Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Dark Visors, Lets make our opinions count

[Darren27]

Hi All,

I dont know if this has already been raised on the board before, so appologies if this is going over old ground.

This has been taken from the BMF website.

The DoT are running a public consultation on the use of dark visors and the BMF would like us to contact the DoT to put forward our views as motorcyclists. There is a proforma letter available to download and email to the relevant department. The more we contact the DoT the more chance of the final decision going in favour of legal use of dark visors.

http://www.bmf.co.uk/dark_visors/index.html

In the same section the BMF are campaining to retain the VAT excemption on helmets. They are organising a similar email campain to MPs and MEPs. 17½% on a £400 Arai helmet is something we can do without.

Lets get active and do our bit to support the BMF, maybe together we can make a differance.

Cheers

Darren

[dickieducati]

sorry to be a party pooper but cant see the point with the dark visor issue. i use one when its sunny and never been pulled for it even when pulled for something else. if you wear one in low light you probably deserve a pull.

cant see the law ever changing.

[Steve M]

Same for me as dickie, but it's bleedin' crazy we can't legally use one in daytime - and it could be an easy way out for insurance companies to avoid paying out if you crashed while wearing one!

[Darren27]

Thats why we need to try to change things.

The government is considering three options,
1 Allow daytime use of dark visors
2 Allow use of visors with 34% light transmission
3 Allow use of visors with 50% light transmission (current situation)

At the moment we have to order our visors over the net as my local bike shops cant sell them. When I use one I risk invalidating my insurance, why?

Your right the chance of getting stopped using one is low by why do we have to risk it anyway?

All we have to do is send an email and who know something might change.

[weeian]

How is the insurance company going to find out you were wearing a dark Visor??

/ian

[Steve M]

it has happened - probably when the police have been involved.

I wear one one though.

[Mr C]

Dont mean to Hijack the thread but.... weeian love your advatar.
:P

[antonye]

Originally posted by Darren27
When I use one I risk invalidating my insurance, why?

Because you are insured on the risk that you won't have a third party claim made against you - that is you injure someone else through your own fault.

Not complying with the law invalidates your insurance, as these are the terms you are bound to when accepting the insurance.

[Darren27]

Antonye,

I was more intrested in why the law has decided to make there use illigal, rather than how its infringment could affect insurance.

Cheers though

Darren

[antonye]

Because us mere public can't be trusted to have any slightest hint of common sense and change a dark visor for a clear one when it starts to get dark!

It would be a legal nightmare to define, but would most probably be based around dawn/dusk timings for when one a dark visor becomes illegal. You then get problems with weather (heavy rain clouds can make it very dark) and other problems like long tunnels.

At the moment we have a law suitable for all conditions, which is the safest option.