As of November 1 Dutch people on bikes are officially allowed to wear clip-on lights, or whatever you wanna call them. You know, when your bike lights are broken or missing in action. Which is the case with at least half of all bikes here.
Funny thing, this is in fact the result of companies filling a void, and people persisting in wearing them for years, always risking getting fined by over-zealous coppers aiming for that monthly quotum. Mostly, though, it was condoned. For a few years, city police departments actually set up tents on busy junctions, stopped people without bike lights or even with clip-ons and let them choose: have it fixed right there by professionals or pay the fine and walk on. That sort of worked, but the problem really persisted.
However! However, the famous Dutch compromise eventually reared its head and now it’s written in (traffic) law. And naturally, part of the ongoing national bicycle awareness/promotion campaigns.
Hence, I link you to the campaign website ‘Loose Lights Are Allowed Too!’ [literal translation] (check the cool game prize) and let you watch the commercial (I figured I don’t need to translate it for you). Warning to the faint hearted: as with most things Dutch, this video contains loose (pun) cameos of a certain male body part :-p. Enjoy.
Alright, alright, at the end the narrator says: “Oh, and don’t forget to turn them off.”
See? No fear-mongering, no blood, no scary voice. Just playful humor, a wink and a smile.
WHAT TO DO NOW?