The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Regulation 7

SCHEDULE

Regulation 2(1)

“SCHEDULE 22 Standard sign for buses carrying children

A standard sign shall—

(a) be of a size and colour indicated in diagram 1; and

(b) display the “schoolchild” pictogram shown in that diagram.

Diagram 1

Colour

Shaded areas — yellow retro reflective material

Border and silhouette — black

Dimensions

A.    Front— not less than 250mm       Rear— not less than 400mm

B.    Front— not more than 20mm       Rear— not more than 30mm.

Regulations 2(1), 17A(1) and (2)

SCHEDULE 22A     Illuminable sign for buses carrying children

PART 1 Bulb based illumination

1.   The illuminable sign referred to in regulation 17A(1) shall—

(a) be of a size and colour indicated in diagram 2;

(b) display the “schoolchild” pictogram shown in that diagram; and

(c) be illuminated by bulbs which shall emit a luminous intensity of not less than 4 candela and not more than 60 candela measured in the reference axis.

Diagram 2

Colour

Background areas — illuminated yellow or amber

Border and silhouette — black

Dimensions

A.    Front— not less than 240mm       Rear— not less that 240mm	B.    Front— not less than 20mm       Rear— not less than 20mm.
C.    Front— not less than 200mm       Rear— not less than 200mm

PART 2 Alternative illumination

2.   The illuminable sign referred to in regulation 17A(1) and (2) shall—

(a) be of a size and colour indicated in diagram 2;

(b) display the “schoolchild” pictogram shown in that diagram;

(c) be illuminated by a lamp which is of a type that when switched off the illuminable sign shall show only a blank grey or black face;

(d) emit a luminous intensity of not less than 4 candela and not more than 60 candela measured in the reference axis; and

(e) in the case of illumination provided by Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) they shall have a minimum pitch of 12mm, horizontally and vertically.

3.   In this Schedule “reference axis” has the same meaning as in paragraph 1.8 of the UNECE Regulation 65- Special Warning Lamps for Motor Vehicles(1).

Regulations 2(1) and 17B(1)

SCHEDULE 22B Warning lights

A warning light shall—

(a) have an illuminated area with a diameter of at least 100mm and be amber in colour;

(b) have a horizontal angle of visibility of 80° outwards and 45° inwards and a vertical angle of visibility of 15° above and below the horizontal;

(c) be a single intensity lamp which complies with the flash rate and luminous intensity as set out in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Regulation 65 “Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Special Warning Lamps for Motor Vehicles” for category X lamps(2); and

(d) flash in such a manner that one light is shown when the other is not shown.

Regulations 2(1) and 17C(1)

SCHEDULE 22C Roof bars for buses carrying children

1.   A roof bar shall be at least 1000mm in length, excluding the warning lights and shall not exceed the width of the bus.

2.   A roof bar shall—

(a) incorporate a sign which shall be of a size and colour indicated in diagram 3;

(b) display the “schoolchild” pictogram shown in that diagram to both the front and the rear of the roof bar;

(c) be illuminated by —

(i) bulbs that comply with the requirements of paragraph 1(c) of Part 1 of Schedule 22A; or

(ii) a lamp that complies with the requirements of paragraph 2(c), (d), and (e) of Part 2 of Schedule 22A except that in paragraph (e) the maximum pitch shall be 7mm, horizontally and vertically;

(d) incorporate the words “School Bus” to the left of the sign using a minimum font height of 110 mm to both the front and the rear of the roof bar; and

(e) have the sign, the words “School Bus” and warning lights referred to in paragraph 3 in alignment.

Diagram 3

Colour

Background areas — yellow or amber

Border and silhouette — black

Dimensions

A.    Front— not less than 120mm       Rear— not less that 120mm	B.    Front— not less than 10mm       Rear— not less than 10mm.
C.    Front— not less than 100mm       Rear— not less than 100mm

3.   A roof bar shall incorporate a warning light on each side of, and the same distance from, the centre of the roof bar, in either of the positions shown in diagram 4.

Position of warning lights in or on roof bars

Diagram 4

4.   In this Schedule “warning lights” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1).

Regulations 17A, 17B and 17C

SCHEDULE 22D Fitting of illuminable sign, warning lights and roof bar on buses carrying children

Fitting of illuminable signs and warning lights

1.— (1) Illuminable signs and warning lights on a bus which is being used to provide a school service shall be fitted so that the centre of the illuminable sign and warning lights shall be positioned not less than 1500mm or more than 3500mm from ground level.

(2) Warning lights referred to in sub-paragraph (1) shall be fitted—

(a) in alignment with the illuminable sign;

(b) with the edge of the illuminable sign not more than 200mm from the nearest point on the illuminable area of the warning lights;

(c) so that no part of the lights are obstructed; and

(d) so that they operate independently of any other lighting on the bus.

(3) Where the illuminable sign and warning lights are fitted on the front and rear of the bus behind glass—

(a) the glass shall be clear and not tinted as stated in regulation 37 of the Construction and Use Regulations; and

(b) in addition no part of the illuminable sign and lights shall encroach more than 40mm into the swept area of the wipers or have any detrimental impact on the driver’s forward vision or exterior mirror view.

(4) Where permissible text is used in conjunction with the illuminable sign and warning lights, the warning lights shall be fitted on either side of the permissible text and the illuminable sign, with the edge of the illuminable sign and text on each side being not more than 200mm from the nearest point on the illuminated area of the warning lights as set out in diagram 5.

Diagram 5

(5) In this paragraph “permissible text” means—

(a) the words “School Bus” or “School”; or

(b) the route number or the name of the school

and the text shall be at least 200mm in height and may be either upper or lower case.

2.   Illuminable signs and warning lights shall be fitted—

(a) at the front of a bus in any of the positions shown in diagram 6; and

(b) at the rear of a bus in any of the positions shown in diagram 7.

FRONT

Diagram 6

REAR

Diagram 7

Fitting of roof bar

3.   A roof bar shall—

(a) be mounted on and fixed safely to the roof; and

(b) be fitted so that the sign, warning lights and text operate independently of any other lighting on the bus.

4.— (1) A small bus which does not exceed 5500mm in length and does not exceed 2300mm in height shall be fitted with one roof bar.

(2) If a small bus exceeds either of the measurements referred to in paragraph (1) then it should be fitted with two roof bars.

Regulation 17D

SCHEDULE 22E Switches relating to the use of illuminable signs, warning lights and roof bars on buses carrying children

Buses other than small buses

1.   A bus which is constructed or adapted to carry more than 16 seated passengers in addition to the driver shall be fitted with a three position switch for the purpose of enabling the driver to —

(a) switch on the illuminable sign and the warning lights so that the illuminable sign is illuminated continuously and the warning lights automatically activate when the door opens and switch off 4-8 seconds after the door closes;

(b) switch on the illuminable sign and text and warning lights regardless of whether the door is open or closed; and

(c) switch off the illuminable sign and warning lights.

Small Buses

2.   In a small bus a three position switch shall be fitted for the purpose of enabling the driver to—

(a) switch on the illuminable sign and warning lights, or the bulb or lamp of a roof bar and its associated warning lights;

(b) switch on the illuminable sign continuously and switch off the warning lights, or switch on the lamp or bulb of a roof bar on continuously and switch off the associated warning lights; and

(c) switch off the illuminable sign and warning lights or switch off the bulb or lamp of a roof bar and its associated warning lights.

(2) A delay shall be built into the systems so that the warning lights will continue to flash 4-8 seconds after they are switched off.

All Buses

3.   A bus shall have a visible or audible indicator to inform the driver that the warning lights are on.”

(1)

Copies available from http://unece.org/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/r065r1e.doc

(2)

Copies of Regulation 65 are available from the following website: http://unece.org/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs61-80.html