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Above cab spotties

Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 9:42 am
by antt
a mate of mine wants to mount spotties on the top of his tray above the cab, but wants to know if it's legal or not.

i thought it wasn't cause you're only allowed 6? forward facing lights, and they can only be a certain height off the road.

anyone know for sure?

Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 9:58 am
by spazbot
ive been told they are illegal and , a mate has been made to remove his on the side of the road by the cops
If they are covered i dont think they are a problem and you can always use the excuse you use them for roo shooting and outback driving and they are disabled when in the city, not sure how well it would go down though

Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 10:10 am
by grimbo
I was pulled over by the cops for having them on my car. Luckily (sort of) my headlights had been broken when i slid of a snow covered road earlier and I had to use the spotties to see. I was near home (inner city melbourne had been driving like this since Mansfield) and he let me get home but said that they have to be disconnected if the car is on the road and must be mounted between the headlights. Mine were on a quick disconnect at the time. But I have also beeen told that they can't be higher than 1200mm from the road. It seems like there is no clear rule on them

A funny side note to the above story was that he cited me for not having any side mirrors, mud flaps or flares yet let the headlight issue go and didn't even notice that there was no windscreen!

Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 10:13 am
by Wendle
they make a lot of these rules up on the fly and rule by emotion, depending on how badly they want you off the road. I have just been through the biggest rego debacle in the southern hemisphere and had to comply with non-existant ADR's and little rules that one certain individual thought would be nice.

Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 10:22 am
by grimbo
it seems like the police who are the ones enforcing the rules aren't on the same page as vicroads etc who are the ones writing them. I have had a few infringements that have had to be shown to be rectified by vicroads and they've said I didn't need to do that in the first place. But who's going to argue with the cop with a ticket in his hand

Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 10:27 am
by ausyota
I think the problem the cops have with spotties on the roof is that they are above your eye level. So if a car is coming the other way over a crest of a hill or something they get a good flash before you see them and dip your lights.
But I think if you chuck on covers and run them with a switch you should be right...
...unless they catch you with them on :)
Paul.

Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 2:28 pm
by pegasus
They are legal in Qld.

Stew

Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 3:10 pm
by BUNDERA
Just a quick question to people running roof mounted lights...where do you run your cables? through a door?

Cheers,

nick

Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 3:14 pm
by bigsteve
BUNDERA wrote:Just a quick question to people running roof mounted lights...where do you run your cables? through a door?

Cheers,

nick

I used to have them roof mounted spotties and ran the cable throgh the headlining (if you would call it that) & down the A pillar

Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 4:58 pm
by HeathGQ
Mine run through the door rubber, inside the cab, down the inside of the A-frame, and then under carpet to switch and engine bay.

I think they are illegal in QLD. The regulations can be downloaded off the website. They are a bit ambiguous, but I am pretty sure the lights have to be mounted so they do not protrude outside the vehicle. Been a while since I have read them.

I have covers on mine at all times, and the switch is always off. Havent been pulled over yet. It all depends on the cop and the mood he/she is in.

Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 11:13 pm
by big red
i got pulled up in dalby for having 5 spotlights on the roof, he told me to fit one more :shock:
you have to have an even number of "auxillary headlights" in QLD but its ok on the roof as long as they are wired up with high beam only.
Fog lights can be no less than 600mm apart and be no higher than headlights.
shane :D

Posted: Fri May 23, 2003 7:00 am
by Marshy
Just got my cousin to do some investigating for me on this matter, as I'm about to bolt my roof lights on. (She works for the Department of Transport here in Brissy.) Part of what Big Red said is right. You can not have an odd amount of forward facing lights. But, according to the QDOT, any lights above the level of your headlights must be on a remote switch, and must have a "non-translucent cover" on them whenever you are travelling on a gazetted road. There was nothing mentioned about heights from the ground.

Posted: Fri May 23, 2003 9:34 am
by ausyota
I thought it wasnt about odd or even numbers of lights I thought they just had to symetrical ie if you have 3 the third must be mounted centrally.
I have 3 hellas soon to be replaced by 2 big lightforce :).

Posted: Fri May 23, 2003 12:44 pm
by Marshy
I'm not sure what the reg's are in WA ausyota. I only found out what they are in QLD. :)

Posted: Fri May 23, 2003 1:25 pm
by AVGAS_502
I'll post up the ADR's on Monday which is an extract for ADR 13/00 section 7.3 "DRIVING LAMPS". Trouble is as has been noted that the polizei arent always up to date or have knowledge of whats what...

TouchWOOD we have 8 driving lights on the LF company hack, drive it all over Oz and havent been done yet... sure as eggs it will happen today... :roll:

Posted: Fri May 23, 2003 1:49 pm
by antt
i've heard about the even number of lights thing, apparently its because when you look at the car from the front, if you see 5 lights, people might think there is a motorbike in front of the car, or some other vehicle

Posted: Fri May 23, 2003 3:25 pm
by bj on roids
big red wrote:i got pulled up in dalby for having 5 spotlights on the roof, he told me to fit one more :shock:
you have to have an even number of "auxillary headlights" in QLD but its ok on the roof as long as they are wired up with high beam only.
Fog lights can be no more than 600mm apart and be no higher than headlights.
shane :D


typicla country bumpkins

y'all need more lights on the rooof :finger:

Posted: Fri May 23, 2003 3:41 pm
by Marshy
antt wrote:i've heard about the even number of lights thing, apparently its because when you look at the car from the front, if you see 5 lights, people might think there is a motorbike in front of the car, or some other vehicle



Yeah antt, that was the expaination I was given too. Fair enough, I s'pose.

Posted: Fri May 23, 2003 9:06 pm
by BundyRumandCoke
Well, I cant see how a pair of roof mounted lights can be anything else but legal across Australia, seeing as how the new Jeep Renegade comes out with a pair mounted on the roof. Have a look at
http://www.autoweb.com.au/start_/showal ... ticle.html
Obviously, the ADRs have changed, if they were at one time illegal. I dont think Chrysler would make such an error and break the ADRs.

Posted: Sat May 24, 2003 6:48 pm
by purefmx
The odd and even number thing is a worry, im currently running x2 150W spots on the centre of the bar, x2 100W spreaders on the top of the bar and x1 100W on top of the plenum on the drivers side, just adjacent to the mirror. Ive been doin this for 3 months and have had no worries.
Around 3 years ago i had a Subaru touring wagon, with x2 Narva bulls mounted high and forward of the front bar. I was commuting to Singleton from Newcastle at the time and let the rego expire for around 3 days. I risked it as i was too busy with work etc.
On the way home one night i was clocked doin 114 in a 100km/h zone.
The coppa pulled me up, took my licence back to the car to ID check etc, meanwhile im sh**ing bricks. (and listening on the scanner).

5 minutes later he walks back up the left side of my car and looks at the rego label. He then proceeds around the front of the car to return to my window. However he didnt notice the black Narva's sticking out from the bar. He slammed his chest into one. I **it myself.

He came back to the car and gave me a ticket for speeding and then told me to drive straight home and rego the car on the monday or he'd be around to issue a ticket. I breathed a huge sigh of relief!!! He never said a word regarding the spots. :oops: :shock:

Posted: Sat May 24, 2003 10:20 pm
by RUFF
purefmx wrote:Around 3 years ago i had a Subaru touring wagon, with x2 Narva bulls mounted high and forward of the front bar. I was commuting to Singleton from Newcastle at the time and let the rego expire for around 3 days. I risked it as i was too busy with work etc.
On the way home one night i was clocked doin 114 in a 100km/h zone.
The coppa pulled me up, took my licence back to the car to ID check etc, meanwhile im sh**ing bricks. (and listening on the scanner).

5 minutes later he walks back up the left side of my car and looks at the rego label. He then proceeds around the front of the car to return to my window. However he didnt notice the black Narva's sticking out from the bar. He slammed his chest into one. I **it myself.

He came back to the car and gave me a ticket for speeding and then told me to drive straight home and rego the car on the monday or he'd be around to issue a ticket. I breathed a huge sigh of relief!!! He never said a word regarding the spots. :oops: :shock:


Anyone else invision a midget copper hitting his chest on the spotties in front of the Subaroo :lol:

If you didnt mention him hitting the spotties with his chest i prob would have beleived you but now i have my doubts :finger:

Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 5:39 pm
by Tritondriva
Do you realy need lights on the roof???

Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 5:45 pm
by Marshy
Tritondriva wrote:Do you realy need lights on the roof???



They come in very handy if your headlights are underwater or under mud. :? Once you've been in this situation, you'll realise they are invaluable. :wink: (unfortunately, I found this out the hard way. :( )

Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 5:48 pm
by purefmx
RUFF wrote:
purefmx wrote:Around 3 years ago i had a Subaru touring wagon, with x2 Narva bulls mounted high and forward of the front bar. I was commuting to Singleton from Newcastle at the time and let the rego expire for around 3 days. I risked it as i was too busy with work etc.
On the way home one night i was clocked doin 114 in a 100km/h zone.
The coppa pulled me up, took my licence back to the car to ID check etc, meanwhile im sh**ing bricks. (and listening on the scanner).

5 minutes later he walks back up the left side of my car and looks at the rego label. He then proceeds around the front of the car to return to my window. However he didnt notice the black Narva's sticking out from the bar. He slammed his chest into one. I **it myself.

He came back to the car and gave me a ticket for speeding and then told me to drive straight home and rego the car on the monday or he'd be around to issue a ticket. I breathed a huge sigh of relief!!! He never said a word regarding the spots. :oops: :shock:


Anyone else invision a midget copper hitting his chest on the spotties in front of the Subaroo :lol:

If you didnt mention him hitting the spotties with his chest i prob would have beleived you but now i have my doubts :finger:

The soob had 3 inch body lift 15's etc and the bar was high, ill find a pic and post it

Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 5:49 pm
by antt
Tritondriva wrote:Do you realy need lights on the roof???


yes :finger:

Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 5:49 pm
by RUFF
Is that a pic of the midget or the subaroo? :finger:

Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 5:57 pm
by purefmx
RUFF wrote:Is that a pic of the midget or the subaroo? :finger:

Ive got pics of subaru's , midgets, and just about everything else, if i look hard enough i might still have the ambulance report. :finger:

lights

Posted: Mon May 26, 2003 11:32 am
by Webbie
Its funny aint it;
I went to rego my toy at Wodonga VIC ROADS and the 2 holer said she didn't like the look of my vehicle so she wouldn't rego it :twisted: :twisted:
So i then went to another VIC ROADS in Wangaratta and the shela there admired my rig but went to get another bloke, he asked me how much KANGA had gone into it and i said ( neally enough for devorce papers )he just laughed and proceeded to give me the slip when he said ( YA KNOW THEM LIGHTS ARE ILLEAGAL ) i though shit :shock: but then went on too say its the coppas job to worry about them not mine :? :lol: :lol:








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Posted: Mon May 26, 2003 12:10 pm
by Wooders
So what's the story with fitting spotties on top of the bullbar??
Since I've butchered my ARB bumper to fit a highmount, the only way I can mount the set of LightForce I bought the other week is ontop of the main hoop - is there any regs against this etc???

Posted: Mon May 26, 2003 12:44 pm
by spazbot
Here is the cut and paste of what the rta says

[PAD]
Vehicle standards
Vehicle Standards Publications - available in PDF format
Information sheets - a collection of the RTA's Vehicle Standards Information Sheets
Inspectors' Bulletins - a collection of the RTA's Inspectors' Bulletins

Protrusions on vehicles
Some vehicles are fitted with badly designed bull bars with pointed corners and sharp edges, and some are fitted with accessories which protrude beyond the bumper bar or bull bar.

Protrusions and some methods of attachment to the front of vehicles present a danger to other road users and increase the likelihood of injury or damage to a person or another vehicle making contact with the vehicle. An accessory or bull bar fitted to a vehicle must therefore be attached in a manner that does not affect the continuing compliance of the vehicle with the Australian Design Rules and Regulations.

This information covers only the roadworthiness requirements for equipment fitted to the front of vehicles. These roadworthiness requirements and the relevant construction safety standards will be reviewed after Standards Australia completes a proposed Australian Standard on bull bars.

Fitting of accessories
Of particular concern are the ways in which items protruding forward of the bumper or bull bar are fitted eg. accessory fittings attached to the exterior of a vehicle such as brackets supporting aerials and lights.

Also of concern are bull bars that have sharp edges and pointed corners or bull bars fitted with accessory attachments such as fishing rod holders, lights and mounting brackets for such fittings, and any fittings that affect the field of view of the driver.

For safety reasons it is illegal to have:

Any attachment or protrusion projecting forward of bull bar or bumper bar which presents a danger to other road users.
Note that any aerials or winches which cannot meet this requirement should be removed after the operational need is completed. Emergency and rescue (State Rescue Board-accredited rescue vehicles, mines rescue) vehicles may have a constant operational need for this equipment and will not be rejected. Minor protrusions forward of the bull bar or bumper bar such as a spotlight, or fairleads required for the operation of a winch, where the mounting brackets do not protrude, are permitted providing the protrusion is the minimum necessary and is blunt or protected to minimise any risk of injury to vulnerable road users.
Any sharp or ragged edge or corner on a bull bar which could cause injury to a person coming into contact with the bull bar.
Any bull bar or other attachment that does not allow the driver a view of the road and of the traffic to the front and side of the vehicle so that the driver can drive the vehicle safely.
The RTA has issued Vehicle Inspector's Bulletin No. 5 to Inspectors and Authorised Examiners explaining the inspection requirements to them. For further information on protrusions to the front of vehicles, please contact RTA Technical Enquiries on 1300 137 302.

[/PAD]

So from my understanding of that as long as the aint poking out the front of your bullbar or blocking your safe view of the raod and whats ahead you should be fine.