RWD3M
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As per the Road Vehicles Lighting Requirements 1989. (Apologies for it not copying properly )
SCHEDULE 14requirements relating to optional reversing lamps
1. Number:
Not more than two
2. Position:
No requirement
3. Angles of visibility:
No requirement
4. Alignment:
To the rear
5. Markings–
(a) A motor vehicle first used on or after 1st April 1986 and a trailer manufactured on or after 1st October 1985:
An approval mark
(b) A motor vehicle first used before 1st April 1986 and a trailer manufactured before 1st October 1985:
No requirement
6. Size of illuminated area:
No requirement
7. Colour:
White
8. Wattage–
(a) A reversing lamp bearing an approval mark:
No requirement
(b) A reversing lamp not bearing an approval mark:
The total wattage of any one reversing lamp shall not exceed 24 watts
9. Intensity:
No requirement
10. Electrical connections:
No requirement
11. Tell-tale–
(a) A motor vehicle first used on or after 1st July 1954, provided that the electrical connections are such that the reversing lamp or lamps cannot be illuminated other than automatically by the selection of the reverse gear of the vehicle:
No requirement
(b) Any other motor vehicle first used on or after 1st July 1954:
A circuit-closed tell-tale shall be fitted
(c) A motor vehicle first used before 1st July 1954:
No requirement
(d) Any vehicle which is not a motor vehicle:
No requirement
This is a topic that's been popping up on no end of motoring forums since the advent of LED lamps. Particularly on historic vehicles who's lighting is often left wanting by modern standards.
The regulations as they stand still only give a power requirement but equally, somewhere in those regs there is a reference somewhere that effectively rules out LED lighting! They are in a bl00dy mess and desperately need updating.These regs, I'm sure, are partly to blame for the laser-like headlights that are being fitted on modern cars these days. Somewhere on this forum (hmm.. might have been the Jaguar forum now that I think of it) I recall recently the new Mini being named and shamed!
I'd be tempted, in line with a lot of the good advice above, to fit as bright a set of lamps as you need and call them work lamps.