The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989

Projecting trailers and vehicles carrying overhanging or projecting loads or equipment E+W+S

21.—(1) No person shall use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road in the circumstances mentioned in paragraph (2)–

(a) any trailer which forms part of a combination of vehicles which projects laterally beyond any preceding vehicle in the combination; or

(b) any vehicle [F1 or] combination of vehicles which carries a load or equipment

in either case under the conditions specified in an item in column 2 of the Table below, unless the vehicle or combination of vehicles complies with the requirements specified in that item in column 3 of that Table.

TABLE

(1)	(2)	(3)
Item No.	Conditions	Requirements
1	A trailer which is not fitted with front position lamps and which projects laterally on any side so that the distance from the outermost part of the projection to the outermost part of the illuminated area of the obligatory front position lamp on that side fitted to any preceding vehicle in the combination exceeds 400 mm.	A lamp showing white light to the front shall be fitted to the trailer so that the outermost part of the illuminated area is not more than 400 mm from the outermost projection of the trailer. The installation and performance requirements relating to front position lamps do not apply to any such lamp.
2	A trailer which is not fitted with front position lamps and which carries a load or equipment which projects laterally on any side of the trailer so that the distance from the outermost projection of the load or equipment to the outermost part of the illuminated area of the obligatory front position lamp on that side fitted to any preceding vehicle in the combination exceeds 400 mm.	A lamp showing white light to the front shall be fitted to the trailer or the load or equipment so that the outermost part of the illuminated area is not more than 400 mm from the outermost projection of the load or equipment. The installation and performance requirements relating to front position lamps do not apply to any such lamp.
3	A vehicle which carries a load or equipment which projects laterally on any side of the vehicle so that the distance from the outermost part of the load or equipment to the outermost part of the illuminated area of the obligatory front or rear position lamp on that side exceeds 400 mm.	Either– (a) the obligatory front or rear position lamp shall be transferred from the vehicle to the load or equipment to which must also be attached a white front or a red rear reflecting device; or (b) an additional front or rear position lamp and a white front or a red rear reflecting device shall be fitted to the vehicle, load or equipment. All the installation, performance and maintenance requirements relating to front or rear position lamps shall in either case be complied with except that for the purpose of determining the lateral position of such lamps and reflecting devices any reference to the vehicle shall be taken to include the load or equipment except special equipment on a vehicle fitted with a movable platform or the jib of any crane.
4	A vehicle which carries a load or equipment which projects beyond the rear of the vehicle or, in the case of a combination of vehicles, beyond the rear of the rearmost vehicle in the combination, more than– (a) 2 m in the case of an agricultural vehicle or a vehicle carrying a fire escape; or (b) 1 m in the case of any other vehicle.	An additional rear lamp capable of showing red light to the rear and a red reflecting device, both of which are visible from a reasonable distance, shall be fitted to the vehicle or the load in such a position that the distance between the lamp and the reflecting device, and the rearmost projection of the load or equipment does not exceed 2m in the case mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) in column 2 of this item or 1 m in any other case. The installation and performance requirements relating to rear position [F2 lamps and rear retro reflectors do not apply to any such additional lamp and reflecting device].
5	A vehicle which carries a load or equipment which projects beyond the front of the vehicle more than– (a) 2 m in the case of an agricultural vehicle or a vehicle carrying a fire escape; or (b) 1 m in the case of any other vehicle.	An additional front lamp capable of showing white light to the front and a white reflecting device, both visible from a reasonable distance, shall be fitted to the vehicle or the load in such a position that the distance between the lamp and the reflecting device, and the foremost projection of the load or equipment, does not exceed 2 m in the case mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) in column 2 of this item or 1 m in any other case. The intallation and performance requirements relating to front position lamps and front retro reflectors do not apply to any such additional lamp and reflecting device.
6	A vehicle which carries a load or equipment which obscures any obligatory lamp, reflector or rear marking.	Either– a) the obligatory lamp, reflector or rear marking shall be transferred to a position on the vehicle, load or equipment where it is not obscured; or b) an additional lamp, reflector or rear marking shall be fitted to the vehicle, load or equipment. All the installation, performance and maintenance requirements relating to obligatory lamps, reflectors or rear markings shall in either case be complied with.

(2) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (1) are–

(a) as regards item 6 in the Table, in so far as it relates to obligatory stop lamps and direction indicators, all circumstances; and

(b) as regards items 1 to 5 in the Table and item 6 in the Table, except in so far as it relates to obligatory stop lamps and direction indicators, the time between sunset and sunrise or, except in so far as it relates to obligatory reflectors, when visibility is seriously reduced between sunrise and sunset.

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in reg. 21(1)(b) substituted (1.10.1994) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 17(1)

F2 Words in reg. 21(1) Table Item 4 substituted (1.10.1994) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 17(2)

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 21 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)