How many driving lights are legal??

[JontyG]

Hi,

Can anyone enlighten me (excuse the pun) as to the adr regulations for driving lights, i.e. how many forward facing lights are allowed? If additional lights are covered for onroad use, are they still illegal?

I have googled for this info, with no luck.

Thanks,
Jonty

[Thor]

this has been discussed here before resulting in a lot of different answers - even numbers of spotties, 2 down, 4 up, disconnected wires.etc this is a big grey area for us webwheelers
only thing i can suggest for a definate answer is actually phoning the Dept of transport in vic and getting them to read it out to you over the phone.

[ToNkA]

When I last checked for Victoria it was 3 pairs of High beams. Your standard High Beams from your headlights count as 1, so you can add another 2 pairs (4 lights).

They could be mounted on the rollbar or bullbar etc...

I checked a couple of years back, so it may have all changed...

[Tiny]

I am told NSW is 4 white lights pointing forward

[Sammyboy]

Hi all,
I have 3x Lightforce 240 Blitz and 2x Hella 181's so I too am wondering the same thing. I was recently at the 4x4 show and talking to somebody at a stall and they said that one of their customers got stopped by the cops because they had 3x Lightforce 240's on their bullbar. The cop apparently said that it was illegal to have an odd number, because the lights needed to be in pairs. To me this sounds a bit bizzare and I am unsure what to believe. I too would be interested to know because I wont get rid of my lights without a fight!

[JontyG]

Yep, I guess it's going to be a call to the dept of transport. The reason for my enquiry was because I'm planning to install a 3rd lightforce 240 to my current pair on the bull bar, so the question surrounding even /odd numbers of lights also interests me. I also have 2 fog lights...would these count as a pair??

[mwhitfield_2000]

Hi all

man im screwed i have
2 light force
2 spot lights
2 fog lights
5 spot lights on top of truck
6 rock lights for under the car

i hope they never pull me over when i have them all on
Would be interested in as to how many lights are allowed on my truck
Thanks heaps
Whitty

[grimbo]

your best bet with any legality questions is to ask your local authourities. To rely on heresay from the internet on legal issues is going to lead to trouble. Also what someone else got done legally is not always the case with someone else. Sometimes things slip through the legal system so what you think you have done all 100% legal may in fact not be legal for another vehicle.

[MereMale]

2 light force
2 spot lights
2 fog lights
5 spot lights on top of truck
6 rock lights for under the car

Who's got a mobile Xmas tree

Sorry couldn't help it.

Mere

[MQ080]

As said previously on this topic 5 pair. Low beam and high beam count as two pair.

[bushy555]

Have a bit of experience in this field. Believe me...

From ADR 13's:
Max is four forward facing auxillary "lamps". (ie 4 extra spotties that you can put on)
It then goes on to say that the maximum number of forward facing "lamps" is six. Odd numbers are illegal. Minimum distance between any two lamps is 600mm. Illegal for lights to be on top of bull bars. So yeah, not much of that makes much sense.

Minimum distance from ground (cant recall)
Maxmium distance from ground for lo beam lamps is 1400mm.
Maximum distance from ground for high beam lamps is "not applicable". This was written in one of the ADR13's - which I keep in my glovebox when I have lights on me roof.

Now this is where is gets tricky.
Cops have their own rules.
RTA shop in one town has different rules to RTA shop in the next.
Even RTA highway dude from one town has different rules to another RTA highway dude fro mthe same flippin shop. Meaning that even the RTA dudes don't even know their own rules. Which makes it a complete shambles for the general public!


I rang RTA technical joint in Parkes, NSW a few years ago. Dude on phone said as long as you have ya lights on ya roof on a separate switch then all is cool. Lights on roof is fine. OK, fine, I do that. I get pulled over by RTA highway and they be asking me why I have two spoties on separate switch and not on same circuit as high beam. A few months later I put them back on the roof. Get pulled over again, Dude says to pull them off there and then otherwise would fine me $78 for each light on the spot. Fortunately I had a shifter with me.

Have also heard that lights on roofs are ok, as long as the switch is located on the outside, and you call them work lights. Have also heard that 1200mm is max and not 1400mm. Have also heard a rumour where ADR'13 lighting was changed in 1992 when one particular model of a hilux was released in this country with spotties mounted in the roof from factory. Hummers from the US need modifying coz their front end lights do not meet our ADR's.

How does the ADR's affect that funy jeep looking thing Korando thingo which has lights in the roof? Betcha they're kinda illegal, if the ADR's weren't changed.


'Nother question:
Why is it that ADR's stipulate that maximum height for rear brake lights, parking lights and blinkers are 1200mm, whilst reverse lights are at a maximum of 1000mm?

Seen them dopey little buzz boxes - some CRV's and stupid little new crap cars with lights and parkers and brakes all up the rear pillar?
Some of them are over 1200mm! How the freak do they get away with it? and yet yah said bloke gets pulled over when yah said parkers and blinkers and brakes are at 1190mm, and idiot RTA/highway dude really really wants to bust yah. Gets the old measuring stick out, umms and errs a lot, looks at me engineering certificate, and after some 30 odd minutes of buggerising around eventually lets me go.


cheers,
\dave.

www.hid.isclever.com www.bushy.ismad.com

[GUJohnno]

Have a bit of experience in this field. Believe me...

.... Minimum distance between any two lamps is 600mm....

That would make eveyone with spotties on the bullbar illegal. Manufacturers, like Nissan, wouldn't be able to supply factory fitted lights if this was the case...

[Bluefreak]

Have a bit of experience in this field. Believe me...

.... Minimum distance between any two lamps is 600mm....

That would make eveyone with spotties on the bullbar illegal. Manufacturers, like Nissan, wouldn't be able to supply factory fitted lights if this was the case...

Minimum distance is between spotlight centres... 615mm on my Triton.

[GUJohnno]

there you go then, I stand corrected...

[+dj_hansen+]

ADR Specs from Vicroads... currently chasing the full set of ADR regulations and guidelines from a mate who used it at uni...

If you have extra revresing lights, make sure they are mounted high up and are used as "work lights", nearly got defected by a TMU the other day, luckily they werent connected...

*wont allow me to upload pdf.. d/l from here:
http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/vrne/vrn ... D300241C39

[stu]

Where could find simular thing for QLD on the net?.

....cause if i ring them they'll trace my call and take my 4B away.

[bogged]

Where could find simular thing for QLD on the net?.

....cause if i ring them they'll trace my call and take my 4B away.

call from a public phone

[dogbreath_48]

Heres a bit of extra reading material i found:
http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/vrpdf/rd ... I%2010.pdf

-Stu

[+dj_hansen+]

That link i posted has list of summary of ADR guidelines relating to vehicles from vicroads...

What is the equivalent in QLD, RTA?

Given they are Australian Design regulations, id assume they are Australia wide and would not differ state to state...

[bogged]

I'm actually lost as to why more than 2 quality spotties, and upgraded headlights are needed?

try the 150w/190w globes I saw yesterday if your unhappy with your headlights...

[+dj_hansen+]

Headlights + Spots + Spreads + foglights?

Depends how afraid of the dark you are i spose, and what kinda driving....

[kirragc]

try the 150w/190w globes I saw yesterday if your unhappy with your headlights...

holy hell batman where did you see these bogged??

Anyone tried them??

[bogged]

try the 150w/190w globes I saw yesterday if your unhappy with your headlights...

holy hell batman where did you see these bogged??

Anyone tried them??

ARB Brighton. Good blokes there, they told me a fair bit about em.. I was worried about blinding dudes with low beam, but the dude assured me it wasnt an issue as they have a shield in them to stop that happening...

$140ish a pr... I wanna get a set too

[GUJohnno]

With lights like that, on comming drivers would look like this..

[grazza]

The only consistent rule I have seen is that lights cannot obstruct your view. I.e. no lights on top of the bullbar. I see a lot of people who do this.

[DiddyZook]

Lights on top of the bullbar. it kind of makes sense to most people on here (not that we like it though) because we know what a bullbar is and in most cases the bullbar is the same height or thereabouts as the bonnet. So obviously this rule is just an extension of no sharp protrusions etc etc. the poor pedestrian you hit might be even more injured by the lights and the obstruction of vision.

BUT

When is a bullbar not a bullbar? How big can a nudge bar or light mounting bracket be? You see a lot of 2wd and softroader vehicles with bars (shiney chrome tubing ones that would bend if you sat on them ) with lights mounted on top. Ever looked at the front end of a country cop car? Lights on top of the bar.

The point I am getting to is, if you have a low bullbar (wish I could post a picture) similar to the Overkill bars, which is not as high as the bonnet, would this rule still apply?

[bogged]

With lights like that, on comming drivers would look like this..

that was my question, but the dude assured me that it doesnt

[chunkz]

dont those high powered bulbs go bust quicker?

and they wont blind people aslong as they are aimed correctly
unlike those wanks on the roads who have lights aligned up...
blind me in a four wheel drive, aiming no where near the road

[AJ]

try the 150w/190w globes I saw yesterday if your unhappy with your headlights...

holy hell batman where did you see these bogged??

Anyone tried them??

ARB Brighton. Good blokes there, they told me a fair bit about em.. I was worried about blinding dudes with low beam, but the dude assured me it wasnt an issue as they have a shield in them to stop that happening...

$140ish a pr... I wanna get a set too

They're called FatBoys and made by IPF I think.
Theres a review in the Winter edition of 4wheelingSA
http://www.4wheelingsa.org/downloadwinter05.htm

[AJ]

try the 150w/190w globes I saw yesterday if your unhappy with your headlights...

holy hell batman where did you see these bogged??

Anyone tried them??

ARB Brighton. Good blokes there, they told me a fair bit about em.. I was worried about blinding dudes with low beam, but the dude assured me it wasnt an issue as they have a shield in them to stop that happening...

$140ish a pr... I wanna get a set too

They're called FatBoys and made by IPF I think.
Theres a review in the Winter edition of 4wheelingSA
http://www.4wheelingsa.org/downloadwinter05.htm

Just had a read of the article and they're actually an 80/60 globe but claimed to have the equivalent output of a 190/150. Yes they are made by IPF.