Driving lights - legalities & suggestions

Without trying to dig up the regulations that I came across last week - if you are in NSW then the answer is probably "no". If I remember rightly, you must have an even number of lights, and any lights that are mounted above 1400mm off the ground must be inactive... or in the RTA's words "ornamental". One way to keep these high-mounted lights legal was to remotely switch them so that when you take it for a rego check, the person checking the vehicle can't find a way to turn them on.

Hey wombat,
Cant help ya on the legal side of it but a quick phone call to ur local RTA will sort you out.
As for part 2 of you question.....personally id go 2 spreaders and 1 pencil....reason.... I much rather want to see whats about to hop out infront of me at 110kms as soon as i possibly can rather than have a bright as day view of whats way down the road.
No point knowing whats way down there after a roo hits you. More spread u have = more chance of seeing reflections in animal eyes sooner.

As a kid in SA I was harassed by a copper coz I had 2 hella 140 on my valiant. problem was valiants have 4 (really crap) lights operating on high beam and the spottys make 6 and I was told you can only have 4. As stated check your regs I am pretty sure they relate to number of lights, hight of lights and distance between lights. In WA I am amazed by the amount of B&S feral utes getting around with spottys on the roll bar which I am sure is illegal, But then here in Kalgoorlie they cant even be bothered chasing crims let alone anyone else

Wombat
personally 2 pencil beams suit me as most night driving out of town is on reasonable rds.(although another 2 spreads would be nice)
normally dont do night driving when i get to destination and if donormally at lower speeds
seem to remember there used to be regulations for rally cars about 16yrs ago where you had to space lights at minimum distances apart which meant on smaller cars ie datsun 1600 made very difficult to fit(but think you could in end) with some extra bracing. i couldnt at time as needed bigger amp alternator to run and didnt have the bikkies). not sure if this was one of cams rules or actually legally required by vicroads
vic roads website may have some info or maybe call them and they may be able to print relevant info for you

This is from the QLD regs

ÿ
How additional headlights are to be fitted
62. 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.

Also from QLD Mods leaflet

Lighting Systems
All additional lighting systems are to be fitted strictly in
accordance with Queensland legislation.
Additional pairs of headlights, showing a beam of white light
only, may be fitted and must not affect the driver’s view. The
headlights must be mounted symmetrically. Additional high
beam headlights must extinguish automatically when low
beam is selected.

In Vic

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/vrpdf/rdsafe/vsi%2010.pdf

Clause 6.5 is what you are looking at.

Symmetrical postioning of Pairs of lights.

Unless otherwise stated , pairs of lamps that have the same function . . .

The law states that you have to have 2 spread OR 2 Pencil.. cant have 1 of each, thats where Lightforce win hands down they are both.. but you would be unlucky to get done.

you can also only have 4 lights on front of car if I remember, but with the amount of cars around with 8 lights on the roof - which is TWO laws broken (cant be above normal headlight height), dont stress.

But why do you want 3? get 2 good ones.

Guys,

I really appreciate the comparisons with other brands . . . . but . . . . let's just say that the Narva's are at a price that even Truckster would be happy with, I will have the room for three lights and because I figure the more the merrier, and I really am after opinions on which mix would be best and someone who can point me in the right direction with regard to sourcing the appropriate legislation. I do not want to spend any more of my valuable time listening to a recorded message telling me how valuable my (insert expletive here) time is!

PLEASE DON'T TURN THIS INTO ANOTHER MINE'S BETTER THAN YOURS THREAD

or even worse

PLEASE DON'T PREACH TO ME ABOUT YOUR PHILOSOPHIES ON WHETHER I FIT WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE APPROPRIATE CAMPING OR DRIVING BEHAVIOUR!!!!!!!

All relevant replies to my questions will be gratefully appreciated.

Hi all

the following is chunks taken from the Victorian Road Safety (vehicles) regulations 1999. This covers the stuff not covered by Australian Design Rules.

Design Rules
The design rules allow six (6) lights on high beam and two (2) on low. All Lights to be symmetrically mounted around the centreline of the vehicle with minimum distance apart as well as minimum and maximum heights for low beams, but as we don't generally change the low beams its probably irrelevant.

The extra (driving) lights therefore must be symmetrically mounted and in pairs.
Maximum height for driving lights is not a problem but mounting them on the bull bar top is normally an issue due to the restriction in forward vision (defined under other rules) not because the light is too high.

Light outputs must be approxiamately equal: thats the wattage or lux or glowing ember measurement not the beam shape so there is no restriction on mixing spots and spreads.
Personally think spots are a waste of time if your spreads are set up properly with decent headlights but I have already had my two bobs worth on that in previous posts.

this is from the regs, I cut out the motorcycle bits

PART 8¡XLIGHTS AND REFLECTORS

Division 1¡XGeneral requirements for lights
75. Prevention of glare
A light, except a high-beam headlight, fitted to a vehicle must be built and adjusted to provide the necessary amount of light, without dazzling the driver of another vehicle approaching, or being approached by, the vehicle.
76. Pairs of lights
(1) If lights are required under the Vehicle Standards to be fitted to a vehicle in pairs¡X
(a) a light must be fitted on each side of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle; and
(b) the centre of each light in a pair must be the same distance from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle; and
(c) the centre of each light in a pair must be at the same height above ground level; and
(d) each light in a pair must project approximately the same amount of light of the same colour.
Sch. 8
Division 2¡XHeadlights
77. Headlights to be fitted to vehicles
(1) A motor vehicle must be fitted with¡X
(b) a pair of low-beam headlights if it has 4 or more wheels
(2) If a motor vehicle built after 1934 can travel at over 60 kilometres an hour¡X
(a) each low-beam headlight mentioned in sub-clause (1) must be able to work in the high-beam position; or
(b) the vehicle must be fitted with¡X
(ii) a pair of headlights that can work in the high-beam position.
(5) Additional pairs of headlights may be fitted to a motor vehicle with 4 or more wheels that was built after 1969.
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, sub-clause (1) does not apply to a motor vehicle built before 1970 if the centres of its low-beam headlights¡X
(a) were under 600 millimetres apart when the vehicle was built; and
Sch. 8
(b) are not nearer than they were when the vehicle was built.
.
(4) The centre of a low-beam headlight fitted to a motor vehicle built after June 1953 must be¡X
(a) at least 500 millimetres above ground level; and
(b) not over 1„ª4 metres above ground level.
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.
81. Performance of headlights
(1) When on, a headlight, or additional headlight, fitted to a vehicle must¡X
(a) show only white light; and
(b) project its main beam of light ahead of the vehicle.
(2) Headlights must be fitted to a vehicle so their light does not reflect off the vehicle into the driver's eyes.
83. Changing headlights from high-beam to low-beam position

(3) When a headlight fitted to a vehicle is switched to the low beam position, any other headlight on the vehicle must operate only in the low-beam position or be off.

Hope this helps.

regards

A

ps I got this from VicRoads. They all spoke english

As far as the law on lights, don't really give a s#%t, still haven't met a cop with any real knowledge on road rules, little own where and what my lights are.

For what to have, pencil or spread, I did have two pencils one spread, but just recently rewired and upgraded the headlights and now run all pencil beams as the headlights take care of the spread. All IPF's mounted in the middle of the bar. Just my opinion.

Buy whatever brand you like, cause whatever you buy somebody will have better, which they'll make sure to let you know.

Would three lights fit on the front of a purple Jackaroo? They would certainly fit on the front of an F250.

Cheers

4 years ago when I retired from the Victorian Police you were only permitted to have TWO sets of additional headlamps, ONE set driving and ONE set fog.
They had to be fitted in pairs and be symetrical.
They were NOT permitted to be any closer than 60cm between centres. Many Bull Bar manufacturers completely disregard this when they fit their tags for lamps to be fitted on.
They were not permitted to be any higher than 1.2metres off the ground, so therefore all lights fitted above the roof on pack racks or ute roll bars, etc were illegal.
The driving lights HAD to operate ONLY when the vehicles HIGH beam lights were operated, and they were to have an additional switch so that the driving lights could be turned on and off while vehicles high beam lights were operating.
The fog lamps were ONLY permitted to be used in inclement weather. All the newer vehicles, Commodores, Falcons and 100 Series Toyotas etc that have fog lamps fitted low in bumper bars, are illegal when left on during good driving conditions.
Any lamp fitted to a vehicle HAD to comply with the regulations, and had to operate. ie. You couldn't have lamps without wires connected on roll bars above the roof. These lamps regularly caused the vehicle owner to put up with having to get a roadworthy certificate after being put off the road.

I would agree that most general duties police do not have a good knowledge of the traffic laws, but in Victoria all traffic police attend what used to be a 3 week Advanced Traffic School, where they learnt all the obscure parts of the traffic laws. The Traffic section would still have a good knowledge and are pretty well the only one who enforce traffic laws.

Police used to enforce the lighting and roadworthy regulations much more than what they seem to now, that speed cameras are the main road toll tool used by all states.

Just to let you know that I run 2 spread and 1 pencil beams on my Jackaroo. Done a lot of night driving in the pilbara region and found it greatly helps vision on the bends with 2 spreads. would recommend this set up regardless of brand chosen.

Despite the regs, I know we all do our own thing at the end of the day. We all now know the lights should at least be in pairs, symetrical and be at least 600mm apart, but has anyone pondered as to why?

I (as a mechanic) during my apprenticeship was taught that it to provide a means to guess as to what we are travelling towards at night. If there is a set standard, then we are able to mentaly picture what we are heading towards, large truck, small passenger car, 4WD or single light on the front of a coal/freight train at a level crossing.

AS I said, we all choose our path at the end of the day, but the regs are 'intended' to represent rules of 'common sense'. I for one do my best to adherd, but for the record, my Hella Rallye 4000s on ARB Deluxe winch bar.......480mm couldnt get them further apart even with a hacksaw, they would start covering my headlights.

For what its worth
Matt.