Questions about lighting/livery on cars
PSpirine - 31/10/10 at 10:28 PM
I found this elsewhere on the net, but it didn't have any particular answers, so thought I'd post it here for some discussion!
"These are probably questions for a traffic police officer or similar professional. Answers relating to the UK, please!
As everyone knows, blue strobe lights on a road vehicle, disabled or otherwise, are absolutely illegal.
You are also not allowed to liver a vehicle with the word "POLICE".
1) What are the laws surrounding white strobe lights? Are they legal, or must they be yellow? (usually used to warn of a road hazard)
2) Can you liver a vehicle with the word "EMERGENCY" (ie. recovery vehicle or a certified medic), "AMBULANCE" (ie. private
ambulance or private patient-transport), or "FIRE" (if the vehicle has several forms of fire-extinguishing equipment on board, for
example)
3) You are allowed to liver a vehicle in any pattern, including red, yellow, green or blue battenbourg and using reflective material, much in a
similar fashion to emergency vehicles provided you are not livered with EV-only words (like "POLICE"
. I believe this is correct, am I
right?
3) Bicycle lights come with a 'strobe' (flashing) function built in. These exist in both white and red. This does presumably mean that
operating strobe lights in these colours on a bicycle is legal - logically, orange is, too, to indicate a hazard (slow-moving bike, heavy load or
moving at very high speed).
Please can you clear these up for me, as I've wondered for a long time!"
owelly - 31/10/10 at 10:31 PM
I was told by the guys in the MT workshops on the RAF site where I work, that it's legal to have blue lights to the front of you vehicle, as long
as they don't flash. Not what you asked but it suprised me...
adithorp - 31/10/10 at 11:07 PM
3) Bicycle lights come with a 'strobe' (flashing) function built in. These exist in both white and red. This does presumably mean that
operating strobe lights in these colours on a bicycle is legal - logically
Wrong! It's illegal to have flashing front or rear lights attached to a bicycle. This is not enforced however. It is legal to have them mounted
on your clothing.
loggyboy - 31/10/10 at 11:15 PM
quote:
Originally posted by owelly
I was told by the guys in the MT workshops on the RAF site where I work, that it's legal to have blue lights to the front of you vehicle, as long
as they don't flash. Not what you asked but it suprised me...
Youl be amazed how quickly sold blue lights clear traffic though!
Just check out alot of lorries they all have multi coloured lights on the front.
Construction and use regs states the only solid light that cant be shown to the front of a vehicle is red.
quote:
—(1) No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp 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–.
(i)a pedal cycle and any sidecar attached to it;.
(ii)a solo motor bicycle or a motor bicycle combination; or.
(iii)an invalid carriage; or.
(d)a traffic sign..
and in full answer to your question no you cant have a flashing light:
quote:
13.—(1) Save as provided in paragraph (2), no vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp which automatically emits a flashing light.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply in respect of–
(a)a direction indicator;.
(b)a headlamp fitted to an emergency vehicle;.
(c)a warning beacon or special warning lamp;.
(d)a lamp or illuminated sign fitted to a vehicle used for police purposes;.
(e)a green warning lamp used as an anti-lock brake indicator; or.
(f)lamps forming part of a traffic sign..
[Edited on 31/10/10 by loggyboy]
PSpirine - 31/10/10 at 11:20 PM
quote:
(c)a warning beacon or special warning lamp;.
Surely that has to be the world's vaguest point - it could be warning that you've got Radio 1 on?
mistergrumpy - 31/10/10 at 11:39 PM
quote:
I was told by the guys in the MT workshops on the RAF site where I work, that it's legal to have blue lights to the front of you vehicle
There is a case law where someone was taken to court for this and got away as the court decided that it was clear that the blue light was for novelty
value and not an attempt to imitate an emergency vehicle. I can't remember though where the lights where, whether they were them crappy washer
lights or not?
stevebubs - 1/11/10 at 12:20 AM
(e)a green warning lamp used as an anti-lock brake indicator
Now I've got images in my head of cars with big green flashing domes on their bonnets sliding into each other...
morcus - 1/11/10 at 01:13 AM
Something to consider, just because something is legal, doesn't mean your not going to get stopped by a policeman who thinks otherwise. Someone
who used to live with one of my friends got stopped because he had a marlboro emblem with the wording on his bonnet, he was given some sort of fixed
penalty notice that he contested and was cancelled. The same policeman tried this a second time but was convinced not to ticket him because he had the
letters from the last time in his car.
What exactly are you planning?
matt_claydon - 1/11/10 at 07:13 AM
quote:
Originally posted by PSpirine
quote:
(c)a warning beacon or special warning lamp;.
Surely that has to be the world's vaguest point - it could be warning that you've got Radio 1 on?
If i remember correctly the two terms are accurately defined elsewhere in the regulation.
Humbug - 1/11/10 at 07:32 AM
quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
3) Bicycle lights come with a 'strobe' (flashing) function built in. These exist in both white and red. This does presumably mean that
operating strobe lights in these colours on a bicycle is legal - logically
Wrong! It's illegal to have flashing front or rear lights attached to a bicycle. This is not enforced however. It is legal to have them mounted
on your clothing.
When I just Googled "uk cycle lighting regulations flashing light" I came across several answers which say that flashing lights can be
legal, e.g. here
Macbeast - 1/11/10 at 07:52 AM
Why would you want to ?
mad4x4 - 1/11/10 at 08:26 AM
Why not stencil "POLITE" on the side of the car instead of "POLICE" Then you are technically not imitating a police car even
with battenburg Print etc.
Strangly the EYE will automatically read it as "POLICE"
Peteff - 1/11/10 at 08:47 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Macbeast
Why would you want to ?
Exactly my thoughts. Lights allowed to the front are white or amber and to the rear are red or amber. White with a blue tint might get away with it
but a blue bulb will not be seen as legal even if it does not flash. There's a t!t round here with blue bulbs in his grille and he is going to
cause an accident before too long if he isn't careful. Having blue lights doesn't give you the right to break speed limits either. Flashing
lights are now approved for use on bicycles.
[Edited on 1/11/10 by Peteff]
MikeRJ - 1/11/10 at 10:58 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Macbeast
Why would you want to ?
For the "power trip". Sadly it seems a lot of people are copper wannabes.
morcus - 1/11/10 at 10:00 PM
Go full whack and get one of those magentic blue Plant pot lights, people will think your a special agent or something.
Ninehigh - 2/11/10 at 01:17 AM
Get a red one Starski and Hutch style 
I'd thought years ago that it would be possible to kit out a volvo or astra to look like a police car from Maplins and hobbycraft. That
battenburg markings with "Fake Police" on it, and I'm sure I saw the flashing blue light for on the top in Maplin (dj equipment)
loggyboy - 3/11/10 at 11:01 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
Exactly my thoughts. Lights allowed to the front are white or amber and to the rear are red or amber. White with a blue tint might get away with it
but a blue bulb will not be seen as legal even if it does not flash.
[Edited on 1/11/10 by Peteff]
Well who ever is 'seeing' it as illegal would be wrong. If you were stopped for it it would never get as far as court as the CPS would know
its perfectly legal.
coozer - 3/11/10 at 04:26 PM
Get yourself on the motorway after dark, best during the night and see the trucks with hundreds of different colour lights on the front.
When they come to overtake me they look like transformers and very scary!
Ninehigh - 3/11/10 at 04:54 PM
quote:
Originally posted by coozer
Get yourself on the motorway after dark, best during the night and see the trucks with hundreds of different colour lights on the front.
When they come to overtake me they look like transformers and very scary!
You better be driving a truck yourself, or I'm going to have to ask you to hand in your licence in shame.
I love the jams caused by all the wagons having to overtake some git doing 49mph on a motorway 
morcus - 4/11/10 at 02:48 AM
If you get stopped for something that isn't illegal you could still end up with alot of hassle, besides being stopped, and thats assuming the
policeman doesn't take offence to you correcting him and 'finding' something to charge you for.
I know not all policemen are like that but I know for a fact some are, trying to explain that your tee total is something that seems to set them off
in my dads case.