Headlight not working - Illegal?

Headlight not working - Illegal?

Author
Discussion

zombeh

693 posts

186 months

Wednesday 18th February 2009
quotequote all
Dipped lights should be used rather than must, you don't have to use them in built up areas with streetlights.

Having the passenger side one on is probably more dangerous than having neither as with them both off you look like a car with only sidelights on rather than a bike that's right over the other side of the road. Head on collisions hurt, so fixing it sooner rather than later would be a good idea. I nearly hit a car a few weeks ago that was doing a very good impression of a bike down a narrow country lane.

Vipers

32,799 posts

227 months

Wednesday 18th February 2009
quotequote all
Vaux said:
littleredrooster said:
DonnyMac said:
Is it? I was always under the impression that you only required sidelights in built up lit 30mph zones - I believe this is dangerous, but not illegal to use sidelights only.
Probably wrong though.
Yup - wrong. Sidelights are only parking lights and cannot be used when the vehicle is moving; dipped headlamps must be used during the defined hours of darkness.
Highway Code rule 113 needs re-writing then.
Correct, don't need to use headlights under certain circumstances......... read HC and inwardly digest

113 states:-

Use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally Uurestricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified

smile

Edited by Vipers on Wednesday 18th February 11:03


Edited by Vipers on Wednesday 18th February 11:04

Invisible man

39,731 posts

283 months

Wednesday 18th February 2009
quotequote all
Vaux said:
littleredrooster said:
DonnyMac said:
Is it? I was always under the impression that you only required sidelights in built up lit 30mph zones - I believe this is dangerous, but not illegal to use sidelights only.
Probably wrong though.
Yup - wrong. Sidelights are only parking lights and cannot be used when the vehicle is moving; dipped headlamps must be used during the defined hours of darkness.
Highway Code rule 113 needs re-writing then.
As if anyone will read it, the amount of vehicles I see every day with every possible combination of incorrect lighting is staggering. I even see vehicles with no tail lights at all so I'm pretty sure they will be completely oblivious to a minor alteration in the HWC

Vipers

32,799 posts

227 months

Wednesday 18th February 2009
quotequote all
Invisible man said:
As if anyone will read it, the amount of vehicles I see every day with every possible combination of incorrect lighting is staggering. I even see vehicles with no tail lights at all so I'm pretty sure they will be completely oblivious to a minor alteration in the HWC
Oblivious to a minor alteration? they are not even aware of the HC..... and its getting worse.

frown

Invisible man

39,731 posts

283 months

Wednesday 18th February 2009
quotequote all
Vipers said:
Invisible man said:
As if anyone will read it, the amount of vehicles I see every day with every possible combination of incorrect lighting is staggering. I even see vehicles with no tail lights at all so I'm pretty sure they will be completely oblivious to a minor alteration in the HWC
Oblivious to a minor alteration? they are not even aware of the HC..... and its getting worse.

frown
Fear not.....SPECS are being erected across the land to save us all

Oneday

85 posts

193 months

Wednesday 18th February 2009
quotequote all
I think it is perfectly legal so long as you are not driving at night or near dusk. You don't need headlights in the daytime. (YET)

Dwight VanDriver

6,583 posts

243 months

Wednesday 18th February 2009
quotequote all
Oneday said:
I think it is perfectly legal so long as you are not driving at night or near dusk. You don't need headlights in the daytime. (YET)
Providing:

a defective lamp on a vehicle in use on a road between sunrise and sunset, if any such lamp, became defective during the journey which is in progress OR

Note: if arrangements have been made to remedy the defect with all reasonable expedition

dvd

polo54

Original Poster:

355 posts

191 months

Wednesday 18th February 2009
quotequote all
Dwight VanDriver said:
Oneday said:
I think it is perfectly legal so long as you are not driving at night or near dusk. You don't need headlights in the daytime. (YET)
Providing:

a defective lamp on a vehicle in use on a road between sunrise and sunset, if any such lamp, became defective during the journey which is in progress OR

Note: if arrangements have been made to remedy the defect with all reasonable expedition

dvd
Bought a new one from the petrol station last night - £8!

Didn't take long to fit, the indicator bulb on my friends car went and he had to pay a mechanic £30 to fit a new one (that was just the labour!).

Vipers

32,799 posts

227 months

Wednesday 18th February 2009
quotequote all
Oneday said:
I think it is perfectly legal so long as you are not driving at night or near dusk. You don't need headlights in the daytime. (YET)
Of course it is under note 113 in the guide note, no need to think about it.


polo54 said:
Bought a new one from the petrol station last night - £8!

Didn't take long to fit, the indicator bulb on my friends car went and he had to pay a mechanic £30 to fit a new one (that was just the labour!).

Well done that man, wish all the others on our roads would follow suit.

smile


littleredrooster

5,523 posts

195 months

Wednesday 18th February 2009
quotequote all
Vipers said:
Vaux said:
littleredrooster said:
DonnyMac said:
Is it? I was always under the impression that you only required sidelights in built up lit 30mph zones - I believe this is dangerous, but not illegal to use sidelights only.
Probably wrong though.
Yup - wrong. Sidelights are only parking lights and cannot be used when the vehicle is moving; dipped headlamps must be used during the defined hours of darkness.
Highway Code rule 113 needs re-writing then.
Correct, don't need to use headlights under certain circumstances......... read HC and inwardly digest

113 states:-

Use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally Uurestricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified

smile
Humble pie duly eaten and digested. I honestly thought that this had been re-writted some years ago.

Vipers

32,799 posts

227 months

Wednesday 18th February 2009
quotequote all
littleredrooster said:
Vipers said:
Vaux said:
littleredrooster said:
DonnyMac said:
Is it? I was always under the impression that you only required sidelights in built up lit 30mph zones - I believe this is dangerous, but not illegal to use sidelights only.
Probably wrong though.
Yup - wrong. Sidelights are only parking lights and cannot be used when the vehicle is moving; dipped headlamps must be used during the defined hours of darkness.
Highway Code rule 113 needs re-writing then.
Correct, don't need to use headlights under certain circumstances......... read HC and inwardly digest

113 states:-

Use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally Uurestricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified

smile
Humble pie duly eaten and digested. I honestly thought that this had been re-writted some years ago.
To be honest, I "Thought" it was right, so had a look at the HC to check it out, one wonders at times why it should be so. At least you and I can join the elite bunch who know this now.

smile

herewego

8,814 posts

212 months

Thursday 19th February 2009
quotequote all
Vipers said:
littleredrooster said:
Vipers said:
Vaux said:
littleredrooster said:
DonnyMac said:
Is it? I was always under the impression that you only required sidelights in built up lit 30mph zones - I believe this is dangerous, but not illegal to use sidelights only.
Probably wrong though.
Yup - wrong. Sidelights are only parking lights and cannot be used when the vehicle is moving; dipped headlamps must be used during the defined hours of darkness.
Highway Code rule 113 needs re-writing then.
Correct, don't need to use headlights under certain circumstances......... read HC and inwardly digest

113 states:-

Use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally Uurestricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified

smile
Humble pie duly eaten and digested. I honestly thought that this had been re-writted some years ago.
To be honest, I "Thought" it was right, so had a look at the HC to check it out, one wonders at times why it should be so. At least you and I can join the elite bunch who know this now.

smile
I think most people know you don't need headlights in lit areas. In my area as lighting up time arrives most people use only sidelights on well lit roads, but as more and more people turn on headlights and in some cases foglights as well, the rest of us have no choice but to use headlights too.

shocker-z

554 posts

217 months

Thursday 19th February 2009
quotequote all
Vaux said:
littleredrooster said:
DonnyMac said:
Is it? I was always under the impression that you only required sidelights in built up lit 30mph zones - I believe this is dangerous, but not illegal to use sidelights only.
Probably wrong though.
Yup - wrong. Sidelights are only parking lights and cannot be used when the vehicle is moving; dipped headlamps must be used during the defined hours of darkness.
Highway Code rule 113 needs re-writing then.
He's right...

113

You MUST

* ensure all sidelights and rear registration plate lights are lit between sunset and sunrise
* use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally restricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified
* use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226)

Night (the hours of darkness) is defined as the period between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise).

[Laws RVLR regs 3, 24, & 25, (In Scotland - RTRA 1984 sect 82 (as amended by NRSWA, para 59 of sched 8))]

Source: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Hig...


EDIT: Sorry, dumb ass here didn't see that there were 2 pages...

Regards
Liam

Edited by shocker-z on Thursday 19th February 13:42

Vipers

32,799 posts

227 months

Thursday 19th February 2009
quotequote all
herewego said:
In my area as lighting up time arrives most people use only sidelights on well lit roads, but as more and more people turn on headlights and in some cases foglights as well, the rest of us have no choice but to use headlights too.
My motto is "See, and be seen"....... not that I use foglights, just headlights, but last night driving home Aberdeen/Stonehaven, there was a little bit of drizzle, and visibility was drastically reduced, down to at least 3 miles, so the majority put on front and BLOODY REAR fog lights, FFS.

smile

BAHN-STORMA

2,712 posts

189 months

Thursday 19th February 2009
quotequote all
Vipers said:
herewego said:
In my area as lighting up time arrives most people use only sidelights on well lit roads, but as more and more people turn on headlights and in some cases foglights as well, the rest of us have no choice but to use headlights too.
My motto is "See, and be seen"....... not that I use foglights, just headlights, but last night driving home Aberdeen/Stonehaven, there was a little bit of drizzle, and visibility was drastically reduced, down to at least 3 miles, so the majority put on front and BLOODY REAR fog lights, FFS.

smile
Similarly on M25 last night, warning signs said "FOG" (there wasn't any!), but some of Pavlov's finest drooler's still couldn't resist the urge to reach for the foglight button!