why do some cars have 2 reversing lights and others only 1?
Discussion
Futuramic said:
Cost; I would imagine.
German cars tend to only have one foglight as logic dictates it is more easily distinguished from the brake lights. My BMW only has one. My old Volvo had one on each side and they really did look like brake lights. Had a dash mounted switch too, which I never engaged when being tailgated. Never.
As for reversing lights; I hate cars that only have one. It makes reversing in badly lit areas more complex than necessary. The Ford Focus is a case in point.
The Focus hatchback single reversing light, at the bottom of the bumper... agreed it's useless, but IIRC it wasn't actually as bad as it sounded mainly because at night, the tail-lights gave enough light to see behind. That, and you know there's less than half-a-foot between the bottom of the hatch glass and the edge of the bumper(on the Mk1 anyway). Reversing a Mk2 Focus saloon though, day or night, is a bit of a pig if you don't drive one often. No number of reversing lights will make that any better. German cars tend to only have one foglight as logic dictates it is more easily distinguished from the brake lights. My BMW only has one. My old Volvo had one on each side and they really did look like brake lights. Had a dash mounted switch too, which I never engaged when being tailgated. Never.
As for reversing lights; I hate cars that only have one. It makes reversing in badly lit areas more complex than necessary. The Ford Focus is a case in point.
smellypoo said:
Futuramic said:
Cost; I would imagine.
German cars tend to only have one foglight as logic dictates it is more easily distinguished from the brake lights. My BMW only has one. My old Volvo had one on each side and they really did look like brake lights. Had a dash mounted switch too, which I never engaged when being tailgated. Never.
As for reversing lights; I hate cars that only have one. It makes reversing in badly lit areas more complex than necessary. The Ford Focus is a case in point.
The Focus hatchback single reversing light, at the bottom of the bumper... agreed it's useless, but IIRC it wasn't actually as bad as it sounded mainly because at night, the tail-lights gave enough light to see behind. That, and you know there's less than half-a-foot between the bottom of the hatch glass and the edge of the bumper(on the Mk1 anyway). Reversing a Mk2 Focus saloon though, day or night, is a bit of a pig if you don't drive one often. No number of reversing lights will make that any better. German cars tend to only have one foglight as logic dictates it is more easily distinguished from the brake lights. My BMW only has one. My old Volvo had one on each side and they really did look like brake lights. Had a dash mounted switch too, which I never engaged when being tailgated. Never.
As for reversing lights; I hate cars that only have one. It makes reversing in badly lit areas more complex than necessary. The Ford Focus is a case in point.
Nick3point2 said:
Prepared for a flaming but how can a car be deemed roadworthy if it is carrying on illegal defect?
If the car was originally type approved with a reversing light and you then decide to remove it, it's not an illegal defect, it's an illegal modification. The MoT isn't intended to make sure that the cas was designed / built properly (that's the purpose of Construction and Use / Type Approval / IVA), its intended to make sure that the car is maintained safely.http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/conte...
Under 'Obligatory Lights', reversing lights aren't mentioned. Don't know if this has been superseded.
Please don't quote 'EU Rules' as they don't apply to use, only fitment, vis a vis DRLs.
Under 'Obligatory Lights', reversing lights aren't mentioned. Don't know if this has been superseded.
Please don't quote 'EU Rules' as they don't apply to use, only fitment, vis a vis DRLs.
Edited by fangio on Thursday 15th December 19:01
When I built my Tiger kit car, I didn't bother with a reversing light - they weren't a legal requirement and it sailed through both SVA and MOT without bother. It has one foglight, mounted on the offside, although to comply with the law it can (could at the time, don't know if the regs have changed since I built it in 2001), be anywhere on the offside, including just a centimetre or two off the centre line of the car.
Antony Moxey said:
When I built my Tiger kit car, I didn't bother with a reversing light - they weren't a legal requirement and it sailed through both SVA and MOT without bother. It has one foglight, mounted on the offside, although to comply with the law it can (could at the time, don't know if the regs have changed since I built it in 2001), be anywhere on the offside, including just a centimetre or two off the centre line of the car.
not even sure it has to be on the off side - to allow Pug 206 style single fog light in the centre of the rear bumper. mph1977 said:
Antony Moxey said:
When I built my Tiger kit car, I didn't bother with a reversing light - they weren't a legal requirement and it sailed through both SVA and MOT without bother. It has one foglight, mounted on the offside, although to comply with the law it can (could at the time, don't know if the regs have changed since I built it in 2001), be anywhere on the offside, including just a centimetre or two off the centre line of the car.
not even sure it has to be on the off side - to allow Pug 206 style single fog light in the centre of the rear bumper. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff