When were brake lights required?

[Charles-5vs8c]

I am workin on a 1938 bike, which is fitted with a fairly ugly retro repro rear light

I can fit a better made and looking reproduction of the light that was fitted to the bike back in the day, but I think that it’s
A rear light only.

As a matter of interest does anyone know when brake lights became a legal requirement?

I’m fairly unsure about riding a bike without a brake light anyway!

[Vipers]

Don't know about UK, but found this interesting for the states.

[CanAm]

Vipers said:

Don't know about UK, but found this interesting for the states.

Vipers, would you like a proof-reader for your posts? My rates are very reasonable.

[Dogwatch]

Don't know when they became mandatory but I would Imagine that, at least for vehicles, their presence would quickly become essential once traffic became heavier after WW1 and the risk of being "rear ended" increased considerably..

As an aside it does annoy me to see programmes set in the inter-war period (Poirot I'm looking at you) where very basic cars such as Austin Sevens are driving off into the night with twin tail lights aglow. In reality they were produced with one lamp containing two bulbs - brake light and tail/number plate light - and that was it.

[jjwilde]

Dogwatch said:

Don't know when they became mandatory but I would Imagine that, at least for vehicles, their presence would quickly become essential once traffic became heavier after WW1 and the risk of being "rear ended" increased considerably..

As an aside it does annoy me to see programmes set in the inter-war period (Poirot I'm looking at you) where very basic cars such as Austin Sevens are driving off into the night with twin tail lights aglow. In reality they were produced with one lamp containing two bulbs - brake light and tail/number plate light - and that was it.

Lot's of shows guilty of doing that with in car radios too.

Edited by jjwilde on Tuesday 3rd March 23:18

[paintman]

Not required on motorcycles first used before 1st January 1936.
There are some other exemptions.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-... Section 4.3

Could you alter the better one to work with a dual filament bulb - perhaps by replacing the bulb holder?

Edited by paintman on Wednesday 4th March 00:58

[john2443]

paintman said:

Not required on motorcycles first used before 1st January 1936.
There are some other exemptions.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-... Section 4.3

Linky not work - try this

This is one I wasn't aware of

DVLA] said:

Vehicles first used before 1 January 1971 may be fitted with only 1 stop lamp, which can be mounted centrally or towards the offside.

Strange, because most/all cars had 2 a long time before that!
IIRC the 1953-59 Standard 8 only had 1, in the central number plate light, whether that continued to 59 I don't know, but I remember it on some of them.

I wonder what the MOT man would say if I took the nearside bulb out of my 1951 car

[Riley Blue]

Here's a downloadable version of the 1989 lighting regs, page 107 is the start of the stop light section:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/541460/resp...

I have a recollection that lighting regulations changed around 1954 and that after that date two rear lights were required - I know about that time Riley revised the rear lights on its RM range.

[Vipers]

Ha! Found it, lurking in the iPad somewhere. Good spotting CanAm.



https://thenewswheel.com/the-history-of-brake-ligh...

Edited by Vipers on Wednesday 4th March 09:16

[austin]

Dogwatch said:

As an aside it does annoy me to see programmes set in the inter-war period (Poirot I'm looking at you) where very basic cars such as Austin Sevens are driving off into the night with twin tail lights aglow. In reality they were produced with one lamp containing two bulbs - brake light and tail/number plate light - and that was it.

IIRC twin rear lights became mandatory at some point, (think about mid to late 20s) for all cars, even those that were produced with just one. So they may have produced with just one but would have had a second fitted to meet the law.

[Roy C]

austin said:

IIRC twin rear lights became mandatory at some point, (think about mid to late 20s) for all cars, even those that were produced with just one. So they may have produced with just one but would have had a second fitted to meet the law.

SS Cars (Jaguar) supplied their SS100 sports car with only one set of lights (Lucas 312 "Owl's Eye") on the off side up to the end of production in 1939. Owners subsequently added a near side set or other lights, but these seem only to appear post WW2.

[EW109]

Twin rear lights were made compulsory by section 2 of the Road Transport Lighting Act 1953 (although I have not been able to find out on precisely what day that section came into force ), which amended the provisions of the Road Transport Lighting Act 1927 which had required one light.

[Riley Blue]

EW109 said:

Twin rear lights were made compulsory by section 2 of the Road Transport Lighting Act 1953 (although I have not been able to find out on precisely what day that section came into force ), which amended the provisions of the Road Transport Lighting Act 1927 which had required one light.

Thanks, I was only a year out! The date July 1st 1954 rings a bell.

[EW109]

Further digging suggests you are right about the date, although it is a little more complicated than there being one date. The Minister gave this written answer on 7 April 1954 in the House of Commons:

"I am proposing to exercise my powers under the Road Transport Lighting Act, 1927, as amended by Sections 1 and 2 of the Road Transport Lighting Act, 1953, which relate to reflectors and rear lamps respectively, from various dates beginning on 1st October, 1954. As from 1st October, 1954, the carrying of reflectors will become obligatory for all vehicles, including cycles. The provisions relating to rear lamps will become obligatory for new vehicles on the same date, for existing pedal cycles and motor assisted cycles on 1st October, 1955, and for other existing vehicles on 1st October, 1956."

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written...

[Vipers]

EW109 said:

Further digging suggests you are right about the date, although it is a little more complicated than there being one date. The Minister gave this written answer on 7 April 1954 in the House of Commons:

"I am proposing to exercise my powers under the Road Transport Lighting Act, 1927, as amended by Sections 1 and 2 of the Road Transport Lighting Act, 1953, which relate to reflectors and rear lamps respectively, from various dates beginning on 1st October, 1954. As from 1st October, 1954, the carrying of reflectors will become obligatory for all vehicles,[b including cycles. [/b]The provisions relating to rear lamps will become obligatory for new vehicles on the same date, for existing pedal cycles and motor assisted cycles on 1st October, 1955, and for other existing vehicles on 1st October, 1956."

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written...

Wonder if it ever became law, and if it did, was it revoked, or are we all breaking the law, I do remember bikes around early 60's had mudguards, reflectors and BELLS.

[EW109]

It most certainly did.

At night bikes must have white front and red rear lights lit. They must also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85).

See (now) Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989, regs 13, 18, 24.