Single rear fog light question

[Tyre Smoke]

My Trabant imported, LHD obviously, has a single fog light mounted on the left of the rear bumper as you look at the rear of the car.

It's MOT exempt because of It's age, but I'm going to fit a period reverse lamp and wondered if a fog on the left is a MOT failure. I want to keep it as original as possible, so if I don't have to swap sides, that would be good.

Thoughts?

ETA: Regulations state a single lamp must be fitted to the offside of the centre line. Define offside? Is that the right side in the UK and left elsewhere in Europe?

Edited by Tyre Smoke on Saturday 21st November 11:31

[Bigends]

Tyre Smoke said:

My Trabant imported, LHD obviously, has a single fog light mounted on the left of the rear bumper as you look at the rear of the car.

It's MOT exempt because of It's age, but I'm going to fit a period reverse lamp and wondered if a fog on the left is a MOT failure. I want to keep it as original as possible, so if I don't have to swap sides, that would be good.

Thoughts?

ETA: Regulations state a single lamp must be fitted to the offside of the centre line. Define offside? Is that the right side in the UK and left elsewhere in Europe?

Edited by Tyre Smoke on Saturday 21st November 11:31

When driving on the left - the side furthest from the kerb is the offside

[Tyre Smoke]

Thanks for that. I'll move it over. The East Germans were very helpful, putting a hole both sides of the bumper!

[4rephill]

The actual legislation is (From: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/sche... ):



So a single rear fog light can either be in the centre of the vehicle, or on the offside of the vehicle.

The idea is, the fog light can't be confused for any other light, such as brake lights.

[paintman]

It's MOT exempt.

I assume that would put it as built before 1st April 1980.
In which case it's not a testable item anyway.
"4.5.1. Presence, condition and operation
You only need to inspect:

front fog lamps fitted to vehicles first used on or after 1 March 2018
the 1 rear fog lamp which must be fitted to the centre or offside of vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1980"
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-...

So you don't need to do anything unless as already suggested you don't want to confuse other drivers.

[MYOB]

Bigends said:

When driving on the left - the side furthest from the kerb is the offside

I may be a bit dim but doesn't that apply to driving on the right too?

[Riley Blue]

MYOB said:

Bigends said:

When driving on the left - the side furthest from the kerb is the offside

I may be a bit dim but doesn't that apply to driving on the right too?

[Tyre Smoke]

So a single foglight could be deemed illegal here on French car, and vice versa on a British car in France?

[C350Akra]

Tyre Smoke said:

So a single foglight could be deemed illegal here on French car, and vice versa on a British car in France?

Only if the car has been re-registered in the 'other' country, in which case the lights would need to be altered to register the car.

[QBee]

Fit two, then you can't be wrong

[CABC]

QBee said:

Fit two, then you can't be wrong

in the middle, import freely

[Tyre Smoke]

I unbolted it from the bumper yesterday and it fell apart in my hand. The foglight, not yesterday bumper.

Ebay arrival imminent. Offside fitting.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Tyre Smoke said:

The East Germans were very helpful, putting a hole both sides of the bumper!

Obviously expecting to sell some of them in the U.K. market. I like their optimism!

[CABC]

Dr Mike Oxgreen said:

Obviously expecting to sell some of them in the U.K. market. I like their optimism!

more like the Japanese. they like euro oddities.