Before I get too deep into this article, let me just say that we are not discussing the legality of LED motorcycle auxiliary lights in this article!
The short answer is: yes, they are legal. They are legal in most countries.
No one is going to sue you for having (or not having) LED lights on your motorcycle.
The more pressing question is "do they work?"
Installing LED lights on your motorcycle is your preference. No one is saying you should or shouldn't.Like the decision to wear highlights or reflective clothing, it's all about personal preference. Because either way, scientific research is not conclusive.
If you've ever ridden a motorcycle with auxiliary LED lights, you know they serve little real-world use other than making your bike look more adventurous.
They are usually positioned low so as not to blind other road users. Because of this, they don't increase your vision.
Are motorcycle LED auxiliary lights useful?
What effect do they have on other road users who see you?
After digging into it, it's clear that being visible is important.Motorcyclists are known to be more prone to accidents than people on four-wheelers.Studies have shown that a significant proportion of these accidents are the result of "right-of-way violations." In other words, vehicles stop in front of us when we have the right of way.
Why?
When drivers approach major arterial roads, they look left and right before driving.The problem is that they are used to finding large objects such as cars, vans, buses and trucks. Biologically, humans also have to pay attention to humanoid objects.
What they're looking for isn't a small motorcycle traveling at speed with just a single headlight shining on a flat surface.
look and glance.Scientists have known for decades that if we look, our eyes (and brain) see everything. But when we glance, things get missed.
So what we need to do is to get the attention of the glancing driver. While LED auxiliary lights may help increase your chances of being detected, there is no concrete evidence.While LED auxiliary lights were not statistically significant in preventing accidents, other factors could be significant.
For example, wearing red, white, yellow, or neon colors adds to the boldness. This increased visibility is thought to reduce the risk of accidents by 37%.Likewise, light-colored helmets were associated with a 24% lower risk of accidents compared to dark-colored helmets.Reflective clothing (especially reflective elements on bicycles or helmets) reflects light around us and makes us look bigger.
LED auxiliary lights work best with lightweight helmets and reflective vestsAs mentioned earlier, size is a key factor in allowing road users to notice a cyclist at a glance.Needless to say, they are more likely to notice the triangular light (the headlight plus two LEDs) than the single headlight alone.Combined with reflectors to distribute light, LEDs can increase visibility.But on their own, it appears that while LEDs add brightness, they don't add conspicuousness. Anyway, it's not statistically significant.Still, there is some convincing evidence that flashing LEDs are more likely to attract motorists' attention.
One study suggested using alternating (flickering) lights. And there's some strong research showing that the human eye is more attracted to flashing lights than non-flickering lights.
While it's currently illegal to mount flashing lights on motorcycles, it's not illegal to wear them on your body or helmet. There is some good evidence that LEDs combined with strategically placed reflectors, light-colored helmets and hi-fi jackets with reflective patches make you more likely to be seen by motorists.
