Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR SI 189/1963

S.I. No. 189 of 1963.
ROAD TRAFFIC (LIGHTING OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS, 1963.
PART I.
PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL.
Article
1. Citation.
2. Commencement.
3. Definitions.
4. Revocations.
5. Owner liability.
6. Maintenance.
7. Combination of lamps, of reflectors and of lamps and reflectors.
PART II.
OBLIGATORY LIGHTING OF MECHANICALLY PROPELLED VEHICLES (EXCEPT CYCLES AND INVALID CARRIAGES) AND TRAILERS.
8. Application of this Part of these Regulations.
9. Obligatory lighting.
10. Side lamps.
11. Head lamps.
12. Rear lamps.
13. Stop lamps.
14. Rear projecting load lamps.
15. Lateral projecting load lamp.
16. Marker lamps.
17. Internal lighting.
18. Direction indicators.
19. Identification mark lighting.
20. Use of obligatory lighting.
PART III.
OBLIGATORY LIGHTING OF MECHANICALLY PROPELLED CYCLES AND IN VALID CARRIAGES.
21. Application of this Part.
22. Obligatory lighting (cycles and invalid carriages).
23. Position lamps.
24. Rear lamps (cycles and invalid carriages).
25. Identification mark lighting (cycles and invalid carriages).
26. Head lamp (cycles and invalid carriages).
27. Stop lamps (cycles and invalid carriages).
28. Use of lighting (cycles and invalid carriages).
PART IV.
OBLIGATORY LIGHTING OF OTHER CLASSES OF VEHICLES.
29. Pedal cycles.
30. Animal-drawn vehicles.
31. Hand propelled vehicles.
32. Detached trailers.
PART V.
REFLECTORS.
33. Obligatory rear reflectors.
34. Appearance and size of obligatory rear reflectors.
35. Position of obligatory rear reflectors.
36. Projecting load reflector.
37. Restrictions on use of reflectors.
38. Advance warning device.
39. Restriction on use of reflectorised material.
PART VI.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS IN RESPECT OF LIGHTING.
40. Compliance by vehicles with this Part.
41. Restrictions on lighting-colour.
42. Restrictions on flashing lights.
43. Restrictions on lighting-movement.
44. Restrictions on height of front lamps.
45. Optional direction indicators and stop lamps.
46. Requirements as to electric lighting.
47. Requirements as to dipping devices.
48. Restriction on lighting which misleads or dazzles.
49. Requirements as to use of lighting.
PART VII.
EXEMPTIONS, ETC.
50. Use of lighting on parked vehicles.
51. Defence where vehicle parked in certain places.
52. Exemptions and modifications for certain classes of vehicles.
53. Defence in case of racing vehicles.
54. Defence in case of damaged equipment.
SCHEDULES.
FIRST SCHEDULE—The obligatory rear reflector referred to in sub-article (2) of article 34.
SECOND SCHEDULE—The advance warning device referred to in article 38.
THIRD SCHEDULE—Revocations.
S.I. No. 189 of 1963.
ROAD TRAFFIC (LIGHTING OF VEHICLES) REGULATIONS, 1963.
The Minister for Local Government in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 5 and 11 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 (No. 24 of 1961) hereby makes the following Regulations:—
PART I. PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL.
	1 Citation.	1. These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963.
	2 Commencement.	2. These Regulations shall come into operation on the 27th day of October, 1963.
	3 Interpretation.	3. (1) In these Regulations, save where the context otherwise requires:—
"the Act" means the Road Traffic Act, 1961 ;
"day time" means any time outside lighting-up hours;
"goods vehicle" means a mechanically propelled vehicle constructed or adapted primarily for the conveyance of goods or burden of any other description;
"hand propelled vehicle" means a vehicle constructed or adapted for use, and used, as a vehicle drawn or propelled by hand;
"identification mark" means the identification mark assigned to a vehicle under the Roads Act, 1920 or under any other enactment;
"illuminated area" means in relation to a lamp the area of the orthogonal projection of the illuminated surface on a vertical plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle to which the lamp is fitted;
"illuminated surface" means that part of a lamp designed to show light;
"invalid carriage" means a mechanically propelled vehicle the weight unladen of which does not exceed 6 cwt. and which is specially designed and constructed for the use of persons suffering from a physical defect or disability and which is used solely by such persons;
"lighting-up hours" means the period commencing one half-hour after sunset on any day and expiring one half-hour before sunrise on the next day;
"low-powered cycle" means a mechanically propelled cycle—
(a) the engine of which does not exceed 50 cubic centimetres in cylinder capacity as calculated in accordance with article 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations, 1958 ( S.I. No. 13 of 1958 ) and
(b) which is incapable of exceeding 24 miles per hour on a dry level road under normal atmospheric conditions;
"mechanically propelled cycle" means a mechanically propelled vehicle, other than an invalid carriage, with less than four wheels and the weight unladen of which does not exceed 8 cwt.;
"passenger accommodation" means seating passenger accommodation determined in accordance with the provisions of the Road Traffic (Passenger Accommodation of Mechanically Propelled Vehicles) Regulations, 1962 ( S.I. No. 143 of 1962 );
"passenger vehicle" means a vehicle constructed primarily for the carriage of one or more passengers;
"reflector" means a reflex reflector the reflected light of which is capable of being returned substantially within an angle not greater than 3 degrees with an imaginary line connecting the reflector and the source of the light;
"reflecting area" means in relation to a reflector the area of the orthogonal projection of the reflecting surface on a vertical plane—
(a) in the case of a reflector fitted to the rear of a vehicle, at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and
(b) in the case of a reflector fitted to the side of a vehicle, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle;
"reflecting surface" means that part of a reflector or other device with a reflectorised surface designed to reflect light;
"registered" means registered under section 2 of the Motor Car Act, 1903, or under section 6 of the Roads Act, 1920;
"service brake" means the service brake with which a vehicle is required to be equipped under the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963 ( S.I. No. 190 of 1963 ), or in the case of a vehicle required to be equipped with braking devices together fulfilling the purposes of a service brake, any one or both of such devices;
"station wagon" includes station wagons, estate cars and other similar vehicles which are constructed or adapted for alternative purposes (including the carriage of one or more passengers) and which are fitted with seats, whether rigid, collapsible or detachable, in the area to the rear of the driver's seat;
"trailer" means a vehicle attached to a mechanically propelled vehicle (or to another vehicle attached to a mechanically propelled vehicle) for the purpose of being drawn by the mechanically propelled vehicle and includes the drawn part of an articulated vehicle;
any reference to the dipping of head lamps shall be construed as referring to the alteration or replacement of the beams of light from the head lamps by the operation of a dipping device referred to in sub-article (2) of article 47 of these Regulations, and cognate words shall be construed accordingly.
(2) In calculating for the purposes of these Regulations the lateral or rear extension of a vehicle beyond a lamp or reflector, the equipment (other than a direction indicator or a driving mirror) of the vehicle and any implement (other than the jib of a mobile crane) attached to or forming part of the vehicle and any receptacle within the meaning of subsection (4) of section 16 of the Act shall be reckoned as part of the vehicle.
(3) For the purposes of these Regulations, any two wheels of a vehicle shall be regarded as one wheel if the distance between the centres of the portions of the wheels which come in contact with the ground is less than 18 inches.
	4 Revocations.	4. The regulations mentioned in the Third Schedule to these Regulations are hereby revoked to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule.
	5 Owner liability.	5. (1) Where a vehicle which does not comply with a provision of these Regulations applying in relation to the vehicle is used in a public place by a person who is not the owner of the vehicle, such owner shall also, subject to paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of section 11 of t he Act, be guilty of an offence in any case where the provision not complied with is a provision specified in sub-article (2) of this article.
(2) The specified provisions of these Regulations for the purpose of sub-article (1) of this article are—
articles 9, 22, 30, 32, 33, 36, 37, sub-article (1) of article 38, and articles 39 and 40.
	6 Maintenance.	6. The lighting, reflectors and devices having refletorised surfaces with which a vehicle is on any occasion required to be equipped under these Regulations shall on such occasion be securely fitted to the vehicle or load (as the case may be) and the said lighting and reflectors (including their ancillary fittings such as controls, wiring, bulbs and reflector plates) shall be maintained in good order and in a clean and efficient condition and so as to be capable of immediate use.
	7 Combination of lamps, of reflectors and of lamps and reflectors.	7. (1) Where a lamp is so constructed, fitted and maintained that it complies with all the requirements of these Regulations applying in respect of a number of lamps, it shall be regarded as satisfying the requirements applying in respect of each of such...