![Rêve Rouge (by [Zakkaliciousness])](http://static.flickr.com/2286/2126233799_d30ac0b89f.jpg "Rêve Rouge (by [Zakkaliciousness])")
A couple of days ago the Copenhagen Police starting handing out free bike lights to cyclists who choose to interpret the traffic laws in their own special way.
Cyclists who are stopped for traffic violations will still recieve a citation that will cost them 500 kroner [€66 / $100] but the police have 1000 bike light sets that they will give to the cyclists in question.
The bike lights are worth 140 kroner [€18 / $28] and the 1000 sets should last well into the new year.
With that said, there is not that much visible enforcement of cyclists in Copenhagen. A couple of times a year the police have week-long 'raids' during which the concentrate their efforts on cyclists.
During the last 'raid' in July they handed out 777 citations. Read about the preferred laws that cyclists overlook here, in this previous post.
Once in awhile there are calls for increased focus on cyclists and citations. The discussion always ends with, "how do you police so many cyclists effectively and cost efficiently?" It would take enormous resources.
At the very least it is publicised when the police will be having a raid week, so cylcists have a chance to behave a bit better and avoid a citation.
![Bike Lights (by [Zakkaliciousness])](http://static.flickr.com/2071/2073701480_df4b0c6caa_m.jpg "Bike Lights (by [Zakkaliciousness])")
Via: Politiken
4 thinking out louds:
I'm kinda curious as to how they handle citations there, over here if you're a driver and fail to pay a citation you get your license suspended and lose driving privileges.
What's the result there if you fail to pay and is some sort of license or permit required to ride?
you don't lose the right to drive just because you don't pay a ticket over here. you can only lose your license if you drive drunk or speed excessively, etc.
if you keep refusing to pay, the price keeps going up and, i believe, you'll end up being registered as having bad credit. in some cases, you'll be forced to pay out of your paycheque or taxes.
bikes aren't licensed here - that would be a logistical nightmare - so the above applies to bike citations.
They should do that here, that way they'd hit them right where it hurt the most, in the credit rating.
Can't help but get their attention then.
indeed. it helps.
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