Published by Lyn on 25 August 2013
Elan wrote in to ask if he needed to wear a high visibility vest during his cycle tour of the Atlantic Coast from Santander to Roscoff.
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Hi Lyn
Do you or any of your site’s followers know if the French police are enforcing the rules on hi-vis gilets for cyclists, please?
The Cyclist’s Touring Club say:
STOP PRESS From 1 September 2008 it is compulsory, in poor visibility and throughout the hours of darkness, when outside built up areas, to wear a fluorescent ‘gilet’ or waistcoat if you’re riding your bike. Furthermore, it must conform to certain statutory design criteria. Find out more here. The linked document is attached and cyclists are referred to in the last section.
We are trying to keep weight down on our tour from Santander to Roscoff and although these gilets are relatively light, we will be wearing the usual bright cycle jerseys/jackets. I have an orange jacket which is hardly invisible and I’ll look like a dog’s dinner with a yellow gilet on top! Can’t see Mark Cavendish or Bradley Wiggins wearing one of these gilets either !!
Emma Philpott’s article on cycling in wet weather makes no mention of legal requirements but may have pre-dated September 2008.
Thanks,
Elan.
Answer:
Hi Elan,
Thanks for your email.
The rules are interpreted quite loosely, and I've never heard of anyone being fined or stopped by police for not wearing a high-viz vest. Certainly I see a mix of locals (including farmers!) wearing them and not wearing them on the roads around here all the time.
Strictly speaking, it is correct that you should wear one on more remote roads, after dark and in poor weather.
I keep one in my bike trailer but only really use it if I get caught out after dark, and for the school run in the winter on really foggy mornings. We live in a small village and I would never think to wear it during the day on the lane ways around here.
These things seem to be interpreted locally by each police service, so I can't give any guarantees one way or the other that you may/may not be stopped. I would think, however, that the odds of being stopped would be fairly low if you were already wearing bright-coloured cycling kit. Also consider what roads you're cycling on, and at what time of day you'll be doing most of your riding. I should think the odds of being stopped on Atlantic Coast cycle paths and smaller roads are quite small, especially if you are cycling for the most part during the daylight hours.
I'm not sure if that helps at all, but do drop me a line back if I can help further.
Cheers,
Lyn.
Thanks to Elan, who subsequently sent me a really detailed list of the bike-friendly hotels he stayed at along his route. I'm adding them to the Where to stay section as time permits.
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