Blue Light Covers - Legal or Not?

goodlad

Hey lads,

I have two clip on blue covers for the lights on my bike.
I have had them on the bike for the last few months with no issue.

I got pulled over at the weekend and was being issued with a fixed penalty notice for the covers as only emergency vehicles can have blue lights.

Now as far as i knew thy were not illegal as they dont flash like blue lights on an emergency vehicle. I actually managed to convince the cop that they went illegal and he didnt bother giving me the fine!

But still i cannot find a definite answer about the covers.
Does anyone here know for sure?

P.C.

What is wrong with the lights on your bike that you need to put blue covers on them?

goodlad

P.C. wrote: »

What is wrong with the lights on your bike that you need to put blue covers on them?

Absolutely nothing but the bike looks nicer on a sunny day with the covers on since they match the fly screen and the rest of the bike :-p

P.C.

goodlad wrote: »

P.C. wrote: »

What is wrong with the lights on your bike that you need to put blue covers on them?

Absolutely nothing

Then take off the covers.
The next Gardai who stops you might not see things your way.

Blue light are only for emergency vehicles.

goodlad

P.C. wrote: »

Then take off the covers.
The next Gardai who stops you might not see things your way.

Blue light are only for emergency vehicles.

I do have them off for now. But just until i can get an absolute answer.
The rules of the road state that flashing blue lights are for emergency vehicles.

I also asked a mate who is a garda and as far as he is concerned they are not illegal BUT he isnt 100% on it either.

Del2005

goodlad wrote: »

I do have them off for now. But just until i can get an absolute answer.
The rules of the road state that flashing blue lights are for emergency vehicles.

I also asked a mate who is a garda and as far as he is concerned they are not illegal BUT he isnt 100% on it either.

It doesn't mater what the ROTR say as they are not the law only an interpretation of the law.

The law is that you can only have white/yellow lights to the front and red to the rear with orange indicators. If you search in this you'll find the law, but I can never find anything on the site.

Hotblack Desiato

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1963/en/si/0189.html

S.I. No. 189/1963 — Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations, 1963.

Part VI Section 41


Restrictions on lighting-colour.

41. (1) (a) A vehicle shall not be equipped with lighting which when lit shows any light to the front of the vehicle except a white or yellow light.

(b) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this sub-article shall not apply as respects direction indicators.

(2) (a) A vehicle shall not be equipped with lighting which when lit shows any light to the rear of the vehicle except a red light.

(b) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this sub-article shall not apply as respects:—

(i) lighting used for the internal illumination of the vehicle;

(ii) lighting used for the illumination of a taximeter;

(iii) direction indicators;

(iv) identification mark lighting;

(v) reversing lamps;

(vi) lighting used for the illumination of a notice on a large public service vehicle giving information as to the route or destination of the vehicle;

(vii) lighting used on a vehicle being driven by a member of the Garda Síochána in the performance of his duties as such member;

(viii) a lamp fitted to a goods vehicle and intended and used only for the purpose of facilitating unloading while the vehicle is stationary;

(ix) a ploughing lamp fitted to a vehicle used for agricultural purposes and used only for the purpose of facilitating ploughing or other similar operations.

Notice it says that the light can't be blue, green, whatever, if it were lit, so it's illegal to have such a light whether it is lit or not. It says nothing about flashing either.

CrazyRabbit

(2) (a) A vehicle shall not be equipped with lighting which when lit shows any light to the rear of the vehicle except a red light.

Damn. I have to remove my rear indicator lights. And the white licence plate light.

Please Kill Me

For most of the suppliers of these "covers", in the small print you will see the disclaimer "legal for show use only". End of story. It's not just the blue covers, my brother had green covers on his Kwacker ZX750 and was harassed no end. Coloured light covers are a no-no!

If it's purely for aesthetic reasons, your heart will be broke. If it's to protect the lights, get clear covers and you'll have no hassle.

carsQhere

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Damn. I have to remove my rear indicator lights. And the white licence plate light.

(2) (a) A vehicle shall not be equipped with lighting which when lit shows any light to the rear of the vehicle except a red light.

(b) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this sub-article shall not apply as respects:—
.
.
.
(iii) direction indicators;

(iv) identification mark lighting;

Hotblack Desiato

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Damn. I have to remove my rear indicator lights. And the white licence plate light.

I would just post :rolleyes: but that would be too short to be accepted as a reply :P

JohnnyCrash

carsQhere wrote: »

In laymans terms it means that your rear lights(tail/brake) should only be red but this does not apply to your indicators(which are orange) or your reg plate light(white).Methinks:D

CrazyRabbit

carsQhere wrote: »

ninja900 wrote: »

I would just post :rolleyes: but that would be too short to be accepted as a reply :P

My bad. Too lazy to read the whole thing. Didn't spot the provisions. Only Irish law would state something plainly, then have provisions which totally change the meaning.

MrJoeSoap

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

My bad. Too lazy to read the whole thing. Didn't spot the provisions. Only Irish law would state something plainly, then have provisions which totally change the meaning.

No need to play the "Only Irish law..." card here, it's quite clear in this case.

Hotblack Desiato

All legislation reads like that. Indicators aren't lit all the time (and weren't obligatory in 1963 anyway) so they're treated as a minor exception to the general rule of red to the rear, white or amber to the front.

The rear number plate light isn't supposed to be visible directly rearwards, just reflect off the plate (that's another section of the '63 regs.)