Vehicle lighting: new regulations enter into force

Amendments to the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 entered into force on Monday (4 January 2010).

Conspicuity markings

The main change to the Regulations is the inclusion of the EC legislation requiring large goods vehicles to be fitted with conspicuity markings. This requires new goods vehicles over 7,500 kg and trailers over 3,500 kg to be fitted with mandatory conspicuity markings from 10 July 2011.

The amendment also details the requirements for optional fitment of conspicuity markings and makes changes to the requirement to fit mandatory rear marker plates. The amendments allow vehicles to be fitted with optional conspicuity markings, but where fitted are required to conform to the relevant ECE Regulation 48 requirements. If compliant conspicuity markings are optionally fitted to vehicles, then there is now no requirement to fit rear marker plates to vehicles.

VOSA has issued a memo to all testing and enforcement staff in light of the changes and has issued instructions on enforcement action if vehicles or trailers are presented for test or encountered at roadside where rear marker plates are missing from vehicle/trailer types where they are normally required, and conspicuity markings are fitted in their place. Until the mandatory date of 10 July 2011, VOSA will only carry out checks on conspicuity markings where vehicles are encountered with no rear marker plates fitted. Click here for details