Driving/Fog light mountings
Submitted: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 00:00
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P.G. (Tas)
G'day all. Something to bring to your attention! I purchased a pair of second hand rectangular PIAA combined fog/
driving lights (uses H4 globes, as in high/low beam). Good light,
well made, easily mounted and recommended by an experienced retailer. Fitted them to an ARB steel bullbar in the holes provided and guess what? Just before I am about to leave on an interstate holiday, Transport Tasmania pull me over one morning and inform me the fog/
driving lights are illegal to use on the low beam (or fog) position! I enquired why and the officer informed me they did not comply with ADR's. Why? As auxillary low beams they were illegal because you are only allowed to have 2 lamps running on low beam. Fine. They are fog lights! Illegal mounting position. Fog lights/lamps must be mounted below the bottom edge level of the headlights and the centres not more than 400mm from the furthest extremity of the vehicle ie, outside edge of the guards and/or flares. In my case it was impossible to comply with. Transport Tasmania sugested I could mount them on the bottom of the bull bar! Not likely. The retailer who recommended the lamps refunded my money and was very good about the situation, but was unaware of these requirements until he checked. These are national ADR's covering ever state and territory! I found out further that auxillary lights used on public roads must not be mounted above bonnet level (what ever that is, trucks have very big bonnets), and must be mounted symetricly. This means you can't have 3
driving lights if one is a different shape/make/brand! Who has any idea of what symetrical is? This brings me to another point. After reading leading national 4X4 magazines many of the vehicles illustrated have illegal lighting systems on them. There is a substantial fine for non compliance and I am sure many of us are unaware of these facts. Please let me know if any of this has changed since. Cheers
Reply By: Nigel - Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 00:00
Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 00:00
Isn't it amazing how those we trust for advice are completely ignorant of the law. In Queensland the tyre size fitted to virtually every Suzuki Sierra is illegal and the owners would therefore not be insured, but the tyre dealers keep recommending that people change size (and they have very valid points for doing so, but they should be aware of the law).
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Reply By: Colin- Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 00:00
Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 00:00
I don't think these regs have changed for many years - maybe 30y. Rego staff don't normally bother if the aux. lights are switched on/off by high beam only. Personally, I would like to see the psuedo 'fog' lights that are mounted under the 'bumper' on many modern cars banned, as the drivers seem to leave them on day and night. They are very
bright with no lense 'cut off' and annoying to drive into. They must also be illegal, as you have said, 'only 2 lights to be on at once in low beam mode'. I also drive in a fog bound area, and the best spot for fog lights is low down, so the light doesn't reflect off the fog back into your eyes. Doesn't seem to be an easy legal answer to this problem !!??
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Follow Up By: Norm - Saturday, May 04, 2002 at 00:00
Saturday, May 04, 2002 at 00:00
These regulations are true as regards to mounting and operation of aux. lights. They are not normally picked up in rego checks because the rule book for roadworthiness does not cover position of mounting as this does theoretically not make a vehicle unroadworthy (unsafe). There are many items that can be passed at rego time but can be defected once the vehicle is on the road by the
police or EPA. Take for example, a vehicle not fitted with a battery clamp during registration
check cannot be failed as there is no rule governing this in the rule book. But common sense tells you this is a dangerous practice and you could be defected for this same item if pulled up by the law. Also there is no rule about the number of lights fitted. Therefore just because your car passes rego doesn't necessarily mean that it totally complies with all rgeulations.
On the subject of fog lights left on during the day. You are correct this is against the law and the
police can and will fine people for this offence. (Ask one of my mates and also his wife). I may be corrected but I think it is a $68.00 fine
Happy motoring.
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