Andy Burnham's government has been urged to consider a new rule requiring all new bicycles to have lights built in from the point of manufacture. The proposal is one of 100 ideas handed to the Prime Minister by Compass, a left-leaning progressive thinktank backed by Burnham's key ally Neal Lawson.
Compass's list of suggestions for Burnham's first 100 days in office includes a direct call: "Require new bicycles to have lights built in from new, as unlit bikes at night are a safety hazard and LED/battery technology makes this only a minor manufacturing inconvenience."
Background and context
Burnham became Labour Party leader in July, succeeding Sir Keir Starmer. He returns to Whitehall this week after the summer recess. The thinktank's 100-strong list follows a call to Compass members to combine and suggest policies and ideas that the government should undertake quickly to drag Britain out of its difficult political situation.
Under current rules, lights are not required to be fitted on a bicycle at the point of sale. However, any cycle used between sunset and sunrise must be fitted with a white front light, a red rear light, a red rear reflector, and amber/yellow pedal reflectors on the front and rear of each pedal.
Current lighting regulations
The government website confirms: "The lamps may be steady or flashing, or a mixture, for example steady at the front and flashing at the rear. A steady light is recommended at the front when the cycle is used in areas without good street lighting."
Bicycles manufactured before 1989 can still have any kind of white front lamp that is visible. Those manufactured before 1985 do not need pedal reflectors. This means that if you have a pre-1985 steel-framed bike with pedals that do not take reflectors, you can ride it in the dark without fear of prosecution.
Pedal cycles are not legally required to light up in conditions of seriously reduced visibility in daytime either. Lights must be mounted to the bike, not your helmet, and positioned no higher than 1,500mm from the ground under current rules.
Potential impact
If adopted, the Compass proposal would change the point-of-sale regulations for new bicycles, making built-in lights standard on all new models. This would address the safety hazard of unlit bikes at night while leveraging modern LED and battery technology, which the thinktank argues makes the requirement only a minor manufacturing inconvenience.
The proposal now sits among 100 ideas for Burnham's first 100 days as Prime Minister, as he returns to Whitehall to begin implementing his agenda.
