why do some cars have 2 reversing lights and others only 1?

[Jacobthechap]

as the title say,

something i have noticed is that the more expensive the car the more likely it has 2 reversing lights?

just a weird thing i noticed...

[hardcorehobbit]

My 99 Rover 400 has 2 reverse lights. So no, not just expensive cars.

One is the requirement, as is one foglight.

Thus, designers only bother with one of each to make it look 'better'.

[Jacobthechap]

a bit of symmetry is always nice..

[cuprabob]

Most of the ones with one reversing light have the one fog light in the matching location in the driver's side cluster.

Not sure about the expense comment as Polo has 2 whereas my R32 and Scirocco each have one

[TheDoggingFather]

I'm pretty sure you don't have to have reverse lights by law, they aren't part of an M.O.T.

[Changedmyname]

Two of each here,Thank you!

[Mave]

TheDoggingFather said:

I'm pretty sure you don't have to have reverse lights by law, they aren't part of an M.O.T.

Just because something isn't in the MoT, doesn't mean it isn't a legal requirement

[KungFuPanda]

Although I have a space for a reverse light in each rear cluster of my S6, only one of them is avtivated. This has led to numerous people advising me that one of my reverse bulbs is out. Apparently, only vehicles for the Japanese market have both reverse lights activated.

[TheDoggingFather]

Mave said:

TheDoggingFather said:

I'm pretty sure you don't have to have reverse lights by law, they aren't part of an M.O.T.

Just because something isn't in the MoT, doesn't mean it isn't a legal requirement

Well several of my Mini's don't have reverse lights

[Mave]

TheDoggingFather said:

Well several of my Mini's don't have reverse lights

How old are they, and were they originally fitted with them? Construction and Use Regs now aren't the same as they used to be....

[New POD]

Jacobthechap said:

as the title say,

something i have noticed is that the more expensive the car the more likely it has 2 reversing lights?

just a weird thing i noticed...

Cost. On a volvo S40 I Owned I noticed that one of the rear fog lights was out. So I bought a bulb, and found that all the wiring and the socket was in place, but the HOLE in the plastic had not been cut out. So with Stanley's knife I carefully removed said bit of plastic and fitted a second fog lamp bulb. I reckon they'd saved £0.25 p MAX

If they can get away with saving 1 Fog light bulb, 1 Reversing light bulb AND the wiring, then they'll be saving what ? £2 ?


When I worked for Garrett making Turbo's we started using special bolts with a shoulder instead of a washer, but the CHEAP bit was that the shoulder had a one use shape that cut it's own spot face into a cast alloy housing. At 50p per spot face, and 2p per washer, plus the associated costs of NOT buying the cutting tool or finding a washer supplier, multiplied by 6, I reckon they saved £3.12 per turbo. Now look at every little stting bit of your car, and think 12p saved there, 30p saved there, £2 saved there.

[anonymous-user]

You obviously have never bought a new car. When you buy one they ask you how much reversing you are likely to do after nightfall. You can then choose the extra light option (although i believe they take away one of the cupholders to balance the cost of the extra light........... ;-)

[TheDoggingFather]

Mave said:

TheDoggingFather said:

Well several of my Mini's don't have reverse lights

How old are they, and were they originally fitted with them? Construction and Use Regs now aren't the same as they used to be....

Newest is '76 but they did continue through to the mid-80's without them.

[Codswallop]

My car is posh - not only does it have two reversing lights, but it also has two rear fog lights

[Astra Dan]

Codswallop said:

My car is posh - not only does it have two reversing lights, but it also has two rear fog lights

You heard it here! Astras are posh!

[surveyor]

New POD said:

Cost. On a volvo S40 I Owned I noticed that one of the rear fog lights was out. So I bought a bulb, and found that all the wiring and the socket was in place, but the HOLE in the plastic had not been cut out. So with Stanley's knife I carefully removed said bit of plastic and fitted a second fog lamp bulb. I reckon they'd saved £0.25 p MAX

If they can get away with saving 1 Fog light bulb, 1 Reversing light bulb AND the wiring, then they'll be saving what ? £2 ?


When I worked for Garrett making Turbo's we started using special bolts with a shoulder instead of a washer, but the CHEAP bit was that the shoulder had a one use shape that cut it's own spot face into a cast alloy housing. At 50p per spot face, and 2p per washer, plus the associated costs of NOT buying the cutting tool or finding a washer supplier, multiplied by 6, I reckon they saved £3.12 per turbo. Now look at every little stting bit of your car, and think 12p saved there, 30p saved there, £2 saved there.

No. The logic is a single light helps differentiate between brake lights which are similarly bright. Allegedly. Probably different rules elsewhere hence the reason that they can be activated easily.

[mrmr96]

Maybe it's because in some markets you don't need a rear fog light (e.g. Japan) but in the UK you do. Therefore sometimes one of the reversing lights is converted to being a fog light. Not sure about typically expensive/cheap but it could be typically Euro/Jap. (For example)

[BOR]

A symetric light cluster avoids the logistics complexity of having different set ups for different markets.

[Mave]

TheDoggingFather said:

Newest is '76 but they did continue through to the mid-80's without them.

Well, a reversing light is a requirement of IVA, so I can't imagine it's not a requirement of Type Approval for high volume cars.

[Fetchez la vache]

Mave said:

TheDoggingFather said:

Well several of my Mini's don't have reverse lights

How old are they, and were they originally fitted with them? Construction and Use Regs now aren't the same as they used to be....

Yep, my 1972 beach buggy had no reverse lights.. fog lights... wing mirrors...