Day running lights legal standing?

[acropolis22]

So if your motorhome has a fancy strip of 5 or 6 little lights either side of the front grille and one of them is blown where do you stand if the boys in blue stop you? Let's assume you have working headlamps and side lights and indicators, a full set of lights required by law.

 

[acropolis22]

It means this applies to the item I put in red , so not exempt from the requirement.

Playing devil's advocate, I suppose I could say that in 1989, DRLs didn't exist, so maybe it doesn't apply to them. Like, what exactly is a running lamp?

 

[donkey]

Here you go guys:
If a single lamp is fitted with two or more bulbs or LEDs it will not be considered defective so long as at least 50% of the bulbs or LEDs are working.

Geoff

 

[pappajohn]

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989
Maintenance of lamps, reflectors, rear markings and devices

23.—(1) No person shall use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road a vehicle unless every lamp, reflector, rear marking and device to which this paragraph applies is in good working order and, in the case of a lamp, clean.
b)every–

(i)stop lamp,

(ii)direction indicator,

(iii)running lamp,

Running lamp is not a DRL..... its a regular road light... Headlamp, sidelamp etc.
In 1989 DRLs weren't even a word let alone a light.

 

[pappajohn]

Here you go guys:
If a single lamp is fitted with two or more bulbs or LEDs it will not be considered defective so long as at least 50% of the bulbs or LEDs are working.

Geoff

As I said.... Thank you.

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[daveinspain]

In the December itv they hummed and haaaed check what was homolgated then told me not to bring it back in July with them . I said I will pull the fuse and he said no, removed completely and the wiring to each side.
They are fitted to come on with ignition,through a relay and go off ad soon as sidelights are turned on.
I'd go as you are other places might well say nothing.

Thanks, Richard I´ll give them a go, but our local ITV station are usually VERY strict on homologation stuff - they refused to ITV our caravan back in 2004 for re-registering because it didn´t have a european homologation number.

 

[David and Sally]

Wake up at the back

Or rear fog lights

And fog lights

 

[acropolis22]

Here you go guys:
If a single lamp is fitted with two or more bulbs or LEDs it will not be considered defective so long as at least 50% of the bulbs or LEDs are working.

Geoff

Fair enough, but I don't think a row of DRLs would be considered a single lamp? I'll try to post a picture of my van.

 

[chatteris]

This is what the mot manual says

Daytime running lamps​

You only need to inspect daytime running lamps (DRLs) if they’re fitted as original equipment to vehicles first used on or after 1 March 2018.

Defect	Category
(a) Lamp: (i) multiple light source up to a half not functioning (ii) missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than a half not functioning	Minor Major
(b) Defective lens	Major

 

[acropolis22]

This is what the mot manual says

Daytime running lamps​

You only need to inspect daytime running lamps (DRLs) if they’re fitted as original equipment to vehicles first used on or after 1 March 2018.

Defect	Category
(a) Lamp: (i) multiple light source up to a half not functioning (ii) missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than a half not functioning	Minor Major
(b) Defective lens	Major

Thanks, but that was mentioned further up.

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[kevenh]

I had an odd one at my MOT in January this year

before I set off I had walked round and checked all the lights were on, drove into MOT bay and could see both DRL’s on in the mirror wall at end of bay

ours is a Mercedes chassis with a bulb fitting DRL not strip which I have changed to LED

the MOT place let me / like me to stay in and turn things on and off to save them getting in with dirty overalls . Restarted engine and one DRL didn’t come on, at end of test, daughter of owner said to Dad one was out but was on when I drove in

Dad says, not MOTable at our MH age as confirmed by PPJ above, and he wasn’t bothered, but gave headlamp a light thump and it came back on

not too sure what you can make of that , but our MOT station at least didn’t mind eneven or non working lights , on that day at least

Was the indicator arm on a turn position?
Maybe you can have one side of lights off or both sides on.
Not sure, usually that method is for putting on a side of lights; not off.

I.e. I’m thinking of parking lights.

 

[tacr2man]

Running lamp is not a DRL..... its a regular road light... Headlamp, sidelamp etc.
In 1989 DRLs weren't even a word let alone a light.

It was in 2020 statutory instrument that modified the RVLR 1989

The EU regulation on DRL on which the UK version was based needs a specified light output , so that would be the legal test as to full working order as to percentage of leds working that is more for MOT reasons IIRC .

 

[SpeedyDux]

Our factory fitted DRLs (pre-2018) were optional extras.

They are 100% OK. Nevertheless I am obliged to the posters above who confirmed that they are not a MOT test requirement in our case.

 

[acropolis22]

Just repair it, would drive me mad knowing it was out, legal or not.

Yup, it will drive me mad too. It's going to be fixed one way or another. The question is can I get the dealer to do it or will I have to pay. He claims it's not an MOT requirement so he's under no obligation, which may well be true. Part of the problem is I have no idea how easy/expensive it will be to fix. (He's getting me a price, which is worrying in itself....) If you look at the picture I posted it looks like there is a massive plastic moulding to be removed. Or can I get to the back? Will I have to replace all 5 lights in the strip or can I just replace one? If it's a quick/cheap fix, then I'm not bothered.