Road Traffic Act 1972

78 Power of exemption and variation of requirements

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations exempt either wholly or partly from any of the requirements of sections 68 to 77 of this Act-

(a) vehicles while carrying inflammable or explosive goods of a nature specified in the regulations, or when in a place where inflammable or explosive material of a nature so specified is handled or stored, if an application is made for the purpose by any body which in the opinion of the Secretary of State is a body proper to make such an application ;

(b) any vehicles used for naval, military or air force purposes;

(c) vehicles standing or parked on any road with respect to which a speed limit on the driving of mechanically propelled vehicles is in force by virtue of any enactment, or on any road verge or in any parking place or any stand for hackney carriages;

(d) vehicles drawn or propelled by hand.

(2) The Secretary of State may by regulations add to or vary the requirements of the said sections 68 to 77, and require or permit distinctive lamps to be carried displaying lights of such colour and used under such conditions as may be prescribed, in the case of—

(a) vehicles used as public passenger vehicles or any class thereof or as hackney carriages;

(b) vehicles used for naval, military, air force or police purposes, or as ambulances, or for any other special purposes mentioned in the regulations ;

and where distinctive lamps are so required or permitted, prohibit similar lamps being carried by any other vehicles.

(3) The Secretary of State may by regulations increase, in relation to vehicles of any class specified in the regulations, the number of tail lamps required by section 68(1)(b) of this Act.

(4) Regulations made under subsection (3) above may make different provision in relation to vehicles of different classes or in relation to vehicles of any class when used in different circumstances; and any such regulations may modify the provisions of section 74 of this Act so far as it relates to the tail lamps of vehicles to which the regulations apply.

(5) The Secretary of State may, notwithstanding anything in section 70 of this Act, by regulations make provision—

(a) requiring or authorising a light of a prescribed colour to be shown by the prescribed means to the rear of a vehicle of any prescribed class; and

(b) where any such light is required or authorised by the regulations to be so shown by means of reflecting or fluorescent material, provision imposing conditions with respect to the material, its position and dimensions.

(6) Without prejudice to the powers conferred by the foregoing provisions of this section, the Secretary of State may by regulations exempt, either wholly or partly, from the requirements of section 69 of this Act, vehicles of any particular class.

(7) Regulations under any of the provisions of sections 68 to 77 of this Act or this section granting exemptions from any of the requirements thereof—

(a) may grant exemptions from any such requirement in such cases as may be specified in the regulations and subject to such conditions as may be specified in or under the regulations ; and

(b) may make different provisions as respects different areas, as respects different classes of vehicles or as respects the same class of vehicles in different circumstances.