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Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

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Part IPreliminary

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 and shall come into operation on 1st July 2000.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“the 1995 Order” means the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;

“the Construction and Use Regulations” means the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999(1);

“the Designation of Approval Marks Regulations” means the Motor Vehicles (Designation of Approval Marks) Regulations 1979(2);

“agricultural vehicle” means a vehicle constructed or adapted for agriculture, grass cutting, forestry, land levelling, dredging or similar operations and primarily used for one or more of these purposes, and includes any trailer drawn by an agricultural vehicle;

“angles of visibility” means a requirement for a lamp or reflector fitted to a vehicle to have specified horizontal and vertical angles of visibility as a requirement that at least 50 per cent. of the apparent surface must be visible from any point within those angles when every door, tailgate, boot lid, engine cover, cab or other movable part of the vehicle is in the closed position;

“apparent surface” means for any given direction of observation, is the orthogonal projection of a light-emitting surface in a plane perpendicular to the direction of observation and touching that surface;

“articulated bus” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“articulated vehicle” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“breakdown vehicle” means a vehicle used to attend an accident or breakdown or to draw a broken down vehicle;

“bus” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“caravan” means a trailer which is constructed (and not merely adapted) for human habitation;

“cc” means cubic centimetre or centimetres;

“circuit-closed tell-tale” means a light showing that a device has been switched on;

“cm2” means square centimetre or centimetres;

“cm” means centimetre or centimetres;

“combat vehicle” means a vehicle of a type described at item 1, 2 or 3 in column 1 of Schedule 1 to the Motor Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) Order 1997(3);

“Community Directive 76/756/EEC, as last amended by Directive 89/278/EEC” means Council Directive 76/756/EEC of 27.7.76 (O.J. No. L262, 27.9.76, p. 1) as amended by Commission Directive 80/233/EEC of 21.11.79 (O.J. No. L51, 25.2.80, p. 8), Commission Directive 82/244/EEC of 17.3.82 (O.J. No. L109, 22.4.82, p. 31), Council Directive 83/276/EEC of 26.5.83 (O.J. No. L151, 9.6.83, p. 47), Commission Directive 84/8/EEC of 14.12.83 (O.J. No. L9, 12.1.84, p. 24) and Commission Directive 89/278/EEC of 23.3.89 (O.J. No. L109, 20.4.89, p. 38);

“Community Directive 76/756/EEC, as last amended by Directive 91/663/EEC” means Council Directive 76/756/EEC as last amended by Directive 89/278/EEC and further amended by Commission Directive 91/663/EEC (O.J. No. L366, 31.12.91, p. 17);

“cycle” has the same meaning as in Article 2(2) of the 1995 Order;

“daytime hours” means the time between half an hour before sunrise and half an hour after sunset;

“dim-dip device” means a device which is capable of causing a dipped-beam headlamp to operate at reduced intensity;

“dipped beam” means a beam of light emitted by a lamp which illuminates the road ahead of the vehicle without causing undue dazzle or discomfort to oncoming drivers or other road users;

“direction indicator” means a lamp on a vehicle used to indicate to other road users that the driver intends to change direction to the right or to the left;

“dual-carriageway road” means a dual-carriageway within the meaning given in Part IV of the Schedule to the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989(4);

“dual-purpose vehicle” has the same meaning as in Article 2(2) of the Order of 1981;

“Education and Library Board” has the same meaning as in Article 3(1) of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986(5);

“emergency vehicle” means a motor vehicle of any of the following descriptions—

(a)

a vehicle used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes;

(b)

an ambulance, being a vehicle (other than an invalid carriage) which is constructed or adapted for the purposes of conveying sick, injured or disabled persons and which is used for such purposes;

(c)

a cardiac response vehicle, being a vehicle used only for the purposes of transporting medical or nursing personnel and equipment to cardiac incidents;

(d)

a vehicle owned by a body formed primarily for the purposes of fire salvage and used for those or similar purposes;

(e)

a vehicle owned by Department of Agriculture and used from time to time for the purposes of fighting fires;

(f)

a vehicle owned by the Secretary of State for Defence and used—

(i)

for the purposes of the disposal of bombs or explosives,

(ii)

by the Naval Emergency Monitoring Organisation for the purposes of a nuclear accident or an incident involving radioactivity,

(iii)

by the Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service for the purposes of rescue operations or any other emergencies, or

(iv)

by the Royal Air Force Armament Support Unit;

(g)

a vehicle primarily used for the purposes of the Blood Transfusion Service provided under Article 10(1)(d) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(6);

(h)

a vehicle used by Her Majesty’s Coastguard or Coastguard Auxiliary Service for the purposes of giving aid to persons in danger or vessels in distress on or near the coast;

(i)

a vehicle owned by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and used for the purposes of launching lifeboats, and

(j)

a vehicle primarily used for the purposes of conveying any human tissue for transplanting or similar purposes;

“end-outline marker lamp” means a lamp fitted near the outer edge of a vehicle in addition to the front and rear position lamps to indicate the presence of a wide vehicle;

“engineering plant” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(2) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“extreme outer edge” means, in relation to a side of a vehicle, the vertical plane parallel with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and coinciding with its lateral outer edge, disregarding the projection of—

(a)

so much of the distortion of any tyre as is caused by the weight of the vehicle,

(b)

any connections for tyre pressure gauges,

(c)

any anti-skid devices which may be mounted on the wheels,

(d)

rear-view mirrors,

(e)

lamps and reflectors,

(f)

customs seals affixed to the vehicle, and devices for securing and protecting such seals, and

(g)

special equipment;

“front fog lamp” means a lamp used to improve the illumination of the road in front of a motor vehicle in conditions of seriously reduced visibility;

“front position lamp” means a lamp used to indicate the presence and width of a vehicle when viewed from the front;

“first used” shall be construed in accordance with regulation 2(4) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“hazard warning signal device” means a device which is capable of causing all the direction indicators with which a vehicle, or a combination of vehicles, is fitted to operate simultaneously;

“headlamp” means a lamp used to illuminate the road in front of a vehicle and which is not a front fog lamp;

“headlamp levelling device” means either—

(a)

an automatic headlamp levelling device by means of which the downward inclination of any dipped-beam headlamp is automatically maintained regardless of the load on the vehicle, or

(b)

a manual headlamp levelling device by means of which the downward inclination of any dipped-beam headlamp may be adjusted by a manual control operable from the driving seat of the vehicle;

“home forces” means the naval, military or air forces of Her Majesty raised in the United Kingdom;

“home forces vehicle” means a vehicle owned by, or in the service of, the home forces and used for naval, military or air force purposes;

“horse-drawn” means, in relation to a vehicle, that the vehicle is drawn by a horse or other animal;

“hours of darkness” means the time between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise;

“illuminated area” means—

(a)

in relation to a headlamp, front fog lamp and reversing lamp, in each case fitted with a reflector, the orthogonal projection of the full aperture of the reflector on a plane (touching the surface of the lamp) at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to which the lamp is fitted. If the light emitting surface extends over only part of the full aperture of the reflector, then the projection of only that part shall be taken into account. In the case of a dipped-beam headlamp, the illuminated area is limited by the apparent trace of the cut-off on the lens;

(b)

in relation to any other lamp, the part of the orthogonal projection of the light-emitting surface on a plane (touching the surface of the lamp) at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to which it is fitted, the boundary of which is such that if the straight edge of an opaque screen touches it at any point 98 per cent. of the total intensity of the light is shown in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Accordingly, for the purposes of determining the lower, upper and lateral edges of the lamp, only a screen placed with its straight edge horizontally or vertically needs to be considered;

“industrial tractor” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“installation and performance requirements” means, in relation to any lamp, reflector, rear marking or device, the requirements specified in the Schedules to these Regulations relating to that lamp, reflector, rear marking or device;

“invalid carriage” means a mechanically propelled vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage of one person, being a person suffering from some physical defect or disability;

“kerbside weight” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“kg” means kilogram or kilograms;

“light-emitting surface” means, in relation to a lamp, that part of the exterior surface of the lens through which light is emitted when the lamp is lit, and in relation to a retro reflector that part of the exterior surface of the retro reflector from which light can be reflected;

“m” means metre or metres;

“main beam” means a beam of light emitted by a headlamp which illuminates the road over a long distance ahead of the vehicle;

“matched pair” means, in relation to lamps, a pair of lamps in respect of which—

(a)

both lamps emit light of substantially the same colour and intensity, and

(b)

both lamps are of the same size and of such a shape that they are symmetrical to one another;

“maximum distance from the side of the vehicle” means—

(a)

in relation to a lamp fitted to a vehicle, the shortest distance from the boundary of the illuminated area to an extreme outer edge of the vehicle, and

(b)

in relation to a retro reflector fitted to a vehicle, the shortest distance from the boundary of the reflecting area to an extreme outer edge of the vehicle;

“maximum gross weight” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“maximum height above the ground” means the height above which no part of the illuminated area in the case of a lamp, or the reflecting area in the case of a retro reflector, extends when the vehicle is at its kerbside weight and when each tyre with which the vehicle is fitted is inflated to the pressure recommended by the manufacturer of the vehicle;

“maximum speed” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“minimum height above the ground” means the height below which no part of the illuminated area in the case of a lamp, or the reflecting area in the case of a retro reflector, extends when the vehicle is at its kerbside weight and when each tyre with which the vehicle is fitted is inflated to the pressure recommended by the manufacturer of the vehicle;

“mm” means millimetre or millimetres;

“motor bicycle combination” means a combination of a solo motor bicycle and a sidecar;

“motor tractor” has the same meaning as in Article 3(1) of the 1995 Order;

“motorway” means a road designated as a special road under Article 15 of the Roads (Northern Ireland) Order 1993(7);

“movable platform” means a platform which is attached to, and may be moved by means of, an extendible boom;

“mph” means mile per hour or miles per hour;

“obligatory” means, in relation to a lamp, reflector, rear marking or device, a lamp, reflector, rear marking or device with which a vehicle, its load or equipment is required by these Regulations to be fitted;

“operational tell-tale” means a warning device readily visible or audible to the driver and showing whether a device that has been switched on is operating correctly or not;

“optional” means, in relation to a lamp, reflector, rear marking or device, a lamp, reflector, rear marking or device with which a vehicle, its load or equipment is not required by these Regulations to be fitted;

“overall length” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“overall width” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“pair” means, in relation to lamps, reflectors or rear markings a pair of lamps, reflectors or rear markings, including a matched pair, one on each side of the vehicle, in respect of which the following conditions are met—

(a)

each lamp, reflector or rear marking is at the same height above the ground, and

(b)

each lamp, reflector or rear marking is at the same distance from the extreme outer edge of the vehicle;

In the case of an asymmetric vehicle, these conditions shall be deemed to be met if they are as near as practicable to being met;

“passenger vehicle” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“pedal retro reflector” means a retro reflector attached to or incorporated in the pedals of a cycle or motor bicycle;

“pedestrian-controlled vehicle” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“prescribed sign” means a sign which is of a type shown in Schedule 22 and complies with the requirements of that Schedule;

“rear fog lamp” means a lamp used to render a vehicle more readily visible from the rear in conditions of seriously reduced visibility;

“rear position lamp” means a lamp used to indicate the presence and width of a vehicle when viewed from the rear;

“rear retro reflector” means a retro reflector used to indicate the presence and width of a vehicle when viewed from the rear;

“rear registration plate lamp” means a lamp used to illuminate the rear registration plate;

“reflecting area” means, in relation to a retro reflector fitted to a vehicle, the area of the orthogonal projection on a vertical plane (touching the surface of the reflector)—

(a)

at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle of that part of the reflector designed to reflect light in the case of a front or a rear retro reflector, and

(b)

parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle of that part of the reflector designed to reflect light in the case of a side retro reflector;

“reversing lamp” means a lamp used to illuminate the road to the rear of a vehicle for the purpose of reversing and to warn other road users that the vehicle is reversing or about to reverse;

“road clearance vehicle” means a mechanically propelled vehicle used for dealing with frost, ice or snow on roads;

“running lamp” means a lamp (not being a front position lamp, an end-outline marker lamp, headlamp or front fog lamp) used to make the presence of a moving motor vehicle readily visible from the front;

“separation distance” means, in relation to two lamps or two retro reflectors, except where otherwise specified, the shortest distance between the orthogonal projections in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle of the illuminated areas of the two lamps or the reflecting areas of the two reflectors;

“service braking system” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“side marker lamp” means a lamp fitted to the side of a vehicle or its load and used to render the vehicle more visible to other road users;

“side retro reflector” means a reflector fitted to the side of a vehicle or its load and used to render the vehicle more visible from the side;

“solo motor bicycle” means a motor bicycle without a sidecar;

“special equipment” means a movable platform fitted to a vehicle, the apparatus for moving the platform and any jacks fitted to the vehicle for stabilising it while the movable platform is in use;

“special warning lamp” means a lamp, fitted to the front or rear of a vehicle, capable of emitting a blue flashing light and not any other kind of light;

“stop lamp” means a lamp used to indicate to road users that the brakes of a vehicle or combination of vehicles are being applied;

“traffic sign” has the same meaning as in Article 2(2) of the 1995 Order;

“trailer” means a vehicle constructed or adapted to be drawn by another vehicle;

“unladen weight” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“vehicle in the service of a visiting force or of a headquarters” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“visiting vehicle” means a vehicle brought temporarily into Northern Ireland by a person resident outside the United Kingdom;

“warning beacon” means a lamp that is capable of emitting a flashing or rotating beam of light throughout 360° in the horizontal plane;

“wheel” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations (see also paragraph (6));

“wheeled” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations;

“work lamp” means a lamp used to illuminate a working area or the scene of an accident, breakdown or roadworks in the vicinity of the vehicle to which it is fitted;

“s trailer” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations.

“works truck” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Construction and Use Regulations.

(2) Material designed primarily to reflect light is, when reflecting light, to be treated for the purposes of these Regulations as showing a light, and material capable of reflecting an image is not, when reflecting the image of a light, to be so treated.

(3) In these Regulations a reference to one lamp, except in the case of a dipped-beam headlamp, a main-beam headlamp and a front fog lamp, includes any combination of two or more lamps, whether identical or not, having the same function and emitting light of the same colour, if it comprises devices the aggregate illuminated area of which occupies 60 per cent. or more of the area of the smallest rectangle circumscribing those illuminated areas.

(4) In these Regulations a reference to two lamps includes—

(a)a single illuminated area which—

(i)is placed symmetrically in relation to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle,

(ii)extends on both sides to within 400 mm of the extreme outer edge of the vehicle,

(iii)is not less than 800 mm long, and

(iv)is illuminated by not less than two sources of light, and

(b)any number of illuminated areas which—

(i)are juxtaposed,

(ii)if on the same transverse plane have illuminated areas which occupy not less than 60 per cent. of the area of the smallest rectangle circumscribing their illuminated areas,

(iii)are placed symmetrically in relation to the median longitudinal plane of the vehicle,

(iv)extend on both sides to within 400 mm of the extreme outer edge of the vehicle, do not have a total length of less than 80mmmm, and are illuminated by not less than two sources of light.

(5) Where a part fitted to a vehicle is required by these Regulations to be marked with a British Standard mark, the requirements shall not be regarded as met unless, in addition to being marked as required, the part complied with the relevant British Standard at the time when the part was first fitted to the vehicle.

(6) A reference in these Regulations to the number of wheels of a vehicle shall be construed in accordance with regulation 2 of the Construction and Use Regulations.

(7) A reference in a Schedule to there being no requirement in relation to a lamp, reflector, rear marking or device is without prejudice to any other provision in these Regulations affecting same.

Equivalent standards

3.—(1) Nothing in these Regulations shall render unlawful any act or omission which would have been lawful were—

(a)there to be substituted for any reference to a British Standard in these Regulations a reference to a corresponding standard; and

(b)regulation 2(5) to apply in relation to that corresponding standard and the markings relating to that corresponding standard as it applies to a British Standard.

(2) For the purposes of this regulation, “corresponding standard”, in relation to a relevant British Standard Specification, means—

(a)a standard or code of practice of a national standards body or equivalent body of any State within the European Economic Area;

(b)any international standard recognised for use as a standard by any State within the European Economic Area;

(c)a technical specification or code of practice which, whether mandatory or not, is recognised for use as a standard by a public authority of any State within the European Economic Area,

where the standard, code of practice, international standard or technical specification provides, in relation to lamps, retro reflectors and rear markings, a level of safety equivalent to that provided by that British Standard Specification and contains a requirement as respects the marking of such parts equivalent to that provided by that instrument.

Exceptions — general

4.—(1) Where a provision is applied by these Regulations to a motor vehicle first used on or after a specified date it does not apply to any vehicle manufactured at least six months before that date.

(2) Where an exception from, or a relaxation of, a provision is applied by these Regulations to a motor vehicle first used before a specified date it shall also apply to a motor vehicle first used on or after that date if it was manufactured at least six months before that date.

(3) Nothing in these Regulations shall require any lamp or reflector to be fitted between sunrise and sunset to—

(a)a vehicle not fitted with any front or rear position lamp;

(b)an incomplete vehicle proceeding to a works for completion;

(c)a cycle;

(d)a pedestrian-controlled vehicle;

(e)a horse-drawn vehicle;

(f)a vehicle drawn or propelled by hand; or

(g)a combat vehicle.

(4) Without prejudice to regulation 19, for the purposes of these regulations a lamp shall not be treated as being a lamp if it is—

(a)so painted over or masked that it is not capable of being immediately used or readily put to use; or

(b)an electric lamp which is not provided with any system of wiring by means of which that lamp is, or can readily be, connected with a source of electricity.

Exceptions — temporarily imported vehicles and vehicles proceeding to a port for export

5.  Part II of these Regulations does not apply to—

(a)any vehicle brought into Northern Ireland and originating from a base or centre in a country outside Northern Ireland from which the use of the vehicle on a journey is normally commenced, a period of 12 months not having elapsed since the vehicle in question was last brought into Northern Ireland;

(b)a visiting vehicle;

(c)any combination of two or more vehicles, one of which is drawing the other or others, if the combination included any vehicle of the type mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) or (b); or

(d)a vehicle proceeding to a port for export, if in each case the vehicle or combination of vehicles complies in every respect with the requirements about lighting equipment and reflectors relating thereto contained in the Convention on Road Traffic concluded at Geneva on 19th September 1949(8) or the International Convention relating to Motor Traffic concluded at Paris on 24th April 1926(9).

Exceptions — vehicles towing or being towed

6.—(1) A motor vehicle first used before 24th January 1996 and a cycle or trailer manufactured before 24th January 1996 shall not be required by regulation 21 to be fitted with any rear position lamp, stop lamp, rear direction indicator, rear fog lamp or rear reflector whilst a trailer fitted with any such lamp or reflector is attached to its rear.

(2) A trailer manufactured before 24th January 1996 shall not be required by regulation 21 to be fitted with any front position lamp whilst being drawn by a passenger vehicle.

(3) A trailer shall not be required by regulation 21 to be fitted with any stop lamp whilst being drawn by a vehicle which is not required by regulation 21 to be fitted with any such lamp.

(4) Paragraph (3) shall apply respectively to rear fog lamps and direction indicators as it applies to stop lamps.

(5) A trailer manufactured before 24th January 1996 shall not be required by regulation 21 to be fitted with any stop lamp or direction indicator whilst being drawn by a motor vehicle fitted with one or two stop lamps and two or more direction indicators if the dimensions of the trailer are such that when the longitudinal axes of the drawing vehicle and the trailer lie in the same vertical plane such stop lamps and at least one direction indicator on each side of the vehicle are visible to an observer in that vertical plane from a point 6m behind the rear of the trailer whether it is loaded or not.

(6) Rear markings shall not be required to be fitted to any vehicle by regulation 21 if another vehicle in a combination of which it forms part would obscure any such marking.

(7) Where a broken-down vehicle is being drawn by another vehicle—

(a)regulations 21 and 26 shall not apply to the broken-down vehicle between sunrise and sunset, and

(b)between sunset and sunrise those regulations shall apply to the broken-down vehicle only in respect of rear position lamps and reflectors.

(8) The references in paragraphs (3) and (4) to a vehicle which is required to be fitted with a lamp shall be construed as if paragraph (1) did not have effect.

Exceptions — customs vehicles

7.—(1) A vehicle under the control of the Collector of Customs and Excise, Northern Ireland Collection, shall be exempt from the requirements of regulations 27 and 28 while it is on patrol within three miles of the land frontier of Northern Ireland, if the said Collector has certified that such exemption is necessary in the case of that vehicle for the purpose of enforcing the Customs Acts.

(2) Paragraph (1) shall not affect any civil claim for injury or damage to person or property.

Exceptions — police vehicles

8.—(1) A vehicle under the control of the Chief Constable shall be exempt from the requirements of regulations 27 and 28 while it is on patrol within three miles of the land frontier of Northern Ireland, if a Superintendent of the Royal Ulster Constabulary has certified that such exemption is necessary in the case of that vehicle for the purpose of enforcing the law.

(2) Paragraph (1) shall not affect any civil claim for injury or damage to person or property.

Exceptions — military vehicles

9.—(1) Regulation 21 does not apply to a home forces' vehicle or to a vehicle in the service of a visiting force or of a headquarters whilst being used—

(a)in connection with training which is certified in writing for the purposes of this regulation by a person duly authorised in that behalf to be training on a special occasion and of which not less than 48 hours notice has been given by that person to the Chief Constable; or

(b)on manoeuvres within such limits and during such period as may from time to time be specified by Order in Council under the Manoeuvres Act 1958(10).

(2) Where not less than 6 and not more than 12 vehicles being home forces' vehicles or vehicles of a visiting force or of a headquarters are proceeding together in a convoy on tactical or driving exercises which are authorised in writing by a person duly authorised in that behalf, and of which not less than 48 hours notice in writing has been given by that person to the Chief Constable and the interval between any two vehicles in such a convoy does not exceed 20m—

(a)front position lamps shall be required only on the vehicle leading the convoy; and

(b)rear position lamps shall be required only on the rearmost vehicle provided that every other vehicle in the convoy carries a bright light under the vehicle illuminating either a part of the vehicle or anything attached to the vehicle or the road surface beneath the vehicle in such a manner that the presence of the vehicle can be detected from the rear.

(3) No lamp is required to be fitted to any home forces' vehicle or any vehicle in the service of a visiting force or of a headquarters if the vehicle is constructed or adapted for combat and is such that compliance with these provisions is impracticable and it is fitted with two red rear position lamps and two red rear retro reflectors when on a road between sunset and sunrise. Such lamps and reflectors need not meet any of the requirements specified in Schedules 10 and 18.

(4) Part II of these Regulations does not apply to a vehicle in the service of a visiting force or of a headquarters if the vehicle complies in every respect with the requirements as to lighting equipment and reflectors thereto contained in a Convention referred to in regulation 5.

(5) A home forces' vehicle shall while used in conjunction with operations of the Royal Ulster Constabulary be exempt from the requirements of regulations 27 and 28 if an authorising officer has certified that such exemption is necessary in the case of that vehicle for the purpose of assistance in enforcing the law.

(6) Paragraph (5) shall not affect any civil claim for injury or damage to person or property.

(7) For the purposes of this regulation “authorising officer” means an officer of the home forces of a rank not lower than that of Captain Royal Navy, Colonel or Group Captain.

Exceptions — invalid carriages

10.  An invalid carriage having a maximum speed not exceeding 4 mph is required by these Regulations to be fitted with lamps and reflectors only when it is used on the carriageway of a road between sunset and sunrise otherwise than for the sole purpose of crossing it.

Exceptions — vehicles drawn or propelled by hand

11.  A vehicle drawn or propelled by hand which has an overall width, including any load, not exceeding 800 mm is required by these Regulations to be fitted with lamps and reflectors only when it is used on the carriageway of a road between sunset and sunrise other than—

(a)close to the near side or left-hand edge of the carriageway, or

(b)to cross the carriageway.

Provision as respects Trade Descriptions Act 1968

12.  Where by any provision in these Regulations any vehicle or any of its parts or equipment is required to be marked with a specification number or a mark of the British Standards Institution or any approval mark, nothing in that provision shall be taken to authorise any person to apply any such number or mark to the vehicle, part or equipment in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968(11).

(2)

S.I. 1979/1088; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 1982/1479, 1983/1602, 1985/113 and 1986/369

(8)

Cmnd 7997

(9)

Treaty series No. 11 (1930)

(10)

1958 c. 7 (7 and Eliz 2)

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