The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989

Colour of light shown by lamps and reflectors E+W+S

11.—(1) No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp [F1 or retro reflective material] which is capable of showing a red light to the front, except–

(a) a red and white chequered domed lamp, or a red and white segmented mast-mounted warning beacon, fitted to a fire service control vehicle and intended for use at the scene of an emergency;

(b) a side marker lamp or a side retro reflector;

(c) retro reflective material or a retro reflector designed primarily to reflect light to one or both sides of the vehicle and attached to or incorporated in any wheel or tyre of–

[F2 (i) a pedal cycle;

(ii) a trailer drawn by, or a sidecar attached to, a pedal cycle;

(iii) a solo motor bicycle or motor bicycle combination; or

(iv) an invalid carriage; or]

(d) a traffic sign.

(2) No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp [F3 or retro reflective material] which is capable of showing any light to the rear, other than a red light, except–

(a) amber light from a direction indicator or side marker lamp;

(b) white light from a reversing lamp;

(c) white light from a work lamp;

(d) light to illuminate the interior of a vehicle;

(e) light from an illuminated rear registration plate;

(f) light for the purposes of illuminating a taxi meter;

(g) in the case of a bus, light for the purposes of illuminating a route indicator;

(h) blue light and white light from a chequered domed lamp fitted to a police control vehicle and intended for use at the scene of an emergency;

(i) white light from a red and white chequered domed lamp, or a red and white segmented mast-mounted warning beacon, fitted to a fire service control vehicle and intended for use at the scene of an emergency;

(j) green light and white light from a chequered domed lamp fitted to an ambulance control vehicle and intended for use at the scene of an emergency;

(k) blue light from a warning beacon or rear special warning lamp fitted to an emergency vehicle [F4 or to a vehicle used for special forces purposes], or from any device fitted to a vehicle used for police purposes;

(l) amber light from a warning beacon fitted to–

(i) a road clearance vehicle;

(ii) a vehicle constructed or adapted for the purpose of collecting refuse;

(iii) a breakdown vehicle;

(iv) a vehicle having a maximum speed not exceeding 25 mph or any trailer drawn by such a vehicle;

(v) a vehicle having an overall width (including any load) exceeding 2.9 m;

(vi) a vehicle used for the purposes of testing, maintaining, improving, cleansing or watering roads or for any purpose incidental to any such use;

(vii) a vehicle used for the purpose of inspecting, cleansing, maintaining, adjusting, renewing or installing any apparatus which is in, on, under or over a road, or for any purpose incidental to any such use;

(viii) a vehicle used for or in connection with any purpose for which it is authorised to be used on roads by an order under section 44 of the Act;

[F5 (ix) a vehicle used for escort purposes;]

(x) a vehicle used by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise for the purpose of testing fuels;

(xi) a vehicle used for the purpose of surveying;

(xii) a vehicle used for the removal or immobilisation of vehicles in exercise of a statutory power or duty;

(m) green light from a warning beacon fitted to a vehicle used by a medical practitioner registered by the General Medical Council (whether with [F6 full or provisional] registration);

(n) yellow light from a warning beacon fitted to a vehicle for use at airports;

(o) light of any colour from a traffic sign which is attached to a vehicle;

[F7 (oa) amber light from a lamp attached to or incorporated in a pedal of a pedal cycle;

(ob) white light or amber light from a lamp which is designed to emit light primarily to one or both sides of the vehicle, and is attached to or incorporated in any wheel or tyre of—

(i) a pedal cycle or;

(ii) a trailer drawn by, or a sidecar attached to, a pedal cycle;]

(p) reflected light from amber pedal retro reflectors;

(q) reflected light of any colour from retro reflective material or a retro reflector designed primarily to reflect light to one or both sides of the vehicle and attached to or incorporated in any wheel or tyre of–

[F8 (i) a pedal cycle;

(ii) a trailer drawn by, or a sidecar attached to, a pedal cycle;

(iii) a solo motor bicycle or motor bicycle combination; or

(iv) an invalid carriage;]

(r) reflected light from amber retro reflective material on a road clearance vehicle;

(s) reflected light from yellow retro reflective registration plates;

[F9 (sa) reflected blue, yellow and white light from a retro reflective plate displaying a distinguishing sign in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No. 2411/98;]

[F10 (sb) reflected light from a registration plate fixed to the rear of a trailer displaying a registration mark assigned to that trailer in accordance with regulations made under section 15 of the Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018 (c. 19);]

(t) reflected light from yellow retro reflective material incorporated in a [F11 prescribed rear marking fitted in the appropriate manner to]–

(i) a motor vehicle having a maximum gross weight exceeding 7500 kg;

(ii) a motor vehicle first used before 1st August 1982 having an unladen weight exceeding 3000 kg;

(iii) a trailer having a maximum gross weight exceeding 3500 kg;

(iv) a trailer manufactured before 1st August 1982 having an unladen weight exceeding 1000 kg;

(v) a trailer which forms part of a combination of vehicles one of which is of a type mentioned in a previous item of this sub-paragraph;

(vi) a load carried by any vehicle; F12 ...

(u) reflected light from orange retro reflective material incorporated in a sign fitted to the rear of a vehicle carrying a dangerous substance within the meaning of the Dangerous Substances (Conveyance by Road in Road Tankers and Tank Containers) Regulations 1981(1) or the Road Traffic (Carriage of Dangerous Substances in Packages etc) Regulations 1986(2)

[F13 (v) reflected light from yellow retro reflective material incorporated in a prescribed sign and fitted to the rear of a bus; F14 ...

(w) reflected light from yellow retro reflective material incorporated in a sign fitted to the rear of a bus in accordance with paragraph (4)[F15 ;

(x) reflected light from a yellow conspicuity marking where the fitting of that marking complies with the mandatory or optional ECE conspicuity requirements; or

(y) reflected light from yellow or orange retro reflective material fitted to the rear of a vehicle used for—

(i) police,

(ii) [F16 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service] or, in England and Wales, fire and rescue authority,

F17 (iii) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(iv) [F18 Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency], or

(v) traffic officer,

purposes]

[F19 (z) reflected light from yellow or orange retro reflective material fitted to the rear of a vehicle—

(i) used for ambulance purposes, or

(ii) used for the purpose of providing a response to an emergency at the request of an NHS ambulance service.]

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(t), a rear marking fitted to a vehicle is a prescribed rear marking fitted in the appropriate manner if the rear marking—

(a) is a rear marking of a description specified in the entry applicable to that vehicle in the right hand column of paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 19, and

(b) complies with paragraphs 2 to 7 of that Part of that Schedule.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(w), a sign (“the secondary sign”) is fitted to the rear of a bus in accordance with this paragraph if—

(a) a prescribed sign is also fitted to the rear of a bus;

(b) the total area of the retro reflective material incorporated in the secondary sign is no greater than the area of the prescribed sign; and

(c) the secondary sign satisfies the requirements specified—

(i) in the case of a bus which is owned or hired by a [F20 local authority (within the meaning of the Education Act 1996) in connection with the exercise of its functions relating to education] or any person managing an education establishment attended by children under the age of 16 years, in paragraph (5) or (6); or

(ii) in any other case, in paragraph (6).

(5) The requirements referred to in paragraph (4)(c)(i) are that the secondary sign contains no words or other markings apart from words or markings identifying the [F21 local authority] or the educational establishment (as the case may be).

(6) The requirements referred to in paragraph (4)(c)(ii) are that the secondary sign contains no words or other markings apart from words or other markings which—

(a) indicate that children are on board the bus when it is in motion or likely to be on board the bus or in its vicinity when it is stationary, and

(b) are calculated to reduce the risk of road accidents involving such children.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in reg. 11(1) added (1.10.1994) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 5(2)

F2 Reg. 11(1)(c)(i)-(iv) substituted for reg. 11(1)(c)(i)-(iii) (21.10.2005) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/2559), regs. 1, 4(2)

F3 Words in reg. 11(2) added (1.10.1994) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 5(2)

F4 Words in reg. 11(2)(k) inserted (15.4.2011) by The Road Traffic Exemptions (Special Forces) (Variation and Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/935), regs. 1(1), 4(b)

F5 Reg. 11(2)(l)(ix) substituted (21.10.2005) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/2559), regs. 1, 4(3)

F6 Words in reg. 11(2)(m) substituted (19.7.2006 for specified purposes in accordance with art. 1(2)(b) of the amending S.I. as notified in the London Gazette dated 20.7.2007) by The Medical Act 1983 (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Amendments Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/1914), arts. 1(2)(b)(c)(3), 76(a)

F7 Reg. 11(2)(oa)(ob) inserted (21.10.2005) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/2559), regs. 1, 4(4)

F8 Reg. 11(2)(q)(i)-(iv) substituted for reg. 11(2)(q)(i)-(iii) (21.10.2005) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/2559), regs. 1, 4(5)

F9 Reg. 11(2)(sa) inserted (21.3.2001) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/560), regs. 1, 2

F10 Reg. 11(2)(sb) inserted (21.11.2018) by The Trailer Registration Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1203), reg. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 1(2)

F11 Words in reg. 11(2)(t) substituted (1.10.1994) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 5(3)

F12 Word in reg. 11(2) omitted (1.10.1994) by virtue of The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 5(4)

F13 Reg. 11(2)(v)(w), (3)-(6) added (1.10.1994) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 5(4)

F14 Word in reg. 11(2)(v) omitted (4.1.2010) by virtue of The Road Vehicles Lighting and Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/3220), regs. 1, 5(2)(a)

F15 Reg. 11(2)(x)(y) and semicolon added (4.1.2010) by The Road Vehicles Lighting and Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/3220), regs. 1, 5(2)(b)

F16 Words in reg. 11(2)(y)(ii) substituted (S.) (1.4.2013) by The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 (Consequential Modifications and Savings) Order 2013 (S.S.I. 2013/119), art. 1, sch. 2 para. 7(3)

F17 Reg. 11(2)(y)(iii) omitted (26.5.2015) by virtue of Deregulation Act 2015 (c. 20), s. 115(3)(d), Sch. 9 para. 12(2)

F18 Words in reg. 11(2)(y)(iv) substituted (1.4.2014) by The Driving Standards Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (Merger) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/480), regs. 1, 5(2)

F19 Reg. 11(2)(z) inserted (26.5.2015) by Deregulation Act 2015 (c. 20), s. 115(3)(d), Sch. 9 para. 12(3)

F20 Words in reg. 11(4)(c)(i) substituted (5.5.2010) by The Local Education Authorities and Children’s Services Authorities (Integration of Functions) (Local and Subordinate Legislation) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1172), art. 1(1), Sch. 3 para. 16(2)

F21 Words in reg. 11(5) substituted (5.5.2010) by The Local Education Authorities and Children’s Services Authorities (Integration of Functions) (Local and Subordinate Legislation) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1172), art. 1(1), Sch. 3 para. 16(3)

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 11 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

(1)

S.I. 1981/1059, to which there is no relevant amendment.

(2)

S.I. 1986/1951.