Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2020

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR SI 639/2020

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 29th December, 2020.

I, EAMON RYAN, Minister for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 5 and 11 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (No. 24 of 1961) and the National Roads and Road Traffic (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2002 ( S.I. No. 298 of 2002 ) (as adapted by the Transport, Tourism and Sport (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 351 of 2020 )), hereby make the following regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.

(2) These Regulations come into operation on 1 January 2021.

2. In these Regulations, “Principal Regulations” means the Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations 1963 ( S.I. No. 189 of 1963 ).

3. Article 3(1) of the Principal Regulations is amended by the insertion of the following definition after the definition of “registered”:

“‘road-clearance vehicle’ means a mechanically propelled vehicle used for removing snow, ice or frost from road surfaces or for sweeping road surfaces or for cutting roadside hedges or grass verges;”.

4. Article 44(3) of the Principal Regulations is amended -

(a) in paragraph (h), by the substitution of “panels, and” for “panels.”, and

(b) by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (h):

“(i) front lamps on a road-clearance vehicle, provided that -

(i) no part of the illuminated surface of the lamp is more than 2100mm from the ground,

(ii) the vehicle is being used for removing snow, ice or frost from road surfaces, and

(iii) the vehicle is being used by -

(I) a local authority (within the meaning of the Local Government Act 2001 (No. 37 of 2001)) or other person authorised by a local authority, or

(II) the National Roads Authority or other person authorised by the National Roads Authority.”.

5. Article 52 of the Principal Regulations is amended by the substitution of the following sub-article for sub-article 18:

“(18) (a) Articles 41(1)(a), 41(2)(a), 42(1), 48(1), 48(2)(b) and 49 (except sub-article (9)) and Article 40 (in so far as it refers to Articles 41, 42 and 48) shall not apply to the use of a blue lamp the power of which does not exceed 50 watts that is being carried on an emergency vehicle.

(b) Articles 41(1)(a), 41(2)(a), 42(1), 48(1), 48(2)(b) and 49 (except sub-article (9)) and Article 40 (in so far as it refers to Articles 41, 42 and 48) shall not apply to the use of an amber lamp, the power of which does not exceed 36 watts that is being carried on a works vehicle.

(c) For the purposes of paragraph (a), an ‘emergency vehicle’ is a mechanically propelled vehicle being used:

(i) by a member of the Garda Síochána in the performance of his or her duties;

(ii) by a pre-hospital emergency care service provider, recognised by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council established by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (Establishment)...