Legislative provisions and information
Provisions relating to bicycle lighting
According to the rules of the international highway code:
bicycles must be equipped with a dynamo, and one front and one rear light
providing active lighting.
Obligatory bicycle accessories prescribed by the relevant decree of the Ministry
of Transport, Communications, and Energy of Hungary:
1.
White or amber front light.
2.
Red rear light.
3.
Red rear prism reflector
4.
Two independent brakes.
5.
Bell
6.
Amber prism reflector across the spokes of at least the front wheel.
If any of these accessories are missing, the authorities may impose a fine!
Recommended bicycle accessories according to the decree of the Ministry of
Transport, Communications, and Energy of Hungary:
a. Amber prism reflectors on the pedal and between the spokes
b. Width indicating prism reflector mounted on an arm
c. Rear-view mirror
d. Fender
You can find the exact text of the regulation below:
Technical criteria for operating a bicycle
Decree no. 6/1990 (IV. 12.) of the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and
Energy
On the technical criteria of bringing into and maintaining in circulation road
transport vehicles
Section 116 (1) The bicycle must be equipped with:
a) an easy-to-handle and reliable steering system (handlebar),
b) two brake systems that can be operated independently of each other, and one
of which acts on the front, the other on the rear wheel,
c) an audible warning device, which may only be a bell,
d) a front lamp emitting white or cadmium yellow light,
e) a rear position lamp emitting red light visible from at least 150 meters in the
dark in clear weather,
f) one or two red, symmetrically positioned light reflectors that are not triangular
in shape,
g) one amber lateral reflector prism, reflective on both sides, placed on at least
the front wheel (spoke reflector).
The light reflector prescribed in item g) must be fitted onto bicycles by December
31, 1991.
(2) The bicycle may be equipped with
- on its front a white light reflector,
- on its sides and on the front and rear of both pedals amber light reflectors, as
well as a width indicator positioned on the left side of the bicycle, containing a
white light reflector towards the front and a red one towards the rear.
(3) The light reflectors mounted on the bicycle must be visible in clear weather in
the dark from 150 meters from a vehicle whose main beam is illuminating them.
(4) Bicycles with more than two wheels and wider than 0.80 m must be equipped
on both sides with the lighting and light reflecting devices listed in items d)-f) of
Article 1. These devices may not be more than 0.15 m from the widest point of
the vehicle or closer than 0.60 m to each other.
(5) A child seat may only be mounted on a bicycle in such as a way that the seat
and the child sitting on it do not obstruct the visibility and control of the rider, and
do not cover the lighting and light reflecting devices of the bicycle. The seat must
also be fitted with hand- and footrests. The seat and its hand- and footrests may
not be connected with the steered wheel or the structure that turns with it.
(6) A two-track single-axle trailer max. 0.70 m wide and of max. 70 kg total
weight may be attached to the bicycle (bicycle trailer).
(7) The bicycle trailer must be equipped with
a) on its rear a red, triangular light reflector (light reflector prescribed for trailers)
positioned on or to the left of the median plane of the trailer, at a height of min.
0.35 m and max. 0.60 m from the road surface,
b) a rear position lamp identical to that prescribed for the bicycle. The electric
switching of the rear position lamp of the bicycle trailer must ensure that
switching it on causes the position lamp of the bicycle to switch off.
(8) The electric switching of the bicycle's lighting must ensure that all lights are
switched on/off together.
(9) The lighting and light reflecting devices of the bicycle must be positioned as
follows:
a) With regard to Article 1,
- the light mentioned in item d),
- the rear (red) position light mentioned in item e), and
- the rear (red) light reflector(s) mentioned in item f) and the front (white) light
reflector mentioned in Article (2) must be positioned on the longitudinal vertical
median plane of the bicycle in such a way that:
- none of them is closer than 0.35 m to the road surface,
- the lights are not farther than 0.90 m from the road surface,
- the light reflectors are not farther than 0.60 m from the road surface.
b) The (amber) lateral reflector prism (spoke reflector) mentioned in item g) of
Article (1) mounted on the wheel must be positioned at a distance of 0.10-0.15 m
from the tire.
c) The width indicator mentioned in Article (2) must be positioned 0.30-0.40
meters to the left of the longitudinal vertical median plane of the bicycle, at a
height of 0.35-0.60 m from the road surface.
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