Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989. The changes of substance are as follows.

The 1989 Regulations contain a number of provisions requiring lamps and reflectors to comply with specified British Standards. The amendments enable lamps and reflectors to be fitted if they comply with certain equivalent standards (regulation 4).

The amendments make provision for a special sign made of yellow reflective material which indicates the presence of children. When buses are being used to carry children to or from school, they will be required to have these signs fitted at the front and rear (regulations 5 and 6).

Regulation 11 of the 1989 Regulations as corrected by regulation 5 of these Regulations prevents, with specified exceptions, a vehicle being fitted with lamps or reflective material capable of showing any light to the rear other than a red light. The amendments make it possible for these signs to be fitted to the rear of a bus without regulation 11 being contravened.

The use of hazard warning lights is controlled by regulation 27 of the 1989 Regulations. This regulation is amended so that a bus which is fitted with these signs in the prescribed manner can use hazard warning lights when it is stationary and children are entering or leaving the vehicle (regulation 9).

Previously a vehicle was exempt from the requirements relating to dim-dip devices, running lamps and side marker lamps if it met the requirements of Council Directive 76/756/EEC as last amended by Commission Directive 89/278/EEC. The amendments extend the exemption to vehicles that meet the requirements of Council Directive 76/756/EEC as last amended by Commission Directive 91/663/EEC (regulation 10). However, in the case of side marker lamps, the exemption will not apply at all to motor vehicles that are first used on or after 1st April 1996 or to trailers manufactured on or after 1st October 1995.

Amendments are made to provisions concerning electrical connections to obligatory dim-dip devices and running lamps (regulation 12).

The requirements regarding front position lamps on pedal cycles and certain other vehicles are amended so that they will no longer have the option of complying with British Standard 6102: Part 3: 1986 but will instead have the option of complying with that British Standard as amended on 29th April 1988. The amendment has effect only in relation to vehicles manufactured or first used on or after 1st October 1995 (regulation 11).

A similar amendment is made in relation to rear position lamps and in this case it will additionally mean that lamps on vehicles manufactured or first used on or after 1st October 1995 will no longer have the option of complying with British Standard 3648 (regulation 14).

The 1989 Regulations imposed a minimum separation distance between the front indicator and any dipped beam headlamp or front fog lamp fitted to a motor vehicle, other than a solo motor bicycle, or motor bicycle combination, first used on or after 1st April 1991. This provision is amended so that it only applies to vehicles first used on or after 1st April 1995 (regulation 13).

A new Schedule 19 is substituted (regulation 15). The change of substance is that motor vehicles first used on or after 1st April 1996 and trailers manufactured on or after 1st October 1995 of a type which are required to be fitted with rear markings, will have to have rear markings which comply with ECE Regulation 70. Motor vehicles first used and trailers manufactured before those dates will have the option of complying with that Regulation instead of existing requirements.

Amendments are made relating to lamps and reflectors fitted on moveable parts of vehicles (regulation 16).