw many motorists pulled in St Giles this morning (20mph speed trap again) and they were given £60 and 3 points, I would be very aggrieved to know that other road users were being let off for other offences.
Mark L.
says...
8:33am Thu 1 Nov 12
xjohnx
says...
9:12am Thu 1 Nov 12
This favouritism for cyclists is breeding even more contempt for the police.
smiley2244
says...
12:18pm Thu 1 Nov 12
Darkforbid
says...
8:41pm Thu 1 Nov 12
shipscat
says...
9:35pm Thu 1 Nov 12
the wizard
says...
9:59am Sat 3 Nov 12
A good point was raised here the other day. Time that lights and a dynamo were fitted to all new bikes by legal requirement, end of. This nonsense has gone on for too long, time things were put right.
GUFFED ONE
says...
11:03am Sun 4 Nov 12
multitask
says...
12:29pm Sun 4 Nov 12
nicklox
says...
2:01pm Mon 5 Nov 12
GUFFED ONE wrote:Amazing. Probably the most spurious link to the 'country being in a mess' ever.
Most of them are probably university students!and a lot of them that come to oxford universities for education and go on to politics and become MP'S and some even prime ministers! no wonder the countries in a mess !!!!!!
EMBOX1 says...
1:10pm Wed 31 Oct 12
Good job TVP, cyclists without lights annoy me (almost ran one over the other day) but so do other motorists whose headlights don't work. These should clamped down on big time.
I do a TILE (tyres, indicators, lights, exhaust) check on the 1st of every month so I know my car is working properly. It only takes 2 mins.