Government refuses to budge on dark visors

Transport Minister David Jamieson has just announced that he won’t be making dark visors legal, despite admitting their benefits in reducing glare from sunlight.

The sticking point appears to be the potential for us to wear our visors at night, ride around like blinded fools and run over pedestrians.

He said: ” The large majority of motorcyclists were in favour of dark visors, which they regard as the best way to reduce glare. But road safety organisations who have expressed concerns about the safety of other vulnerable road users, given the potential for misuse of dark visors at dusk or at night. ”

His announcement comes after a three-month public consultation earlier in the year on whether the law should change.

Campaigners who have supported a change in the law say this could be the end of the fight.

Alan Goodman, who sits on the British Standards committee that sets the laws regarding visors, said: ” This is an unbelievable decision. The minister has ignored everybody. I don’t see what we can do now except carry on wearing illegal, untested visors to try and ride safely. ”

That means the darkest visor we will be allowed to use legally is still one with a 50 per cent tint – considered by most of us to be not tinted enough to block out bright or low sun.

We want your views on this decision, through the talk boards. Click on the link, right, to have your say.