§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his assessment of the potential safety benefits of fitting lights to all bicycles; what is his policy on the fitting of lights to all bicycles; and what representations he has had from the cycle industry and from groups representing cyclists. [12228]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonUnder the road vehicles lighting regulations, the fitting and use of lights on pedal cycles is already mandatory between sunset and sunrise.
Since a large proportion of pedal cycles are never used in darkness and would receive no benefit from the fitment of lights, the costs of retrospectively requiring all cycles to have lights fitted would be difficult to justify.
Views expressed by cycling interest groups and the bicycle industry on these issues have been mixed. Those in favour of the fitment of lights to cycles at the point of sale have maintained that the user's choice to subsequently remove them, either permanently or temporarily, should be preserved.