Legal stuff re "Driving" lamps

[George the Disco]

Just found this and thought that you may like to review it. It could start a bit of a discussion...


http://www.hughesguides.com/Law/qanda.html#Anchor-Front-37516


Chris

[matthew]

I'm not sure about discussion, it simply says what the law is. Note to all the people with spots on their roofrack, they are not legal for use on a road.

Another summary can be seen at [url http://www.rangie.com/articles_topic.php?id=196&cat=6&subCat=116]rangie.com[/url]

[Andy.]

I'm not sure about discussion, it simply says what the law is. Note to all the people with spots on their roofrack, they are not legal for use on a road.

Another summary can be seen at [url http://www.rangie.com/articles_topic.php?id=196&cat=6&subCat=116]rangie.com[/url]

The second link I think explains things better, and err.................. as for using my spots on the roof whilst on the road well I don't. (Well have done but no-one around   ). Thought it was pretty clear to everyone that if you use them on the road your going to blind anyone coming towards you, so common sense really. Same goes for rear work lamps as well.

Good info though.

[Moose]

I know some of us off road types fit lamps on the roof rack for off road use. Fine. but can someone explain why so many trucks - uk operated as well, fit 4 or 5 supa size spots across the roof and a further 4 or 5 on the grill. :?


I don't off road much - but I have not seen a 18 wheeler greenlaning

[Andy.]

Chris, saw coming back from Doncaster tonight around 10:30ish on A1 opposite carriage way a trucks front end light up like a chirstmas tree with a snowman taking his hat off in full flashing lights.

I thought then that no way can that be legal on a motorway  :?

[davidlandy]

some motorway snowploughs have them on the roof

are they ok????

[Donald the Disco]

As far as I know under the terms of the "Construction and  use" article that you have to abide by, the snowplough lorrys  have an exemption clause, regarding the headlights on the roof.

The wagons with the multi spot / driving lamps are also legal as they are not on during the day and are wired into the main beam dip unit.

As for the xmas trees and other junk lights, yes they would fail the MOT and any road side examination by the VI.   But then it is xmas after all, season of good will and all that jazz :lol:

Then there is the issue of fog lights.................I won't even go there yet!
another minefield  :twisted:

[strapping young lad]

maybe another thread discussion paul but something that is increasing a lot more is unnecessary use of front fogs

annoyes me cos they are bright

BUT

my spots are brighter

not that i would use them of course!  :twisted:

[Andy.]

Certainly does seem to be on the increase (use of front fogs) and what also annoys me is when people forget to turn off there rear fogs once they are no longer needed  

And while we are on lights in general I hate those drivers who don't bother to indicate at roundabouts  

Also what I have noticed is a growing increase in the likes of the 'Nova' and 'Corsa' boy racers (village idiots) fitting those under body lights which run along the sills and a 'Knight Rider - Kit' style front light bar. Are these legal, because if you go into many a car accessories shop nowadays they can be bought very easlily  :?:

[strapping young lad]

i have thought about putting them green lights under the vehicle and pretend to be vin diesel!

[Moose]

I know what little street cred in the off road world will now completely disappear, however I have fitted Corsa boy blue ( what other colour ?) LED washer jets. :oops:

Back to the lorries, ok so they are linked to dip beam, but surely they cannot be legal if used, particualy the roof mounted ones. If so, why fit them?

[Andy.]

I know what little street cred in the off road world will now completely disappear, however I have fitted Corsa boy blue ( what other colour ?) LED washer jets. :oops:

Arhhhhhhh............... no  :shock:

I can't really as my washer jets are not on the bonnet so no point really :roll:  

Got to ask though, how are they powered :?:

[matthew]

I know what little street cred in the off road world will now completely disappear, however I have fitted Corsa boy blue ( what other colour ?) LED washer jets. :oops:

Arhhhhhhh............... no  :shock:

I can't really as my washer jets are not on the bonnet so no point really :roll:

I can't as I don't have any washer jets :)


As for the lorries they probably have a switch that allows them to have main beam with or without the spots, which'll get around the VI checks. Still AFAIK not legal to actually use on the road but the c&u rules could be different for commercials.

[ChrisW]

BTT... a bit of 'further reading'
Statutory Instrument 1989 No. 1796 The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989

Front fog lights - maximum distance in from side of vehicle - 400mm, maximum height above ground - 1200mm

Main Beam Headlamps (presumaby spotlights or driving lamps) no horizontal or vertical requirements other than horizontally the outer edge of illuminance must fall inside the outer edges of normal dipped beam illuminance (the area that is lit up Dyf!  :P )
No requirement on minimum or maximum wattage (except for motorcycles)
Electrical Connection - every main-beam headlamp shall be so constructed that the light emitted therefrom-
(i)  can be deflected at the will of the driver to become a dipped beam, or
(ii)  can be extinguished by the operation of a device which at the same time either-
(A)  causes the lamp to emit a dipped beam, or
(B)  causes another lamp to emit a dipped beam

So... I read that to be I can have spotlights anywhere I want as long as they only come on with main beam?
I do have fog lights as the inner set on the roof rack, with spotlights as the outer set.
All my spotlights are wired via two way and off switches such that I can select whether they come on with main beam, isolated out of circuit altogether or are switched on independent of everything else.
Normal road driving I have the roof lights switched to off unless its one of those annoying little euro boxes that pull out on me on the motorway!  

[George the Disco]

Sounds reasonable to me. I think that the trucks with loads of extra lights get away with having them as they have such a farty little voltage going through them that they are rated as being "optional vehicle identifying" lamps or something like that.

BTW, how do you wire a lamp up so that it has such a slight brightness  and then come on full power with the main beam? A double filament bulb?

Chris

[muddyweb]

Those sort of lights normally have a second, 5 Watt lamp in them wired to the sidelight circuit.

I believe you are only allowed to have lamps with a 5w maximum as vehicle markers.

[Frankie-Boy]

Chris,

They have small sidelight bulbs built in to them, I've got two of them as spotlights on my disco, when the sidelights are on you get a little glow, about 3 or 5 watts, then when you engage main beam it fires the main 100 watt bulb, there is a striking difference.

I got them from LRO, Peterborough the year before last, £20 the pair.

[George the Disco]

Cheers guys. When I've some spare cash thats what I'll be buying. IMHO I think that having 4 spots on the roof all lit up at night might look rather good  :D

One other thing; has anyone else thought of fitting a fog/ work light to the side of their vehicles so as to give light out from the sides of the car? Obviously not a legal issue unless you really want to annoy someone beside you on the motorway  :twisted:  but extremely practical none the less; especially when changing a tyre in the dark, assuming you can lower the beam.

Chris

[ChrisW]

Like this sort of thing Chris?
http://www.lrm.co.uk/archive/Discovery/AirportDisco.html

One of the projects on the list is something like that but hopefully somehow tucked into the roofrack so they can hinge out for side illumination.

[Moose]

I can't really as my washer jets are not on the bonnet so no point really  

Got to ask though, how are they powered  

Electric  :!:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

although I beleive you can get gas powered ones for series motors  :lol:

[Moose]

Runs off the side light circut  :D ,

You can get illuminated bolts with blue LED in to hold your number plates on, would look smart on your motor Andy?

[Andy.]

Really, can you  :?:

Tell me more, where have you seen these  :?:

Cheers.

[davidlandy]

And what about those little valve caps that glow blue?

[Andy.]

And what about those little valve caps that glow blue?

Have I missed something here, where can all these be bought  :?:

One thing I do have at the minute is a Christmas Tree on my dash, which nicely lights up  :D

Anyone else decorated the Landy for the festive season, a bit of tinsel perhaps  :?:

[turtle]

And what about those little valve caps that glow blue?

Totally illegal!!!! Anything blue is a no no.... so I'm told.


I got a Santa in his sleigh with 2 reindeer that light up the dash quite nicely, found it in Pound stretcher thought I do my bit for the festive season  :twisted: .

[datalas]

I'm doing my bit for the festive season too ...

I'm wandering around randomly saying "humbug" ...

well, us grouchy types need to be catered for too

[Andy.]

'Totally illegal!!!! Anything blue is a no no.... so I'm told'

Hmmm..... because our fine police force use Blue  :?:

I was/am going to fit a rather nice little blue strobe/flasher to my rack for personnel use of course. Now I know that if I use it to get home a little quicker in time for my tea I may be asking to get stopped, but surely harmlessly using it whilst off-road or just as a little 'I'm here' signal in a carpark would'nt hurt anyone  :?:

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way,  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[Andy.]

Hmmm.... looked on a link which I picked up on here and yep Blue out it seems  

Quote 'These include restrictions to general colours of lamps, i.e. only red to the rear except for indicators, work lamps, reversing lights, number plate lights, other emergency lights, also restrictions as to blue lights or items imitating blue lights - these being restricted to emergency vehicles'.

So I may go and exchange it for an amber on which I believe is OK  :D


Got the initial idea from a 90 that I saw with a small flasher (light) on top of his snorkel top and that was a clear lense but the light omitted was blue.

[Paul]

If you want to go for a low cost Blue flashing strobe light
I surgest you go to your local alarm shop and purchase
a blue strobe light that is fitted to the house alarm bell box,
They are very bright and 12 volts....

Two look very good behind the front grill, for use off road
only........ :lol:        :lol:

[Andy.]

Sounds very much like what I've got, from Maplins under the Security section.

May just go and exchange it for an amber one then I know I'm kinda safe with that, was thinking of getting a beacon for the motor anyway.