The law- spotlight use on the road!

waldershelf said:

I supose you can fit a seperate switch to stop them coming on if you wish but according to the link they must still go through the dip switch.

Click to expand...

Agreed. They must only come on when high beam is turned on and go off when highbeam is switched off. doesn't have to run thru Dipswitch though.

A separate switch is required. to prevent them from been used on a Public highway. Greenlanes included.

Simplest way to comply is to run the live feed to the switch from the Highbeam live feed. then from switch to relay. and onto lights.

waldershelf said:

I supose you can fit a seperate switch to stop them coming on if you wish but according to the link they must still go through the dip switch.

Click to expand...

If they are legal, which I now believe them to be, again, then they can stay as they are.

Roofbars are too high (above 4ft) iirc so illegal

they are classed as work lights now so any use on the public highway is an offence.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/5/made

My understanding from reading the above is that they are legal, is there contradicting info published elsewhere?

Have posted this before ,
Any number , any height , must go out on operation of obligatory headlamps going to dip( how switched on irrelevant ) , must be adjustable when vehicle stationary, for vehicle 1st used after 1st april 91 approval mark or british standard mark , white or yellow .

The above does not remove duty not to dazzle other road users !! eg if you are rolling along lit up like christmas tree , and dont notice cycle coming towards you and he goes in ditch you might have some awkward questions to answer

redhand said:

Roofbars are too high (above 4ft) iirc so illegal

Click to expand...

There is no mention of any height restriction in the link to the legislation quoted. Do you have a reference/link that says otherwise? I think we need to get to an actual, true legal position on this for the sake of all those with roof mounted light bars.

waldershelf said:

There is no mention of any height restriction in the link to the legislation quoted. Do you have a reference/link that says otherwise? I think we need to get to an actual, true legal position on this for the sake of all those with roof mounted light bars.

Click to expand...

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989

I read it at 2.1m


(c) Vertical–
(i)Maximum height above the ground–
(A)Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (B), (C) or (D):
1500 mm or, if the structure of the vehicle makes this impracticable, 2100 mm

warrior said:

I read it at 2.1m


(c) Vertical–
(i)Maximum height above the ground–
(A)Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (B), (C) or (D):
1500 mm or, if the structure of the vehicle makes this impracticable, 2100 mm

Click to expand...

But a landy dun't make it impractical to fit em lower than 1500mm think the higher height is for Tractors or similar.

KSLB said:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/5/made

Click to expand...

This one refers to optional main beam headlamps and states no restriction on vertical height.

redhand said:

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989

Click to expand...

This one refers to optional front position lamps and has a height restriction. My understanding of front position lamps according to a quick bit of research online is that they are standing lamps/marker lights and parking lamps not main beam lights optional or otherwise hence the Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 having a specific section covering main beam headlamps which do not have a height restriction according to the regulations.

Just checked the MOT tester guide as well and front position lamps or lights are what we call side lights so nothing to do with dip and or main beam lights so the front position lamp section in the regulations has nothing to do with roof lights or spot lights so the restrictions in that section do not apply.

I do think the regulations confuse matters by calling side lights "front position lamps" as it comes across as meaning the position of the front lamps and in fact it does not mean this at all.

The only time I use my roof spotlights when I'm on the road is to **** of the folk driving at me on a clear night with their fog lights on, does my head in.

Mark

Mark151151 said:

The only time I use my roof spotlights when I'm on the road is to **** of the folk driving at me on a clear night with their fog lights on, does my head in.

Mark

Click to expand...

And head-on collisions don't?

warrior said:

I read it at 2.1m


(c) Vertical–
(i)Maximum height above the ground–
(A)Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (B), (C) or (D):
1500 mm or, if the structure of the vehicle makes this impracticable, 2100 mm

Click to expand...

wrong section this is extract from RVLR 89 SCh 2 Part 1 which is Position lamps oblig and optional which is irrelevant to driving (headlamps) lights
HTSH

blue beasty said:

And head-on collisions don't?

Click to expand...

Mine aren't bright enough to blind someone. Just enough to annoy them back,

Mark.

It says first used or manufactured after 1986 does that mean you can mount them wherever on older vehicles ?

Dr_evil said:

It says first used or manufactured after 1986 does that mean you can mount them wherever on older vehicles ?

Click to expand...

This specifically refers to wattage and marking requirements, and warning light , dependant that date either pre or after , not to other requirements

If it's all the same with you, I'll stick with:

Front position lights - Factory fitted side lights
Front fog lights - Factory fitted "under the bumper" white lights. 55 watts. With a separate switch and tell-tale
Dipped headlights - Factory fitted 55 watts.
Main beam - Factory fitted 55 watts with a blue tell-tale.
Auxiliary driving lights - two 55 watt 6 1/2" lamps fitted on a bar, equidistant around the centre-line of the vehicle and level with the main beam lamps, relay switched on the main beam circuit only and includes a switch to switch them off completely, with a tell-tale to show when the circuit is active.

All fully legal I think, although I have replaced the side light bulbs with white LEDs.