NSW Police Fined Roof Mounted Driving Light Users

[JAFO]

I would say others would have seen it tonight, but for those in NSW who have roof top mounted Spot/Driving Lights . . . On 7 News tonight they had a camera crew do a ride along with NSW Highway Patrol.

It showed the Highway Patrol pulling over two 4WD's (One ACT Vehicle the other NSW) with Roof Mounted Driving Lights, both drivers were fined for the roof mounted lights as they are illegal in NSW.

 

[Old.Tony]

Were the lights ON, or switched off?

I've switched all my light bars OFF. Roof lights are usable off-road and as long as you can individually turn them off they shouldn't complain.

It is true that you can't have (active) headlights facing forward that are higher than 1400mm off the ground. But if they're switched off and only used off-road, I can't see why they'd have any cause to complain.

 

[75 GRC]

Were the lights ON, or switched off? I've switched all my light bars OFF. Roof lights are usable off-road and as long as you can individually turn them off they shouldn't complain. It is true that you can't have (active) headlights facing forward that are higher than 1400mm off the ground. But if they're switched off and only used off-road, I can't see why they'd have any cause to complain.

Old Tony,

I believe the law states(WELL QLD) I think most are the same...
You cannot have active spotlights
50mm above your Bonnet. That has always been the rule here. But they have never fully enforced it.
Most of it has to do with Glare back from your Bonnet.(they believe it's a safety issue)
Also with your LED light bars.
They state that they are for off road use only..
You can be booked for using them in suburban street also. Because they are deemed off road use only lights.

But I guess it all depends on copper that pulls you over to how far he wants to go.

Cheers
Geoff

"GO THE NAV V6's"

 

[vicszd30]

I have always been under the impression that whilst on the tar you must have the covers on ! never been questioned here in Vic...

 

[gazza414]

or it it a case similar to radar detectors....just doesnt work f they are on or off....they are illegal being on in the car or in the case of radar detectors ,,,ust in the car

 

[nakedape]

They had a news team along for the ride, which means they were being pedantic pricks!

 

[sparra04]

They had a news team along for the ride, which means they were being pedantic pricks!

Exactly
Ir I recieved a ticket and my roof lights were off I would fight it

 

[RustyNav09]

If the lights were individually switched and switched off at the time, the coppers cannot legally press charges/fine the drivers. It'd be worth fighting it and getting an outcome.

Rusty

 

[Aussie Frontier]

AFIK roof mounted lights are legal in the ACT as long as there is zero light coming into the cab,no reflection from the bonnet and separately switched when the high beam is active.
Would certainly make things interesting if legal in 1 state and not in another.
I have already been warned about my tyres being over sized in NSW but legal in the ACT

 

[domainmal]

I was driving out bush a few weeks ago just out of Perth. I had my front spotties on and my LED roof lights. A car was coming around the corner and I didn't dip them down straight away, maybe 2-3 seconds after I saw them. Anyway turns out to be a cop car. They didn't do anything so I guess it all depends on who stops you and how they feel on the day..

 

[scottybobcat]

I would fight it in court. The road rules apply to the state that your car is registered to also. A P plate driver in NSW can legally carry passengers in their car where in Vic they can't unless it's family. I heard a NSW P plater got don't in Vic for exceeding the passenger limit and was fined pretty harshly. He took it to court and beat it as you're not to know the different laws in each state. The driver that got done on channel 7 can't take it to court anyway, he was unlicensed until 2020.

 

[BigMik3]

Highway patrol are spastics not even normal cops like them. All they were doing is putting a show for the camera and raising revenue. Same as the guy who got done for seat belts not fully retracting. Never seen one car yet that doesnt have that problem. Mrs has a 2011 mazda3 even hers have a bit of slack in them when you take them off

 

[Aussie Frontier]

I virtually told the cop either book me or stop bothering me.I said bluntly the vehicle is fully engineered and legal in the ACT so other states rules meant nothing to me.
He said all vehicles must comply to the rules and I said mine complied with both the ADR's and the NCOP .
He just told me not to drive in NSW and left it at that. I pretty much drive in NSW every day and have seen that cop but he hasnt pulled me over since.
That being said I do know that many cars that come to Canberra for the Summernats do get defects but seeing the ACT follows the NCOP to the letter then I dare say they get done on things that would fail in any state

 

[happy john]

I got a "verbal" warning for having 2 Narva spotties on the roll bar of my d21 in 1992. Despite it being 2 in the afternoon and the protective covers blacked out. As said it depends on the attitude of the officer.

 

[bods]

I can't find anything in the adr's now about it, but as far as I was aware (at least it used to be) was that anything above 1.5m high wasn't legal for on road use and they could only be operated by a switch that was unable to be reached/operated from the driver's seat...

I'm not sure if that's still the case, but I can't remember where I saw it last or even how long ago it was now....

 

[happy john]

When I got done the fellow told me it was 1200mm I pointed out his side mounted lights were above that, he told me emergency services were exempt.No legislation supports this and it changes from year and state. Every check I have done turns up negative feedback and if someone ran off the road it may be used against you if your wiring was incorrect and to date there is none as such. But with the bar up there you will attract the attention of the law and deal with whatever mood they are in.

 

[Old.Tony]

ADR Part 8 Division 2 has the source of the height, but on careful reading it raises a question.

Rule 78 How headlights are to be fitted

(1) The centres of low-beam headlights fitted as a pair on a motor vehicle with 4 or more wheels must be at least 600 millimetres apart.

(2) However, subrule (1) does not apply to a vehicle built before 1970 if the centres of its low-beam headlights:

(a) were under 600 millimetres apart when the vehicle was built; and
(b) are not nearer than they were when the vehicle was built

(3) Each low-beam headlight of a pair on a motor trike (except a moped) with 2 front wheels must be not over 400 millimetres from the nearer side of the vehicle.

(4) The centre of a low-beam headlight fitted to a motor vehicle built after June 1953 must be:

(a) at least 500 millimetres above ground level; and
(b) not over 1.4 metres above ground level

Okay, that's for LOW-BEAM headlights, not driving lights. Rule 80 states:

Rule 80 How additional headlights are to be fitted
If 2 or more additional headlights are fitted to a motor vehicle
with 4 or more wheels, the additional headlights must as far as
possible be fitted in pairs.

Notice that there's NO restriction on "additional headlights". Only low-beam headlights are defined in the height restriction. That would seem to imply that on high beam, as long as the lights can be turned off with the dipping mechanism, lights can be mounted at any height.

If that's NOT correct, the police should also be dropping their loads on the wankers with the daytime running lights that are finding their way onto more and more vehicles and in many cases "accidentally" aimed up and to the right. But they won't do that, because not only is their boss one of those wankers, but they themselves just fitted a pair of DRLs with HID globes and accidentally aimed at oncoming drivers.

Just on roof lights and their position: Rule 81 does state:

(2) Headlights must be fitted to a vehicle so their light does not
reflect off the vehicle into the driver’s eyes.

So any reflection off the bonnet, bullbar etc would preclude high mounted lights, but if they are not LOW BEAM lights, it seems there is no restriction in ADR.

There might be in NSW regs though, I haven't looked through those.

 

[Aussie Frontier]

Found a little info from the ADR's
http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2009C00579/Html/Text#_Toc235592112
7.3. DRIVING LAMPS

7.3.1. Presence: Optional on motor vehicles. Prohibited on trailers.

7.3.2. Number:

7.3.2.1. Two or four.

7.3.2.2. To be used in conjunction with headlamps.

7.3.3. Arrangement:

No individual specifications

7.3.4. Position:

7.3.4.1. In width no individual specifications.

7.3.4.2. In height: no individual specifications.

7.3.4.3. In length: at the front of the vehicle and fitted in such a way that the light emitted does not cause discomfort to the driver either directly or indirectly through the rear-view mirrors and/or other reflecting surfaces of the vehicle.

7.3.5. Geometric visibility:

No individual specifications.

7.3.6. Orientation:

Towards the front.

7.3.7. Electrical connections:

The driving lamps must be able to be lighted only when the main-beam headlamps switch is in the “lamps on” position.

7.3.8. Tell tale: No requirement.

7.3.9. Others:

The aggregate maximum intensity of the main-beam headlamps as specified in paragraph 6.1.9.1 of Appendix A, can be exceeded with the fitment and illumination of driving lamps. Driving lamps do not have to comply with ADR 46/….

still looking deeper

 

[Aussie Frontier]

For our friends in QLD
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmr.qld.gov.au%2F~%2Fmedia%2FSafety%2FVehicle%2520standards%2520and%2520modifications%2FVehicle%2520standards%2FVehicle%2520standards%2520instructions%2FVSIG10AuxiliaryDrivingLampsFittedtoMotorVehicles.pdf&ei=TtXYU7auHJbs8AWB0oD4Dw&usg=AFQjCNGxaCIEc504aLZMbqpU-hdj-CK_pg&sig2=l2P4nUwFOamQFyemgPboUA&cad=rja

Specific (Driving lamps)
• Two additional pairs of driving lamps may be fitted to a motor
vehicle.
• The driving lamps must be mounted symmetrically on the vehicle.
• The light emitted must not cause the driver discomfort either
directly or indirectly through the rear view mirror and/or other
reflecting surfaces of the motor vehicle.
• Driving lamps must not be placed wider than the dipped beam
headlamps.
• The colour of light emitted from driving lamps must be white.
• Additional driving lamps must only operate in conjunction with the
high beam circuit and must be fitted with an independent on/off
switch.
• There is no individual height specification for the fitting of driving
lamps.

 

[Old.Tony]

^ from your reading and from mine, it would seem that ADR doesn't disallow roof lights, nor does it disallow the usea of these lights on the roads. ADR specifically defines a position for low-beam lights though - and defines that additional lights cannot be placed further apart than the low-beam lights.