LED strip light - legality
Discussion
Curious about this one:
This afternoon when driving I was blinded by an oncoming Land Rover Defender fitted with a huge modern LED strip light, positioned above the cabin and ran the whole width of the vehicle. The light was blinding, akin to multiple oncoming full beams at once.
What does the law say on this?
This afternoon when driving I was blinded by an oncoming Land Rover Defender fitted with a huge modern LED strip light, positioned above the cabin and ran the whole width of the vehicle. The light was blinding, akin to multiple oncoming full beams at once.
What does the law say on this?
My understanding is that as long as it complies with certain regs relating to power output to achieve type approval and that it’s hooked up to come on only when the main beam is active then it’s legal
I believe some light bars and spots do have a sneaky jumper connection that readily makes them not legal though!
I believe some light bars and spots do have a sneaky jumper connection that readily makes them not legal though!
Mounting driving lights to the roof is useful if your driving through very long grass or very deep water, otherwise theyre no better than being mounted lower down.
As for legality, I can only think of 2 things
-headlight beam levels for an MoT test, if its wired into the light switch then its got to comply with these. If its on an individual switch then its an accessory item and isnt tested.
-If its a HID/Xenon thingo then it has to be self levelling, although again if its an accessory Im not sure.
As for legality, I can only think of 2 things
-headlight beam levels for an MoT test, if its wired into the light switch then its got to comply with these. If its on an individual switch then its an accessory item and isnt tested.
-If its a HID/Xenon thingo then it has to be self levelling, although again if its an accessory Im not sure.
To be honest it’s not just these, coming down a country road the other night myself and my mrs were blinded by an oncoming car, nothing illegal, just a modern car with super bright white lights, momentarily I honestly could not see where the bend was.
I don’t understand how theve allowed standard headlights to become so bright
I don’t understand how theve allowed standard headlights to become so bright
Off road only? Nope, it depends, if they are ECE approved, which some are, then legal for road use.
If they are wired in with the dip switch then ECE 48 places no requirement on position height.
Personal opinion think they are very limited in value, ime the slightest amount of mist, rain, snow, smoke or other substance in the air then the degree of reflection is far worse for the driver's vision than with the same device when mounted well below eye level, even to the point that they actually make things far worse.
Additionally when mounted high there is the potential to directly dazzle others in a situation where the lower mounted lights would still be obscured by such as crests in the terrain.
Probably useful for certain types to go out poaching and other nefarious activities. This last line biased and jaundiced view admittedly.
If they are wired in with the dip switch then ECE 48 places no requirement on position height.
Personal opinion think they are very limited in value, ime the slightest amount of mist, rain, snow, smoke or other substance in the air then the degree of reflection is far worse for the driver's vision than with the same device when mounted well below eye level, even to the point that they actually make things far worse.
Additionally when mounted high there is the potential to directly dazzle others in a situation where the lower mounted lights would still be obscured by such as crests in the terrain.
Probably useful for certain types to go out poaching and other nefarious activities. This last line biased and jaundiced view admittedly.
FiF said:
Personal opinion think they are very limited in value, ime the slightest amount of mist, rain, snow, smoke or other substance in the air then the degree of reflection is far worse for the driver's vision than with the same device when mounted well below eye level, even to the point that they actually make things far worse.
There speaks someone with experience of response drives in poor weather 
;) AIUI (vaguely remembered from when I had some 20 odd years ago) lights above a certain height aren't allowed on road unless they're ahead of the front axle. So truckers and vans are ok, 4x4s not so much. Finding someone who cares and is a position to do something about it is an entire different thing altogether...
Olivera said:
Curious about this one:
This afternoon when driving I was blinded by an oncoming Land Rover Defender fitted with a huge modern LED strip light, positioned above the cabin and ran the whole width of the vehicle. The light was blinding, akin to multiple oncoming full beams at once.
What does the law say on this?
Sounds to me like they were driving with full beam on, which makes them morons, but no different to other morons you see driving with full beam on and totally oblivious.This afternoon when driving I was blinded by an oncoming Land Rover Defender fitted with a huge modern LED strip light, positioned above the cabin and ran the whole width of the vehicle. The light was blinding, akin to multiple oncoming full beams at once.
What does the law say on this?
As others have said, these lights should always be wired to come on with main beam only. If they are, and full beam is used in a non-moronic fashion, then all should be fine.
Some of these LED lightbars now contain running lights as well as the additional full beam, but those should only be a handful of low wattage LED's and certainly not blinding.
Rough101 said:
Off road use only.
Not if it blinded oncoming traffic as it can’t be integrated with then dip command.The approved units are only certified while in the box, the fitting and use has to follow through, I’ve had this conversation with a bell end in a Ranger who kept his on with his dips ‘coz approved’
Olivera said:
Curious about this one:
This afternoon when driving I was blinded by an oncoming Land Rover Defender fitted with a huge modern LED strip light, positioned above the cabin and ran the whole width of the vehicle. The light was blinding, akin to multiple oncoming full beams at once.
What does the law say on this?
The Road Vehicle Lighting regs state it's an offence for any lamp fitted to a vehicle to be used is a way which causes undue dazzle or discomfort to others. This afternoon when driving I was blinded by an oncoming Land Rover Defender fitted with a huge modern LED strip light, positioned above the cabin and ran the whole width of the vehicle. The light was blinding, akin to multiple oncoming full beams at once.
What does the law say on this?
Cat
usn90 said:
To be honest it’s not just these, coming down a country road the other night myself and my mrs were blinded by an oncoming car, nothing illegal, just a modern car with super bright white lights, momentarily I honestly could not see where the bend was.
I don’t understand how theve allowed standard headlights to become so bright
IME gradients can also lead to misleading dazzle, as well as people blatantly driving with their main beam lights on but who fail to drop back to dipped when another vehicle is approaching.I don’t understand how theve allowed standard headlights to become so bright
Oftentimes flashing the headlights on the approach (especially to a bend) prompts the oncoming driver to switch back to dipped beam but some may either be oblivious or simply not care. Horns don't always have the desired effect.
Other times, as you say, the lights are so bright, even on dipped.
You'll also get the ones who drive around with their front and/or rear fog lights on when there isn't any fog (which is usually not really *that* bad) or it's cleared, either for aesthetics, added visibility, because some the non-functioning of other light(s) or to proudly make their presence known, send a message of 'move out of the way' / 'back off' etc.
Another gripe of mine is the blue light emitted from LED headlights that in the rear view mirror can be so large, blue and kinetic in appearance that it's easy to mistake it as the emergency services.
captain.scarlet said:
Another gripe of mine is the blue light emitted from LED headlights that in the rear view mirror can be so large, blue and kinetic in appearance that it's easy to mistake it as the emergency services.
I thought LEDs are generally a pure white and it is the Xenon lights that emit blue light?MustangGT said:
captain.scarlet said:
Another gripe of mine is the blue light emitted from LED headlights that in the rear view mirror can be so large, blue and kinetic in appearance that it's easy to mistake it as the emergency services.
I thought LEDs are generally a pure white and it is the Xenon lights that emit blue light?Cat said:
The Road Vehicle Lighting regs state it's an offence for any lamp fitted to a vehicle to be used is a way which causes undue dazzle or discomfort to others.
Cat
that's basically every modern car with stupid laser etc lights that bounce all over the place and blind everyone bar the driver. Cat
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