The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989

PART I E+W+S Requirements relating to obligatory rear position lamps and to optional rear position lamps to the extent specified in part ii

1.  Number– (a) Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (b), (c), (d), (e), (f ), (g) or (h):	Two
(b) A bus first used before 1st April 1955:	One
(c) A solo motor bicycle:	One
(d) A pedal cycle with less than four wheels and without a sidecar:	One
(e) A trailer drawn by a pedal cycle and a trailer, the overall width of which does not exceed 800 mm, drawn by a solo motor bicycle or by a motor bicycle combination:	One
(f) An invalid carriage having a maximum speed not exceeding 4 mph:	One
(g) A vehicle drawn or propelled by hand:	One
(h) A motor vehicle having three or more wheels and a maximum speed not exceeding 25 mph and a trailer drawn by any such vehicle if, in either case, the structure of the vehicle makes it impracticable to meet all of the relevant requirements of paragraphs 2 and 3 below with two lamps:	Four
2.  Position– (a) Longitudinal:	At or near the rear
(b) Lateral– (i) Where two lamps are required to be fitted– (A) Maximum distance from the side of the vehicle– (1) Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (2):	400 mm
(2) A motor vehicle first used before 1st April 1986 and any other vehicle manufactured before 1st October 1985:	800 mm
(B) Minimum separation distance between a pair of rear position lamps– (1) Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (2):	500 mm. If the overall width of the vehicle is less than 1400 mm, 400 mm or if less than 800 mm, 300 mm
(2) A motor vehicle first used before 1st April 1986 and any other vehicle manufactured before 1st October 1985:	No requirement
(ii) Where one lamp is required to be fitted:	On the centre-line or off side of the vehicle
(iii) Where four lamps are required to be fitted– (A) Maximum distance from the side of the vehicle– (1) One pair of lamps:	Such that they satisfy the relevant requirements in sub-paragraph 2(b)(i)(A)
(2) The other pair of lamps:	No requirement
(B) Minimum separation distance between rear position lamps– (1) One pair of lamps:	Such that they satisfy the relevant requirements in sub-paragraph 2(b)(i)(B)
(2) The other pair of lamps:	No requirement
(c) Vertical– (i) Maximum height above the ground where one or two rear position lamps are required to be fitted– (A) Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (B) or (C):	1500 mm or, if the structure of the vehicle makes this impracticable, 2100 mm
(B) A bus first used before 1st April 1986:	No requirement
(C) A motor vehicle first used before 1st April 1986 not being a bus, a trailer manufactured before 1st October 1985, an agricultural vehicle, a horse-drawn vehicle, an industrial tractor and engineering plant:	2100 mm
(ii) Maximum height above the ground where four rear position lamps are required to be fitted– (A) One pair of lamps:	Such that they satisfy the relevant requirements in paragraph 2(c)(i)
(B) The other pair of lamps:	No requirement
(iii) Minimum height above the ground– (A) A vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (B):	350 mm
(B) A motor vehicle first used before 1st April 1986 and any other vehicle manufactured before 1st October 1985	No requirement
3.  Angles of visibility– (a) A motor vehicle, other than a motor bicycle combination, first used on or after 1st April 1986 and a trailer manufactured on or after 1st October 1985– (i) Horizontal– (A) Where two lamp are required to be fitted:	45° inwards and 80° outwards
(B) Where one lamp is required to be fitted:	80° to the left and to the right
(C) Where four lamps are required to be fitted– (1) The outer pair of lamps:	0° inwards and 80° outwards
(2) The inner pair of lamps:	45° inwards and 80° outwards
(ii) Vertical– (A) Where one or two rear position lamps are required to be fitted– (1) Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (2) or (3):	15° above and below the horizontal
(2) Where the highest part of the illuminated area of the lamp is less than 1500 mm above the ground:	15° above and 10° below the horizontal
(3) Where the highest part of the illuminated area of the lamp is less than 750 mm above the ground:	15° above and 5° below the horizontal
(B) Where four rear position lamps are required to be fitted– (1) One pair of lamps:	Such that they satisfy the relevant requirements in paragraph 3(a)(ii)(A)
(2) The other pair of lamps:	Visible to the rear
(b) A motor vehicle, other than a motor bicycle combination, first used before 1st April 1986 and any other vehicle manufactured before 1st October 1985:	Visible to the rear
(c) A vehicle drawn or propelled by hand, a pedal cycle, a horse-drawn vehicle and a motor bicycle combination:	Visible to the rear
4.  Alignment:	To the rear
5.  Markings [F1 (see also regulation 3(6))]– (a) A motor vehicle or a trailer not covered by sub-[F2 paragraph (b), (c), (d) or (e)]:	An approval mark
(b) A motor vehicle first used before 1st January 1974 and a trailer, other than a trailer drawn by a pedal cycle, manufactured before that date:	No requirement
(c) A solo motor bicycle and a motor bicycle combination, in each case first used before 1st April 1986, and a trailer manufactured before 1st October 1985 and drawn by a solo motor bicycle or a motor bicycle combination:	No requirement
(d) A pedal cycle, a trailer drawn by a pedal cycle, an invalid carriage having a maximum speed not exceeding 4 mph, a horse-drawn vehicle and a vehicle drawn or propelled by hand [F3 in each case manufactured before 1st October 1995]:	An approval mark or a British Standard mark
[F4 (e) A pedal cycle, a trailer drawn by a pedal cycle, an invalid carriage having a maximum speed not exceeding 4 mph, a horse-drawn vehicle and a vehicle drawn or propelled by hand in each case manufactured on or after 1st October 1995.	An approval mark or the British Standard mark which is specified in sub-paragraph (c) of the definition of “British Standard mark”.]
6.  Size of illuminated area:	No requirement
7.  Colour:	Red
8.  Wattage:	No requirement
9.  Intensity– (a) A rear position lamp bearing any of the markings mentioned in paragraph 4:	No requirement
(b) Any other rear position lamp:	Visible from a reasonable distance
10.  Electrical connections:	No individual requirement
11.  Tell-tale:	No requirement

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in Sch. 10 para. 5 added (1.10.1994) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 14(1)(a)

F2 Words in Sch. 10 para. 5(a) substituted (1.10.1994) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 14(1)(b)

F3 Words in Sch. 10 para. 5(d) added (1.10.1994) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 14(1)(c)

F4 Sch. 10 para. 5(e) added (1.10.1994) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 14(1)(d)

Commencement Information

I1 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 1 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

I2 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 2 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

I3 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 3 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

I4 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 4 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

I5 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 5 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

I6 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 6 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

I7 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 7 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

I8 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 8 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

I9 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 9 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

I10 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 10 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

I11 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 11 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

12.  Other requirements– E+W+S

(a) Except in the case of a motor vehicle first used before 1st April 1986, any other vehicle manufactured before 1st October 1985 and a motor bicycle combination, where two rear position lamps are required to be fitted they shall form a matched pair and where four rear position lamps are required to be fitted they shall form two matched pairs.

F5 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F5 Sch. 10 para. 12(b) omitted (1.10.1994) by virtue of The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 16(2)

Commencement Information

I12 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 12 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)

13.  Definitions– E+W+S

• In this Schedule–

• “approval mark” means–

  (a)

  in relation to a solo motor bicycle, a motor bicycle combination and a trailer drawn by a solo motor bicycle or a motor bicycle combination, a marking designated as an approval mark by regulation 4 of the Designation of Approval Marks Regulations and shown at item 50A of Schedule 2 to those Regulations, and

  (b)

  in relation to any other motor vehicle or any other trailer, either–

  (i)

  a marking designated as an approval mark by regulation 5 of the Designation of Approval Marks Regulations and shown at item 6 or, if combined with a stop lamp, at item 8 of Schedule 4 to those Regulations, or

  (ii)

  a marking designated as an approval mark by regulation 4 of the Designation of Approval Marks Regulations and shown at item 7A or, if combined with a stop lamp, at item 7C of Schedule 2 to those Regulations; and

• “British Standard mark” means–

  (a)

  the mark indicated in the specification for cycle rear lamps published by the British Standards Institution under the reference 3648:1963 as amended by Amendment PD 6137 published in May 1967 and by AMD 4753 published in July 1985, or

  (b)

  the mark indicated in the specification for photometric and physical requirements for lighting equipment published by the British Standards Institution under the reference BS 6102: Part 3: 1986, namely “BS 6102/3”, [F6 or

  (c)

  the mark indicated in the specification for photometric and physical requirements for lighting equipment published by the British Standards Institution under the reference BS 6102: Part 3: 1986 as amended by AMD 5821 published on the 29th April 1988, namely “6102/3”.]

Textual Amendments

F6 Words in Sch. 10 para. 13 added (1.10.1994) by The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2280), regs. 1(2), 14(2)

Commencement Information

I13 Sch. 10 Pt. I para. 13 in force at 1.11.1989, see reg. 1(1)