Are red and blue lights on a bicycle helmet legal in Florida?

Question

I recently purchased a bicycle helmet from a shop here in Florida (similar to this one). It has a white light on the front, and red and blue lights on the rear and sides. The lights can be off, steady on, or flashing.

Trying to figure out if the red and blue lights are legal in Florida. I found Florida statute 316.2397. The first paragraph appears to say it's prohibited to display a red or blue light if it's visible from the front (which is not the case), while the second paragraph says blue lights are prohibited except for law enforcement.

Seems to me those paragraphs are contradictory. Is it legal to have red and blue lights facing the sides and rear on a bicycle helmet in Florida?

Answer 1

Are red and blue lights on a bicycle helmet legal in Florida?

Red ones may be, but blue ones are not.

The relevant part of the statute you linked to is in paragraph 2: "It is expressly prohibited for any vehicle or equipment, except police vehicles, to show or display blue lights."

Nothing more than that is really necessary.

The paragraph preceding this provides some additional scenarios where a red, red and white, or blue light "directly visible from the front" is also prohibited, but these additional conditions do not contradict the top level ban on blue... because blue is illegal from any direction.

Answer 2

316.2397 reads:

(1) A person may not drive or move or cause to be moved any vehicle or equipment upon any highway within this state with any lamp or device thereon showing or displaying a red, red and white, or blue light visible from directly in front thereof except for certain vehicles provided in this section.

(2) It is expressly prohibited for any vehicle or equipment, except police vehicles, to show or display blue lights. However, vehicles owned, operated, or leased by the Department of Corrections or any county correctional agency may show or display blue lights when responding to emergencies.

You say:

The first paragraph appears to say it's prohibited to display a red or blue light if it's visible from the front (which is not the case), while the second paragraph says blue lights are prohibited except for law enforcement.

I believe you are describing these paragraphs correctly. I cannot find any judicial consideration of this statute, but here is my reading:

1. Unless specifically allowed elsewhere in this section, it is prohibited for a person to cause a vehicle to move while it is displaying red, red and white, or blue lights, if those lights are visible from the front.

2. Only police vehicles (and Corrections vehicles when responding to emergencies) may display blue lights.