Road Traffic Act 1972

73 Regulation of position, character, use, etc., of lamps and reflectors

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations prescribe the conditions to be complied with by any of the following lamps carried by a vehicle, namely—

(a) any lamp showing a light to the front;

(b) any lamp showing a white light to the rear for the purpose of reversing ; and

(c) any lamp carried in pursuance of any of the provisions of sections. 68 to 78 of this Act or of any regulations made thereunder and showing a red light to the rear;

and, without prejudice to the foregoing, the conditions subject to which the lamps described in paragraphs (a) and (b) above may be used.

(2) Regulations under subsection (1) above may make different provision in relation to vehicles of different classes or in relation to vehicles of the same class in different circumstances.

(3) The conditions which may be prescribed by regulations under subsection (1) above as conditions to be complied with by any lamp shall include conditions with respect to—

(a) position and manner of attachment to the vehicle;

(b) power, intensity, colour and angle of projection of light;

(c) height, width and range of illumination of beam;

(d) provision for obscuration or deflection of light or beam ;

and such regulations may provide for the method by which the height, width or range of illumination of a beam is to be ascertained.

(4) Regulations under subsection (1) above may make special provision, in relation to any class of vehicle, as to the position in which a lamp carried for the purposes both of paragraph (a) and of paragraph (b) of section 68(1) of this Act is to be attached; and in a case for which special provision is so made the reference in section 72(1) of this Act to the requirements which would be applicable to separate lamps shall not include the requirements of any regulations as to the position of a separate lamp carried for the purposes of the said paragraph (a) or (b).

(5) The Secretary of State may by regulations prescribe the conditions to be complied with by any reflector carried in pursuance of any of the provisions of sections 69 to 78 of this Act or of any regulations made thereunder, and the position and manner in which it is to be attached; and any regulations made under this subsection may make different provision in relation to vehicles of different classes or in relation to vehicles of the same class in different circumstances.