Lighting laws in the UK

[WP90]

Now why is it loads of people are saying that certain coloured light bulbs are illegal but others are legal? I've gone over the lighting regulations god knows how many times but it does not say anything about coloured bulbs other than red at the front & white at the back, apart from the reversing light.

All HGV's these days have many different coloured lights on them. Whether you like the idea or not, its just not clear enough to any of us if coloured bulbs are legal or not.

I welcome someone to find the law on what colour bulbs are legal for road use..
Here's the link to the current lighting regulations.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/conte...

[Cyder]

ECE regulation 48 will tell you all you need to know.
In a nutshell it’s very straightforward and even tells you the colour boundaries of each colour.
Forward facing light - white only
Rearward facing light - Red only
Reversing light - white
Indicator - amber

Thus all those HGV’s are illegal if displaying anything other than the above.

Edited by Cyder on Saturday 24th March 02:55

[FlyingFin]

The easiest answer is the ones already installed in your car. (As you have already mentioned)

Using any other colours would be illegal,


The reason lorry drivers get away with it is there are so few Police Traffic officers out there these days, or beat bobbies who know the Lighting Regs, that they get away with it.



White for the front, amber for the indicators and side marker lights and red for the rear, with, as you have already stated, white at the rear for the reversing and number plate light.


.

[SVTRick]

FlyingFin said:

The easiest answer is the ones already installed in your car. (As you have already mentioned)
Using any other colours would be illegal,

The reason lorry drivers get away with it is there are so few Police Traffic officers out there these days, or beat bobbies who know the Lighting Regs, that they get away with it.

White for the front, amber for the indicators and side marker lights and red for the rear, with, as you have already stated, white at the rear for the reversing and number plate light.
.

Yes but it does make a large truck stand out and be visible, a fact that many car drivers seem to choose to ignor as they can only follow the car in front like brainless sheep.

[Cat]

Lorries are able to display the coloured lights that they do because the only restriction on the colour of lights shown to the front of a vehicle is that they can't be red. Any other colour to the front (provided it doesn't flash, resemble a special warning lamp etc.) is permitted.

The only colour which should be shown to the rear is red (other than indicators, reverse lamps etc.)

Cat

[4rephill]

Cyder said:

ECE regulation 48 will tell you all you need to know.
In a nutshell it’s very straightforward and even tells you the colour boundaries of each colour.
Forward facing light - white only

Not quite (From the ECE regulation 48):
Front fog lamp: White or selective yellow

Cyder said:

Rearward facing light - Red only

Again, not quite (From the ECE regulation 48):
Conspicuity lights: Red or yellow to the rear

(Nothing in this Regulation shall preclude the Contracting Parties applying this Regulation from allowing the use of white conspicuity markings to the rear in their territories)

Emergency stop signal: Amber or red

[PEDANT] (Whilst manufacturers use the rear indicators as emergency stop lights, technically there is nothing in the regulations stopping them from using separate amber rear lights to do the same job) [/PEDANT]

[Derek Smith]

I've tried to get a red at the front case down. It was argued out of court.

On approaching traffic's prosecuting unit after I lost (I took it personally) I was told that if they get a brief, then drop the case.

I am partially colour blind and I asked another PC to check that it was indeed red. But this was not enough for the magistrates.

[alfie2244]

I recently saw a Merc Sprinter tool delivery van coming towards me with blue sidelights that seemed to be set inside the main headlights like a daytime running / sidelight? a) Why? b) is it legal?

[Cat]

alfie2244 said:

I recently saw a Merc Sprinter tool delivery van coming towards me with blue sidelights that seemed to be set inside the main headlights like a daytime running / sidelight? a) Why? b) is it legal?

a) Who knows.
b) If they were sidelights then not legal - the regs say they must be white or yellow.

Cat

[WP90]

My car has blue side lights, I've had them since October when I first bought the car. They were first a light blue but now they're a deeper blue because one of the bulbs went faulty & caused it to flash. Everyone has told me that they need to be changed because they are illegal but I cannot find it in black & white which tells me that these lights are illegal. I know the vast majority of people don't like the look of them, its a personal preference matter but the lighting regulations don't state that I cannot use them, they just say I cannot use a flashing beacon of any sort.

[WP90]

[quote=FlyingFin]


The reason lorry drivers get away with it is there are so few Police Traffic officers out there these days, or beat bobbies who know the Lighting Regs, that they get away with it.


So 99% of lorry drivers, if not 100% are all driving their lorries illegally through the UK? I find that super hard to believe if I'm honest..

[herewego]

Why do you want blue lights?

[Evanivitch]

WP90 said:

My car has blue side lights, I've had them since October when I first bought the car. They were first a light blue but now they're a deeper blue because one of the bulbs went faulty & caused it to flash. Everyone has told me that they need to be changed because they are illegal but I cannot find it in black & white which tells me that these lights are illegal. I know the vast majority of people don't like the look of them, its a personal preference matter but the lighting regulations don't state that I cannot use them, they just say I cannot use a flashing beacon of any sort.

There are literally half a dozen posts before you stating that forward lights (that includes side lights) must be white or yellow.

Quite frankly I hope you get prosecuted for impersonating a police officer at the same time.

[FiF]

WP90 said:

My car has blue side lights, I've had them since October when I first bought the car. They were first a light blue but now they're a deeper blue because one of the bulbs went faulty & caused it to flash. Everyone has told me that they need to be changed because they are illegal but I cannot find it in black & white which tells me that these lights are illegal. I know the vast majority of people don't like the look of them, its a personal preference matter but the lighting regulations don't state that I cannot use them, they just say I cannot use a flashing beacon of any sort.

Here it is in black and white.




Your front position lights are amongst those classed as obligatory lights, see reg 18.



Schedule 1



Schedule 2

[WP90]

Evanivitch said:

WP90 said:

My car has blue side lights, I've had them since October when I first bought the car. They were first a light blue but now they're a deeper blue because one of the bulbs went faulty & caused it to flash. Everyone has told me that they need to be changed because they are illegal but I cannot find it in black & white which tells me that these lights are illegal. I know the vast majority of people don't like the look of them, its a personal preference matter but the lighting regulations don't state that I cannot use them, they just say I cannot use a flashing beacon of any sort.

There are literally half a dozen posts before you stating that forward lights (that includes side lights) must be white or yellow.

Quite frankly I hope you get prosecuted for impersonating a police officer at the same time.

People have only stated they are illegal, I cannot find any legislation stating they cannot be used, all I could find is that they can't be red. I'm not impersonating a police officer though because they ain't flashing beacons. The police don't use steady blue lights, only flashing blue lights..

[WP90]

FiF said:

WP90 said:

My car has blue side lights, I've had them since October when I first bought the car. They were first a light blue but now they're a deeper blue because one of the bulbs went faulty & caused it to flash. Everyone has told me that they need to be changed because they are illegal but I cannot find it in black & white which tells me that these lights are illegal. I know the vast majority of people don't like the look of them, its a personal preference matter but the lighting regulations don't state that I cannot use them, they just say I cannot use a flashing beacon of any sort.

Here it is in black and white.




Your front position lights are amongst those classed as obligatory lights, see reg 18.



Schedule 1



Schedule 2

Well I couldn't find it & I spent ages looking. Thank you. I appreciate your findings, I'll change my bulbs. My car lights were like that when I got it, presuming they were legal. After I searched, I couldn't find the laws on it so continued to drive around as is & haven't been pulled over for them since buying it in October last year.

Again, thank you. I needed some clarity on the situation 👍

[WP90]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Don't be a smart arse..

[WP90]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I was merely asking a question you fool. In no way shape or form was I trying to be a smart arse. You just thought you'd put your 50p in trying to confuse the word towards flashing beacons. I know your kind all to well pal

[WP90]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I'm the kind that asks questions when something is unclear, you should know them very well..

I didn't state that amber side markers were illegal, lol! Its not Amber lights that concern me anyways, its the fact that most HGV's have all different types of coloured lights on the front of their lorries. Mainly blue. I see it daily driving down the motorway. But somehow blue sidelights are illegal even though they ain't used as a stand alone light when driving at night, they only come on when my headlights come on.

[FiF]

Just to add to the earlier post, unfortunately I had dropped off the bit about additional front position lights which is the bit which covers all the extra lights on the front of lorries. It basically states that the only restriction is covered in clause 7, i.e. colour white or yellow if etc etc.

The bit where I've never been totally clear is the case of lights within the vehicle cabin. So for example the big blue Volvo signs you sometimes see mounted on the back bulkhead of the driver's cab, or mini Christmas trees lit up on the dashboard, or indeed if I forget to turn off the flashing blue light on the dog's night walk collar, which is certainly bright and visible from a mile away. Not going to lose any sleep over it however.