I agree. Personally I like plates that represent the car not the driver. Like cl55 fst for a focus st for example or ck60 gtr for a gtr. I. Don't see the point in a license plate that barely represents the word or name you're trying to spell where only a select few of your mates even get it.
@@R33Racer I agree, Instead of paying what could be thousands for a private plate just change your name by deed pole to whatever your reg is ...£18...Job done.
I co-run a car group, I love content like this because it makes it easier to make sure the me and my mates don't cause the wrong kind of attention at our meets and others. We are currently in the mix of trying to modify certain member cars, and this video was shared by me, into our group chat as an example. So thank you
I got pulled tonight about my lights and was told to watch this video and Sarge you proved me right in the argument. I can have amber on the front. I wish all coppers were like you I would have respect.
I have a 20-year-old motorcycle with 20-year-old lighting, rear lights are fine but the front headlight from factory is abysmal, fitted a 50% brighter h4 bulb which helps, but I've also fitted an independently switched 7 inch 30watt led light bar beneath the headlight and dipped it in-line with the dipped beam headlight and boy has it made a difference. Other road users can actually see me now. Some lighting upgrades will help protect your life !! And yes, it's passes the mot, so no issues with it 👍 Bright lights and loud pipes save lives 💪
Yep agree. Why do we have sirens on emergency vehicles? So it draws attention to them and you can then get out of the way. Same with bikes, if I hear an exhaust I check my mirrors to she where they are.
I have the same issue,24 year old zr7,main beam is fine dip is like a bloody candle! Makes it really difficult to see when conditions are good,throw in a misty or rain soaked visor and new led/laser headlamps and I can't see much at all. It came with an aftermarket led headlamp that was crap to say the least. Sourced a genuine Kawasaki headlamp for my model and ended up with the terrible lighting I have now. For my safety and that if others I'm going to upgrade my headlight to a modern one from a newer Kawasaki,unsure what yet as I need to do research to find the best. Failing that it'll be a pair of led spot lamps mounted low down and pointing to where I need to see. Out of courtesy I dip my lights but sometimes I question wether,for my ability to see,I leave em up! Ride safe and be seen and heard,loud enough for deaf people to feel the noise! Dreamland again!!
Love this content! Just wish all officers were as understanding as this, have seen people getting tickets while stationary, engine off as the car was displaying something against the construction and use If it was on the road, such as red underglow at the front, or flashing blue and red lights.
@@bighaith I've just retired from the Job. I spent 15 years on Traffic in my career and been trained as a Prohibition Officer. I used to like the meets because I'm a petrol head myself. When being deployed to a meet (forcefully) I used to say to the sprogs I worked with that you'll never find any issues with the cars because it's the be all & end all of enthusiasts ; nothing wrong with the car, ergo no defects. I'm going back about 15-20 years now but the girls from 'Max Power' will always be in my head. I loved walking around and taking my white cap off and get to know the mod's they were doing. There are nice Coppers out there mate but few & far between
I always thought having underglow using white for front amber for sides and red for rear would be a benefit for road use to increase visibility & this safety (other colours for shows if you like)
I've had blue illuminated washer jets and been pulled Had a print out of the legislation, saying they weren't flashing Just at that point a HGV with green, blue and orange lights all over the front passed by and they let me go, couldn't do anything anyway
The ST is the pre-facelift version of the Mk2, so even the Un-modified lights only had half the cluster as opposed to the RS’s full length red lights, as the RS is a face lifted version of the Mk2 Focus.
Enjoyed this video. I think LED stop lights are safer as they come on a fraction quicker than standard bulbs. I think there's an issue with the amount of cars driving around with illegal number plates. Wrongly spaced or sized letters and numbers which could cause confusion by an older person.
They are but the most are badly built Chinese tat that will start flashing, they may not light at all or rapidly have LEDs die. If its a well engineered bulb it would be an improvement
He didn't say that LEDs can't be used. He said that they can't be used in lights that are not type approved for LEDs. The issue here is effect on light performance. The type approval regulations for lights will specify both the brightness and the angles that the light should be visible. This is achieved by the design of the reflector and lens based on the bulb it was designed for. An LED replacement bulb may throw all of this out meaning that the light no longer meets the regulation. You could ask if the average police officer or MOT station has the ability to check this. After all they're not going to start pulling apart the light and checking the bulbs used against the type approval or sending them off to a lab for testing, all they are going to do is look at the light and make a judgement if they seem to be OK.
A bigger problem with number plates is the (illegal) fashion for hiding the front one on the dashboard instead of keeping them where they should be - on the front of the car 🤷♂️ .....and then there's the tinted plates; what's the point of those!???
No, because if you can see your underglows from the rear and they're any other colour then red then you fall foul of displaying a colour other then red to the rear. You can have static green or blue lights to the front of your vehicle. So I guess you could have static green or blue neons to the front. But not on the sides or the back. Because if they were on the sides of the vehicle you'd see them to the back. You're pretty much limited to static events.
@@zulut1876 not quite true. As was mentioned with the registration lamps, because the physical light source isn’t visible, it’s not classed as showing that colour to the rear, hence why the bright LED plate lamps tbat shine white on the floor are legal. It’s not classed as showing a white light to the rear, as the physical light source isn’t visible, it’s just the reflection. You can have underglow on, any colour as long as it’s not flashing, it’s just on a solid colour and the physical light source isn’t visible, just the reflection of the light on the ground
Will the MOT test the capability of the driver to know how to use an indicator (audi) and the fact if you do actually indicate its not a god given right to move in that direction instantly in front of traffic.
I lived in four European countries ... I probably drove most of the car and I can definitely say that the UK is the most tolerant police I have ever dealt with!!! Most of the countries you can forget about any tinted lights! About neons under the car even don't think!! Gentlemen, I think you have to appreciate it more, instead of cursing at the sight of the police. Good job mate 👍 Thank you to the police officer for your time and thorough explanation! Safe journeys 4all👍👍 ( don't drink and drive)
I am not sure your comment about the tolerant police applies to the whole UK. The Devon and Cornwall police are the best I have ever met. I am from Hertfordshire but worked in Honiton for 10 years.
I don't understand how some modern cars, like some versions of the Mini get through type approval. Who thought it was a good idea to have the front indicators in the headlights. I nearly had an accident when a mini turned across me on a mini roundabout at night. He was indicating but it was almost invisible with the headlights on.
The biggest problem, in my opinion, is badly adjusted lights which is amplified by high performance led lights. Even bicycle high powered lights are a hazard to oncoming traffic of any kind. It is interesting to note that upper priced cars etc with bright led lights are self adjusting which takes out bad human factor adjusting / setting up the lamps.
The problem with some LED conversions is that the illuminated area of the LED lamp "bulb" is much larger than the tungsten filament of the original bulb. This makes it impossible for the reflector and lens to focus the light into the correct dipped beam pattern with a sharply cut-off top to the beam, so not enough light shines on the road and too much shines into the eyes of people coming the other way.
@@JohnSmith-bx8zb The legislation is there; since the 1970s it has been illegal to have a lamp or bulb that is one of the obligatory lamps of a vehicle and that is not "E-approved". I doubt that the police would ever check this if the lighting performance is satisfactory, but now they often do not check even if the performance of the lamp is manifestly unsatisfactory.
Nice vid but have you seen some rear clusters on new cars? They cannot be type approved. A bit of sun and you cannot see the indicators, or differentiate between rear lights and brake lights.
The high-level third brake light will indeed fail an MoT if there is insufficient light but if it doesn't work at all it is not tested and so will not fail the test, therefore, having it fitted does not mean it has to work. The MoT inspector has to assume it has been disconnected or switched off.
@@melvinplant8637 Nope, it does not have to work as it may be disconnected or switched off meaning the MoT tester cannot check the light output. Unlike the two mandatory brake lights the high-level third brake light does not have to be fitted but, if it is fitted then it has to have sufficient light output. In other words, if say it has 9 LED bulbs and only 4 illuminate then it will fail the test. Anything over around 50% will be okay but only the MoT tester can confirm that as they will probably use a light meter.
Way Back In The 90s I Got Pulled In Mk4 Escort RS For Some Blue Globe Caps From Motorworld. You Put Then Over Halogen Bulbs To Give A White Look, You Could Get Ones To Give A Rainbow 🌈 Effect Too, Got Told To Take Them Out There And Then At The Side Of The Road. And They Were Bleeding Hot!!🔥
I once had an electrical fualt. I tracked it down to a loose connection on the main/dip relay. When driving it made the lights flash between main and dip at about the same frequency as the flashing light beacons. Peope were very quick to move out of my way on that journey.
modern factory fitted led lights suffer from prism effect anyway especially when the self leveling is trying to adjust the aim over bumps. self dipping lights are a bad idea too, it encourages drivers to leave main beam on permanently with no failsafe if the system develops a fault
I’m so glad that the police know how to prioritise keeping the public safe. Good job we don’t have any vulnerable member of the public go missing, as the police intimate knowledge of vehicle type approval will be so useful to finding them.
It maybe obvious to many, that Blue lights are used by the emergency services. However, the reason for the issues around the Green lights and the possibility of them appearing to be flashing is that a flashing Green light is used by Doctors travelling to emergency situations. Hope that helps clarify.
Went to Alderney and every other car had a green magnetic light on it. We asked taxi driver why? He said voluntary emergency service, they can park anywhere they like.
At each light the high vis fella should've simply stated the law and what is not permitted... not what he "prefers". And at the same time, the MOT tester should state what would fail an mot. ... That way, if we're pulled over, we know where we stand.
Brilliant video wish there was more officers like this just a quick on you spoke about tinting headlight is it OK to have yellow head lights if it dosnt effect the beam
Not all. Just depends how the LED's are driven, if used with resistors to limit current, then no. If a proper high efficiency driver, then yes, they flash...so fast your eye just sees a constant colour.
Colours are defined by wavelength, there is no grey area.. Just stick to what is the true colour, not what different genders or police think it may be.. In court, pink will never be red, blue will never be green or so on.. Stick to your guns if you are correct, don’t have nonsense magistrates with biased opinions decide, take it further.. Otherwise, you’re being ruled by conjecture, not law..
@@alexandersimpson3638 "No officer, I didn't have blue flashing lights, I have 680nm flashing lights LOL It's true though, what if you have cyan flashing lights?
@@khalidacosta7133 that’s what a solicitor is for. They are legal or not.. Just make sure they are, what ever the traffic officer thinks they look like makes no difference.. They may not like it, but a colour is defined by its waveform, it’s defined by reality not what a uniformed revenue collector would like it to be..
I worked in traffic lights and had to go test at the BSI. Our green leds were actually blue green in colour. We had to buy to a certain wave length. They started out expensive like 45p per led. But over a few years they dropped to 10p and less each.
I was told that you can fit LED bulbs in a halogen headlight as long as they are LED conversion kit. But I guess this isn’t the case? My car uses H7 bulbs and on Halfords for example, you can buy H7 LED bulbs (even when putting in my reg)
So white underglow on the front, red underglow on the back and orange underglow on the sides. Years ago I used red underglow indirect lights to make the tyres and road red. I'd have thought this would be a good thing.
Hi, love your videos and think that it is a great way to get the public on side and give them a source of information they can trust. There is one point that was confusing. You said no red to the front, that bit is clear. But then you said only white or Amber to the front. But then added you can have static blue or green. My understanding was under the Road vehicle lighting regulations 1989 that any optional lights fitted to the front would likely be deemed optional position lamps or headlights and therefore have to meet specific colour requirements, being white or if in a headlamp capable of displaying only yellow, then yellow. This would mean that although blue and green are not defined as a prohibited light colour like red, they are not permitted under the regulations either. The RVLR also states that a vehicle cannot be fitted with a blue light that resembles a warning beacon whether in working order or not, which is something people should take into account when fitting the lights even for show purposes. Obviously most officers would deal with the matter in context of the situation. (A warning beacon would also be not less than 1200mm from the floor so probably not relevant for most optional lamps fitted to cars.)
With regards to amber strobe lights, my van came with them when I brought it and I’ve never had any issues with them with regards to the police or mot or anything. There’s a switch in the cab but I’ve never used them and they’ll be a pain to unwire I imagine.
I have a question. It sounds like it's mandatory for all cars to fitted with rear reflectors, fog lamps, and reverseing lamps. From my understanding, it's not mandatory for cars to have reversing lamps, but if they are fitted, they have to work. The same goes for reflectors and fog lamps, but all cars made after 1987 it's mandatory for them to be fitted. So, in other words, if the car wasn't fitted with it as standard, it not needed to have it.
Correct a car only has to be equipped with what was a legal requirement at the time it was first build/registered. If something has been retrofitted it must work for the MOT, but it can be removed and it is fine.
So if my car is factory fitted with halogen bulbs I can’t put LED bulbs in the car? Because at night where I live there’s a lot of back roads and I find it hard to see with halogen bulbs I’d much prefer the bright led lights they are much more clear and help a lot more
I'm putting hid in my 30 year old car anyway as I can barely see the bulbs are like candles. New car lights are bright as the sun so I'm joining everyone else!!!
AFAIK the intensity of the headlight is not governed by the output illumination on standard halogen/incandescent lights, its governed by wattage so that you can fit 60/55W headlamps that give twice the standard lumen output for the same wattage.
Can i put a big decal saying POLICE on the doors and bonnet, with Blue flashing LEDS on the grill,also a STOP led cluster on the boot,or is this gonna be a problem?
So if I can't change halogen bulbs to led and I can't tint them how come my 2014 Kuga with aftermarket led bulbs and tinted headlights just passed not no problems?
I remember the whole town being lit up once by someone who must have been using carbon arc spot lights… 😂😂, but srsly, that set of spots were DAMNED bright, even by today’s standards
MOT testing on ALL obligatory lights is 50% or more of light sources in a lamp must work or it's a fail. EG a rear position light in a mondeo has 3 bulbs so 2 of them must be out to be a fail. On the high level stop, if the presenter informs the tester it's been disconnected, then it's a pass & advice
todays craze seems to be fitting amber colour bulbs for DRLs very dangerous not everyone can see a mile along the road they look like a non flashing indicator on some cars
There is no law enforcement anymore. Use whatever lights you want, drive in the wrong lanes, go as fast as you want. That’s why people have no respect for the law!
Oh and when it comes to the third brake light, the light on my previous car stopped working, but thanks to having a new rear window fitted slightly too high and the factory fitted spoiler, the garage couldn’t change it. It wasn’t an MOT fail, they passed the car and listed the non-working third break light as an advisory rather than an out right MOT failure.
You forgot the BMW and VW front indicator being on and used as marker lights thing, Now you may see big BMWs or discoverys with them but to shine to the side but thats due to length from the rear to the front, a disco2 with the wheel on the rear door and extended rear bumper and step just goes over the length so requires side markers set distance from the rear just where the side of the front indicators are and they are type rated not just coded into the BCM.
I've left more confused than when I arrived. He initially said you can use blue lights as long as they are not flashing (12:45), either on the front of the vehicle or as underglow, but then said at 14:45 that the "legislation says you cant have blue". So which one is it?
I think he meant blue flashing, he talked about that a lot, even correcting the other guy when he said you can't have blue to stress it's flashing blue you can't have
So car people are not aloud while driving neons or underglow because of how some people interpret a colour but I see lorry drivers on a daily basis with big neon signs in there truck all sorts of colours and I can see the bulbs how come they are aloud to have them they are still driving on British roads
It would seem that if the lights are inside the cab it's okay although a police officer might have a 'friendly' word. If they're on the outside, that's a definte no-go!
What about the f1 led lights I’ve been seeing, what I’ve heard is that as long as they don’t strobe or flash and that they work in tandem with the brake lights, then they are legal, is this true?
@@drivewasher Not working = fail: www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-private-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles/4-lamps-reflectors-and-electrical-equipment#section-4-6-1
lets assume i've broken down on the side of the road, i put my hazzard warning lights on, can i take from this video that if i had an orange beacon, this could not used to help warn other vehicles of a hazzard along with the vehicles hazzard warning lights..?
Very good point .If at night ,i can't see why anyone would have a problem with it if you are broken down ..But hopefully george will get you an offical answer ..Probably they could be talking about driving with an orange beacon on the vehicle as unless you are in the trade why would you need one attached to the vehicle ..
Having listened again, if you’re not a vehicle on the list, “or acting as one” or there abouts. Personally I carry fold-flat cones and amber megaflares for my own breakdown/rtc, or safety at a breakdown/rtc, but when stopping to assist, I also use a mag-mount roof beacon and stop at an obvious angle, so it’s more noticeable I’m stopped. Basic “Emergency Traffic Measures / Traffic Incident Management / Road Incident Management” class 3 yellow Hi Viz is also a good shout, and a Hi Viz hat.
No the thing with the flashing lights is because usually they mean the following, Orange beacons road work vehicles and recovery vehicles, red and blue emergency services and green emergency on call doctor. If you have an orange beacon on when you are broke down it will just confuse people thinking you are responding to your own breakdown lol. You are better off doing what Paul Collyer says and get extra visibility items in case you breakdown such as the fold flat cones. Just remember stopping distances when you put them out so you can put them far enough away from your car to avoid further problems.
@Malcy34 I'd also be interested in this as I bought a breakdown kit that came with 3 magnetic LED "flares" which to me means extra visibilty, exspecially at night.
in brazil we can't change anything. everything needs to be original, but if you pay the expensive fees to change in the doc of the car and a check by the regulamentory part you can do some things lol
Retrofitted HID lights are far worse than any new cars lights even on dip it’s like they are on full beam. I find more issue with the amount of older cars with lights that are aimed wrong pointing towards the other carriageway instead of off to the left as they should be.
@@andyhunt457 the issue really is people people fitting them in the first place. As stated in the video and on the government website, it’s illegal to change halogen bulbs to HID bulbs because you will dazzle everyone else on the road, no matter how they are aimed. If you want to change to HID you have to fit proper Xenon headlight units.
@@Mac_F87 well not really as alot of upgrades in halogen are going to off road halogen,100watts that are cheap to buy but give great light output.You can't just put HID bulbs in without an install kit which invariably is poor quality..We have bizarre laws on bulbs for cars that prevents use of things like LED bulb upgrades from halogen,European neighbours are allowed and therefore have access to better technology
@@Mac_F87 I drive new cars with these auto full beam affairs and to be fair they don't work properly at all far to slow to react,full beam right into oncoming traffic.People are forever flashing me as I have the full beam on even though it's not my doing.Add to that the height difference in all these 4x4,crossovers and it just exacerbate the problem
I wish you had mentioned that fitting led headlights in a non led fitting blinds everyone on the road as the beam pattern is completely altered,yet there now appears to be 1000's of cars in this condition 🤬🤬🤬
The legislation in Europe should allow certain types of light upgrade like LED headlights as long as it has a good beam pattern and is brighter than the old halogen. Driving with brighter headlights is much safer than a dimmer headlight in the car. The accidents caused by not bright enough headlight is more often than caused by being blinded by other cars. Projector headlight has 0 risk with any upgrade to LED as long as the LED is decent quality.
Fantastic video lots of good advice for us all. just a quick question i would like to add, can I fit LED indicator bulbs to my vehicle that are brighter than normal?
I know you have to inform your insurance company of any different bulbs fitted because it's classed as a modification (comes under 'driving lights' I believe). Extra insurance cost of as much as £90 just for changing stop/tail bulbs to LEDs
So you can have an indirect white light for a number plate light on the rear (which when upgraded to led usually shine on road) but can’t have indirect underglow in white at the rear doing the same thing doesn’t make sense
The focal length is different so your parabolic reflector throws a wrong shape beam when used with the wrong light source, it's only ever going to work properly with a filament bulb. If you want your own supernovas you need to change the whole fitting.
@@Dave-bu6bc I don’t see the issue thouth, I’ve got them currently in my car and it allows me to see further, it’s not effecting anyone as I have a small low car but these cunts in ranger rovers are genuenly dangerous, I nearly hit one head on the other day because I was being blinded by their lights
Problem today is most stuff is self certified declaring it meets the std.. At one time everything would be BSI tested and approved. Anything seems to go these days.
These videos are brilliant. Good to see that people are working with the Police. Fed up of seeing these so called ‘Auditors’ causing issues with Police on TH-cam. Keep up the good work both off you
if coulours like blue is not illegal then it should be fine, this is a video about what is legal or not and just because someone is colur blind doesnt mean i am doing something illegal.
What is the law regarding the interior lights... can you travel at night with them on? Front&Rear or just rear? Also is it also illegal to change the interior light colour?
Can we change the laws and legislations to ban numberplates that try and spell Boss.
I agree. Personally I like plates that represent the car not the driver. Like cl55 fst for a focus st for example or ck60 gtr for a gtr. I. Don't see the point in a license plate that barely represents the word or name you're trying to spell where only a select few of your mates even get it.
@@theCinator Not if it’s followed by bitch lol 😂
I think all 'private' plates make you look a bit of a tool.
@@R33Racer I agree, Instead of paying what could be thousands for a private plate just change your name by deed pole to whatever your reg is ...£18...Job done.
@@paultaylor319 Brilliant.
I co-run a car group, I love content like this because it makes it easier to make sure the me and my mates don't cause the wrong kind of attention at our meets and others.
We are currently in the mix of trying to modify certain member cars, and this video was shared by me, into our group chat as an example. So thank you
Group still running? I need some help with fk8 mods
@@MP-ky5rz Nah unfortuneatly we have disbanded last year.
I just learned a new word. Interpretate.
And interpretating, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SSTTTTTTTTTTTOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPP
😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
'peace' or 'piece'
I got pulled tonight about my lights and was told to watch this video and Sarge you proved me right in the argument. I can have amber on the front. I wish all coppers were like you I would have respect.
I get pulled for my registration number being to similar to a back BMW on a 17 plate 😆 on the regular. It's only what 2001 silver golf
I have a 20-year-old motorcycle with 20-year-old lighting, rear lights are fine but the front headlight from factory is abysmal, fitted a 50% brighter h4 bulb which helps, but I've also fitted an independently switched 7 inch 30watt led light bar beneath the headlight and dipped it in-line with the dipped beam headlight and boy has it made a difference. Other road users can actually see me now. Some lighting upgrades will help protect your life !!
And yes, it's passes the mot, so no issues with it 👍
Bright lights and loud pipes save lives 💪
Yep agree. Why do we have sirens on emergency vehicles? So it draws attention to them and you can then get out of the way. Same with bikes, if I hear an exhaust I check my mirrors to she where they are.
I have the same issue,24 year old zr7,main beam is fine dip is like a bloody candle! Makes it really difficult to see when conditions are good,throw in a misty or rain soaked visor and new led/laser headlamps and I can't see much at all. It came with an aftermarket led headlamp that was crap to say the least. Sourced a genuine Kawasaki headlamp for my model and ended up with the terrible lighting I have now. For my safety and that if others I'm going to upgrade my headlight to a modern one from a newer Kawasaki,unsure what yet as I need to do research to find the best. Failing that it'll be a pair of led spot lamps mounted low down and pointing to where I need to see. Out of courtesy I dip my lights but sometimes I question wether,for my ability to see,I leave em up! Ride safe and be seen and heard,loud enough for deaf people to feel the noise! Dreamland again!!
I just was looking on internet info about underglow. Thanks. You just save my time
Love this content! Just wish all officers were as understanding as this, have seen people getting tickets while stationary, engine off as the car was displaying something against the construction and use If it was on the road, such as red underglow at the front, or flashing blue and red lights.
The use of discretion is down to the individual officer and the drivers attitude also has alot to do with the outcome.
@@bighaith I've just retired from the Job. I spent 15 years on Traffic in my career and been trained as a Prohibition Officer. I used to like the meets because I'm a petrol head myself. When being deployed to a meet (forcefully) I used to say to the sprogs I worked with that you'll never find any issues with the cars because it's the be all & end all of enthusiasts ; nothing wrong with the car, ergo no defects. I'm going back about 15-20 years now but the girls from 'Max Power' will always be in my head. I loved walking around and taking my white cap off and get to know the mod's they were doing. There are nice Coppers out there mate but few & far between
If parked on the public highway surely its still an offence whether moving or not.. but on private property not anything to do with the police
If the vehicle is on the public road or public land then yes you will! Doesn't matter if your moving or not.
I always thought having underglow using white for front amber for sides and red for rear would be a benefit for road use to increase visibility & this safety (other colours for shows if you like)
There are clearly laid out regulations on the positioning and particularly minimum/ maximum height for all lights.
I remember about 20yrs ago, getting pulled for red illuminated washer jets 😂
Must of had nothing better todo
I've had blue illuminated washer jets and been pulled
Had a print out of the legislation, saying they weren't flashing
Just at that point a HGV with green, blue and orange lights all over the front passed by and they let me go, couldn't do anything anyway
@@jjmmjj9999 Mate, it was the usual thing then, "If you can't see over it, don't stop it"
Remember getting mine from a car mag 😂😂
Beats me how some cars get their lights type approved, particularly Audi LED indicators, which are close to invisible if the brake lights are on.
The ST is the pre-facelift version of the Mk2, so even the Un-modified lights only had half the cluster as opposed to the RS’s full length red lights, as the RS is a face lifted version of the Mk2 Focus.
Yep
Yes the facelift ST225 and Titanium models with the city pack have the same led rear and HID headlamps as the RS
I've had under car leds on whilst driving, always kept on solid colour and not flashing, never had issue with police. So long as as its used sensibly.
Enjoyed this video. I think LED stop lights are safer as they come on a fraction quicker than standard bulbs. I think there's an issue with the amount of cars driving around with illegal number plates. Wrongly spaced or sized letters and numbers which could cause confusion by an older person.
They are but the most are badly built Chinese tat that will start flashing, they may not light at all or rapidly have LEDs die. If its a well engineered bulb it would be an improvement
He didn't say that LEDs can't be used. He said that they can't be used in lights that are not type approved for LEDs. The issue here is effect on light performance. The type approval regulations for lights will specify both the brightness and the angles that the light should be visible. This is achieved by the design of the reflector and lens based on the bulb it was designed for. An LED replacement bulb may throw all of this out meaning that the light no longer meets the regulation.
You could ask if the average police officer or MOT station has the ability to check this. After all they're not going to start pulling apart the light and checking the bulbs used against the type approval or sending them off to a lab for testing, all they are going to do is look at the light and make a judgement if they seem to be OK.
A bigger problem with number plates is the (illegal) fashion for hiding the front one on the dashboard instead of keeping them where they should be - on the front of the car 🤷♂️ .....and then there's the tinted plates; what's the point of those!???
From what I got with this, green and blue neons is ok as long as they're not flashing.
No, because if you can see your underglows from the rear and they're any other colour then red then you fall foul of displaying a colour other then red to the rear. You can have static green or blue lights to the front of your vehicle. So I guess you could have static green or blue neons to the front. But not on the sides or the back. Because if they were on the sides of the vehicle you'd see them to the back. You're pretty much limited to static events.
@@zulut1876 not quite true. As was mentioned with the registration lamps, because the physical light source isn’t visible, it’s not classed as showing that colour to the rear, hence why the bright LED plate lamps tbat shine white on the floor are legal. It’s not classed as showing a white light to the rear, as the physical light source isn’t visible, it’s just the reflection.
You can have underglow on, any colour as long as it’s not flashing, it’s just on a solid colour and the physical light source isn’t visible, just the reflection of the light on the ground
@@KylesCarsYT good points, gettin neons on my car next week, bit nervous but want to drive with them on
@@KylesCarsYT I have a challenger put I don’t like the yellow/orange halo lights, can I install leds on it and drive with them? I’m in texas
just go with purple
Will the MOT test the capability of the driver to know how to use an indicator (audi) and the fact if you do actually indicate its not a god given right to move in that direction instantly in front of traffic.
Here in Doncaster, it seems nobody uses their indicator.
I lived in four European countries ... I probably drove most of the car and I can definitely say that the UK is the most tolerant police I have ever dealt with!!! Most of the countries you can forget about any tinted lights! About neons under the car even don't think!! Gentlemen, I think you have to appreciate it more, instead of cursing at the sight of the police. Good job mate 👍 Thank you to the police officer for your time and thorough explanation! Safe journeys 4all👍👍 ( don't drink and drive)
I am not sure your comment about the tolerant police applies to the whole UK. The Devon and Cornwall police are the best I have ever met. I am from Hertfordshire but worked in Honiton for 10 years.
Spot on video. Very informative and helpful. I’m assuming interior lights doesn’t matter as you shouldn’t have them on while driving anyway then
I don't understand how some modern cars, like some versions of the Mini get through type approval. Who thought it was a good idea to have the front indicators in the headlights. I nearly had an accident when a mini turned across me on a mini roundabout at night. He was indicating but it was almost invisible with the headlights on.
I know what you mean, pig at roundabouts. Some even newer cars now turn headlight off while indicating.
Love these videos, and very interesting to know that I can use neon light on the road as long as they are not flashing and only certain colours
The biggest problem, in my opinion, is badly adjusted lights which is amplified by high performance led lights.
Even bicycle high powered lights are a hazard to oncoming traffic of any kind.
It is interesting to note that upper priced cars etc with bright led lights are self adjusting which takes out bad human factor adjusting / setting up the lamps.
The problem with some LED conversions is that the illuminated area of the LED lamp "bulb" is much larger than the tungsten filament of the original bulb. This makes it impossible for the reflector and lens to focus the light into the correct dipped beam pattern with a sharply cut-off top to the beam, so not enough light shines on the road and too much shines into the eyes of people coming the other way.
@@cedriclynch just a pity that no one wants to legislate to make these lamps safer
@@JohnSmith-bx8zb The legislation is there; since the 1970s it has been illegal to have a lamp or bulb that is one of the obligatory lamps of a vehicle and that is not "E-approved". I doubt that the police would ever check this if the lighting performance is satisfactory, but now they often do not check even if the performance of the lamp is manifestly unsatisfactory.
The lights on new cars should be illegal. The amount of times I've had near misses at night due to being blinded by these lights
@Jeff Pugh sadly most are not fitted in self adjusting lights
At least this police officer was understanding and stated the rules and not with typical arrogance some do. Fair play to this chap
Nice vid but have you seen some rear clusters on new cars? They cannot be type approved. A bit of sun and you cannot see the indicators, or differentiate between rear lights and brake lights.
I agree, indicators too close to headlights is a particular problem.
A rear fog light is only mandatory/obligatory on vehicles built after 1979,same with repeaters.
so, if i wanted my underglow purple, i could have my purple underglow turned on while im driving around?
The high-level third brake light will indeed fail an MoT if there is insufficient light but if it doesn't work at all it is not tested and so will not fail the test, therefore, having it fitted does not mean it has to work. The MoT inspector has to assume it has been disconnected or switched off.
High level brake light if fitted, must work,
@@melvinplant8637 Nope, it does not have to work as it may be disconnected or switched off meaning the MoT tester cannot check the light output. Unlike the two mandatory brake lights the high-level third brake light does not have to be fitted but, if it is fitted then it has to have sufficient light output. In other words, if say it has 9 LED bulbs and only 4 illuminate then it will fail the test. Anything over around 50% will be okay but only the MoT tester can confirm that as they will probably use a light meter.
@@mda5003 easiest way if its not working put tape over it, can't fail my megane passed third light was knackered put black tape over it passed
Way Back In The 90s I Got Pulled In Mk4 Escort RS For Some Blue Globe Caps From Motorworld. You Put Then Over Halogen Bulbs To Give A White Look, You Could Get Ones To Give A Rainbow 🌈 Effect Too, Got Told To Take Them Out There And Then At The Side Of The Road. And They Were Bleeding Hot!!🔥
I once had an electrical fualt. I tracked it down to a loose connection on the main/dip relay. When driving it made the lights flash between main and dip at about the same frequency as the flashing light beacons. Peope were very quick to move out of my way on that journey.
modern factory fitted led lights suffer from prism effect anyway especially when the self leveling is trying to adjust the aim over bumps.
self dipping lights are a bad idea too, it encourages drivers to leave main beam on permanently with no failsafe if the system develops a fault
I’m so glad that the police know how to prioritise keeping the public safe. Good job we don’t have any vulnerable member of the public go missing, as the police intimate knowledge of vehicle type approval will be so useful to finding them.
It maybe obvious to many, that Blue lights are used by the emergency services.
However, the reason for the issues around the Green lights and the possibility of them appearing to be flashing is that a flashing Green light is used by Doctors travelling to emergency situations.
Hope that helps clarify.
Flashing green lights now on diggers to say seatbelt is on. How does that work?????
Went to Alderney and every other car had a green magnetic light on it. We asked taxi driver why? He said voluntary emergency service, they can park anywhere they like.
At each light the high vis fella should've simply stated the law and what is not permitted... not what he "prefers".
And at the same time, the MOT tester should state what would fail an mot.
... That way, if we're pulled over, we know where we stand.
So technically you can drive with white underglow/ neon on the front and sides?
Regulations can never cover ingenuity / loopholes ..Do you work in F1 lol
However if you put a magnetic Taxi sign on the roof of your car all of these lighting rules no longer apply to you ...
Seat belts don't either.
Brilliant video wish there was more officers like this just a quick on you spoke about tinting headlight is it OK to have yellow head lights if it dosnt effect the beam
No, white or Amber to the front only.
Can we get an update on this for motorbikes?
Sure all the rules are the same.
All LED’s flash, that’s how they work.
Not all. Just depends how the LED's are driven, if used with resistors to limit current, then no. If a proper high efficiency driver, then yes, they flash...so fast your eye just sees a constant colour.
Colours are defined by wavelength, there is no grey area.. Just stick to what is the true colour, not what different genders or police think it may be.. In court, pink will never be red, blue will never be green or so on.. Stick to your guns if you are correct, don’t have nonsense magistrates with biased opinions decide, take it further.. Otherwise, you’re being ruled by conjecture, not law..
@@alexandersimpson3638 "No officer, I didn't have blue flashing lights, I have 680nm flashing lights LOL It's true though, what if you have cyan flashing lights?
@@khalidacosta7133 that’s what a solicitor is for. They are legal or not.. Just make sure they are, what ever the traffic officer thinks they look like makes no difference.. They may not like it, but a colour is defined by its waveform, it’s defined by reality not what a uniformed revenue collector would like it to be..
I worked in traffic lights and had to go test at the BSI. Our green leds were actually blue green in colour. We had to buy to a certain wave length. They started out expensive like 45p per led. But over a few years they dropped to 10p and less each.
I was told that you can fit LED bulbs in a halogen headlight as long as they are LED conversion kit. But I guess this isn’t the case? My car uses H7 bulbs and on Halfords for example, you can buy H7 LED bulbs (even when putting in my reg)
So white underglow on the front, red underglow on the back and orange underglow on the sides. Years ago I used red underglow indirect lights to make the tyres and road red. I'd have thought this would be a good thing.
Hi, love your videos and think that it is a great way to get the public on side and give them a source of information they can trust.
There is one point that was confusing.
You said no red to the front, that bit is clear. But then you said only white or Amber to the front. But then added you can have static blue or green.
My understanding was under the Road vehicle lighting regulations 1989 that any optional lights fitted to the front would likely be deemed optional position lamps or headlights and therefore have to meet specific colour requirements, being white or if in a headlamp capable of displaying only yellow, then yellow.
This would mean that although blue and green are not defined as a prohibited light colour like red, they are not permitted under the regulations either.
The RVLR also states that a vehicle cannot be fitted with a blue light that resembles a warning beacon whether in working order or not, which is something people should take into account when fitting the lights even for show purposes. Obviously most officers would deal with the matter in context of the situation. (A warning beacon would also be not less than 1200mm from the floor so probably not relevant for most optional lamps fitted to cars.)
With regards to amber strobe lights, my van came with them when I brought it and I’ve never had any issues with them with regards to the police or mot or anything. There’s a switch in the cab but I’ve never used them and they’ll be a pain to unwire I imagine.
Thats a commercial vehicle, construction and use regs. A are is a passenger carrying vehicle not a commercial vehicle.
Don’t forget that from September 2009 you have to have a reverse light to which is a obligatory light
I was surprised that reversing lights weren't mentioned as either obligatory or non-obligatory.
Not needed by law my wife’s stopped working took it to an mot the tester said it didn’t matter they don’t need to by law even if they are fitted
reverse lights are optional fitment.
Great Video and was good to meet you at IOW!
I have a question. It sounds like it's mandatory for all cars to fitted with rear reflectors, fog lamps, and reverseing lamps. From my understanding, it's not mandatory for cars to have reversing lamps, but if they are fitted, they have to work. The same goes for reflectors and fog lamps, but all cars made after 1987 it's mandatory for them to be fitted. So, in other words, if the car wasn't fitted with it as standard, it not needed to have it.
Correct a car only has to be equipped with what was a legal requirement at the time it was first build/registered. If something has been retrofitted it must work for the MOT, but it can be removed and it is fine.
So I could have Blue underglow on the car if the lights aren't appearing to be flashing .
So if my car is factory fitted with halogen bulbs I can’t put LED bulbs in the car? Because at night where I live there’s a lot of back roads and I find it hard to see with halogen bulbs I’d much prefer the bright led lights they are much more clear and help a lot more
I'm putting hid in my 30 year old car anyway as I can barely see the bulbs are like candles. New car lights are bright as the sun so I'm joining everyone else!!!
What about using LED bulbs in the sidelights/ DRLs?
Legal, as long as they are white. There's nothing in the MOT about side lights.
Their legal for LED sidelights. As long it’s yellow or white
Thank-you Mr.Policeman
you said its not ok to replace the bulbs with leds in the original housing would that make it ok if you got a housing designed for leds?
AFAIK the intensity of the headlight is not governed by the output illumination on standard halogen/incandescent lights, its governed by wattage so that you can fit 60/55W headlamps that give twice the standard lumen output for the same wattage.
Can i put a big decal saying POLICE on the doors and bonnet, with Blue flashing LEDS on the grill,also a STOP led cluster on the boot,or is this gonna be a problem?
don’t that’s a problem
It's fine as long as your in a police vehical and carry a warrant card!
Great advice, and well presented, thanks.
So if I can't change halogen bulbs to led and I can't tint them how come my 2014 Kuga with aftermarket led bulbs and tinted headlights just passed not no problems?
Owen do you remember the good,old days when we just put 100 watt bulbs in the headlights and spot lights on the front.
I remember the whole town being lit up once by someone who must have been using carbon arc spot lights… 😂😂, but srsly, that set of spots were DAMNED bright, even by today’s standards
MOT testing on ALL obligatory lights is 50% or more of light sources in a lamp must work or it's a fail. EG a rear position light in a mondeo has 3 bulbs so 2 of them must be out to be a fail. On the high level stop, if the presenter informs the tester it's been disconnected, then it's a pass & advice
todays craze seems to be fitting amber colour bulbs for DRLs very dangerous not everyone can see a mile along the road they look like a non flashing indicator on some cars
There is no law enforcement anymore. Use whatever lights you want, drive in the wrong lanes, go as fast as you want. That’s why people have no respect for the law!
Oh and when it comes to the third brake light, the light on my previous car stopped working, but thanks to having a new rear window fitted slightly too high and the factory fitted spoiler, the garage couldn’t change it. It wasn’t an MOT fail, they passed the car and listed the non-working third break light as an advisory rather than an out right MOT failure.
I was led to believe two of three was ok.
@@flybobbie1449 two out of three ain't bad!
The MOT Tester Manual sometimes gets into conflict with the category of defects manual (VOSA) or now VDSA
You forgot the BMW and VW front indicator being on and used as marker lights thing, Now you may see big BMWs or discoverys with them but to shine to the side but thats due to length from the rear to the front, a disco2 with the wheel on the rear door and extended rear bumper and step just goes over the length so requires side markers set distance from the rear just where the side of the front indicators are and they are type rated not just coded into the BCM.
I've left more confused than when I arrived. He initially said you can use blue lights as long as they are not flashing (12:45), either on the front of the vehicle or as underglow, but then said at 14:45 that the "legislation says you cant have blue".
So which one is it?
I think he meant blue flashing, he talked about that a lot, even correcting the other guy when he said you can't have blue to stress it's flashing blue you can't have
I dont really understand why I cant upgrade my low beam and headlights to led because if anything you will be able to see more what bad is it doing?
So car people are not aloud while driving neons or underglow because of how some people interpret a colour but I see lorry drivers on a daily basis with big neon signs in there truck all sorts of colours and I can see the bulbs how come they are aloud to have them they are still driving on British roads
Yea 100% I see a fuck load of truckers with big blue lights even on the outside of their trucks
It would seem that if the lights are inside the cab it's okay although a police officer might have a 'friendly' word. If they're on the outside, that's a definte no-go!
@@pyrexjdm8433 Good, valid point. It would be very interesting to hear what that police officer has to say about that!
@@rayjennings3637 inside the cab is OK? if that's true does that mean I can have blue lights or any other colour on show inside my car
Yellow headlights are also legal.
Back when I was a child I had fascinations with lighting on the car I've grown up now
So can I wrap my headlights yellow like the old school euro cars and GT cars use today? They help in bad weather at night
What about the f1 led lights I’ve been seeing, what I’ve heard is that as long as they don’t strobe or flash and that they work in tandem with the brake lights, then they are legal, is this true?
Current MOT rules require a working reversing light on post-2009 vehicles.
it's only an minor RFR
@@drivewasher Not working = fail:
www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-private-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles/4-lamps-reflectors-and-electrical-equipment#section-4-6-1
@@chrispop99 I stand corrected. Note to self. READ the manual lol
Basically aslong as its visible in daytime then tinted lights shouldn't be a problem and hid must be fitted in projector housings only not reflecters
Ok, but I've heard somewhere that mesh tint on lights is legal? Please shed some light on the matter..
Can anyone help me this question ; can we tint rear tail light in the uk as a taxi driver ?
this video is good however it does not say if led fog light upgrade or reverse lights or even indicator lights led are legal or illegal
Does the rule about not being allowed flashing front lights include push bikes? I find it annoying when these things are strobing away in my mirror
I don’t understand.. when young I got stopped for having blue sidelight bulbs, now your saying as long as they are not flashing it’s ok ??
What about adding extra driving (spot) lights and LED light bars? E markings and how bright they can be (100w bulbs, HIDs and LEDs etc).
The Focus MK3 is gorgeous!
lets assume i've broken down on the side of the road, i put my hazzard warning lights on, can i take from this video that if i had an orange beacon, this could not used to help warn other vehicles of a hazzard along with the vehicles hazzard warning lights..?
F
Very good point .If at night ,i can't see why anyone would have a problem with it if you are broken down ..But hopefully george will get you an offical answer ..Probably they could be talking about driving with an orange beacon on the vehicle as unless you are in the trade why would you need one attached to the vehicle ..
Having listened again, if you’re not a vehicle on the list, “or acting as one” or there abouts.
Personally I carry fold-flat cones and amber megaflares for my own breakdown/rtc, or safety at a breakdown/rtc, but when stopping to assist, I also use a mag-mount roof beacon and stop at an obvious angle, so it’s more noticeable I’m stopped. Basic “Emergency Traffic Measures / Traffic Incident Management / Road Incident Management” class 3 yellow Hi Viz is also a good shout, and a Hi Viz hat.
No the thing with the flashing lights is because usually they mean the following, Orange beacons road work vehicles and recovery vehicles, red and blue emergency services and green emergency on call doctor.
If you have an orange beacon on when you are broke down it will just confuse people thinking you are responding to your own breakdown lol. You are better off doing what Paul Collyer says and get extra visibility items in case you breakdown such as the fold flat cones. Just remember stopping distances when you put them out so you can put them far enough away from your car to avoid further problems.
@Malcy34 I'd also be interested in this as I bought a breakdown kit that came with 3 magnetic LED "flares" which to me means extra visibilty, exspecially at night.
in brazil we can't change anything. everything needs to be original, but if you pay the expensive fees to change in the doc of the car and a check by the regulamentory part you can do some things lol
OK so no LED or HID in halogen head lamp, but can I replace DRL halogen bulbs with LED?
So, I could do solid blue all round as long as it doesn’t flash? Or you can do white at the front and sides, but not the back.
What is the legislation on interior lighting when on the road
What about number plates 4d thanks
They need to stop worrying about mods and concentrate on all these brand new cars that have blinding lights as bloody standard
Retrofitted HID lights are far worse than any new cars lights even on dip it’s like they are on full beam. I find more issue with the amount of older cars with lights that are aimed wrong pointing towards the other carriageway instead of off to the left as they should be.
@@Mac_F87 Well alot of that is just down to poor fitting.Most folk just change the bulbs/lamps and don't recheck the aim as your suppose to do.
@@andyhunt457 the issue really is people people fitting them in the first place. As stated in the video and on the government website, it’s illegal to change halogen bulbs to HID bulbs because you will dazzle everyone else on the road, no matter how they are aimed. If you want to change to HID you have to fit proper Xenon headlight units.
@@Mac_F87 well not really as alot of upgrades in halogen are going to off road halogen,100watts that are cheap to buy but give great light output.You can't just put HID bulbs in without an install kit which invariably is poor quality..We have bizarre laws on bulbs for cars that prevents use of things like LED bulb upgrades from halogen,European neighbours are allowed and therefore have access to better technology
@@Mac_F87 I drive new cars with these auto full beam affairs and to be fair they don't work properly at all far to slow to react,full beam right into oncoming traffic.People are forever flashing me as I have the full beam on even though it's not my doing.Add to that the height difference in all these 4x4,crossovers and it just exacerbate the problem
I wish you had mentioned that fitting led headlights in a non led fitting blinds everyone on the road as the beam pattern is completely altered,yet there now appears to be 1000's of cars in this condition 🤬🤬🤬
Don't forget the HID's too....
He did.
2:55
'if your headlight is not designed to have a HID or an LED bulb you can't have them'
Try watching the video first before commenting
What about Headlights such as Vlands that have DRL but no parking light/sidelights are these a MOT failure
So if any flashing light is not allowed on the vehicle, why are cycle lights sold with a flashing setting.
The legislation in Europe should allow certain types of light upgrade like LED headlights as long as it has a good beam pattern and is brighter than the old halogen. Driving with brighter headlights is much safer than a dimmer headlight in the car. The accidents caused by not bright enough headlight is more often than caused by being blinded by other cars. Projector headlight has 0 risk with any upgrade to LED as long as the LED is decent quality.
Fantastic video lots of good advice for us all. just a quick question i would like to add, can I fit LED indicator bulbs to my vehicle that are brighter than normal?
I know you have to inform your insurance company of any different bulbs fitted because it's classed as a modification (comes under 'driving lights' I believe). Extra insurance cost of as much as £90 just for changing stop/tail bulbs to LEDs
Is it ok to have amber running lights at the front. For example having indicators always on as running lights?
So you can have an indirect white light for a number plate light on the rear (which when upgraded to led usually shine on road) but can’t have indirect underglow in white at the rear doing the same thing doesn’t make sense
The problem with MOT'S is mates being a tester and passing everything. Plenty of people do exactly that.
So you can have blue but it can’t be flashing? My car is white and blue and I want under glow
What's the law on interior lights on when driving
so why cant i put a hid/led bulb in when a range rover can drive around with 2 fallen suns at my eye height blinding me driving towards them is legal?
Any modern lights are like a fkin supernova. And cars keep getting taller so the lights go straight through your windscreen.
The focal length is different so your parabolic reflector throws a wrong shape beam when used with the wrong light source, it's only ever going to work properly with a filament bulb. If you want your own supernovas you need to change the whole fitting.
@@Dave-bu6bc I don’t see the issue thouth, I’ve got them currently in my car and it allows me to see further, it’s not effecting anyone as I have a small low car but these cunts in ranger rovers are genuenly dangerous, I nearly hit one head on the other day because I was being blinded by their lights
Problem today is most stuff is self certified declaring it meets the std.. At one time everything would be BSI tested and approved. Anything seems to go these days.
These videos are brilliant. Good to see that people are working with the Police. Fed up of seeing these so called ‘Auditors’ causing issues with Police on TH-cam. Keep up the good work both off you
Those idiots are just doing it to provoke a reaction basically.
if coulours like blue is not illegal then it should be fine, this is a video about what is legal or not and just because someone is colur blind doesnt mean i am doing something illegal.
some cars like the MGTF have useless headlights if you fit halogen, is it illegal to not be able to see?
What is the law regarding the interior lights... can you travel at night with them on? Front&Rear or just rear?
Also is it also illegal to change the interior light colour?
I won't donthe front red, but just the side skirts and rear as red stationary not flashing