Thread: Defect Notice for Roof Rack Lights

From New South Wales GovernmentNSW legislation

NSW Legislation


88 External cabin lights(cf ALVSR 2015 r 88; 2007 reg Sch 2 cl 101)

(1) A motor vehicle fitted with front clearance lights may also have additional forward-facing lights on or above the roof of its cabin.

(2) The additional forward-facing lights must be spaced evenly between the front clearance lights, with their centres at least 120 millimetres apart.

(3) When on, an additional forward-facing light must:

(a) show a yellow or white light, and

(b) not use over 7 watts power.

Originally Posted by garrycol

That is referring to clearance lights not light bars or driving lights.

And they must be red.

84 Performance of tail lights(cf ALVSR 2015 r 84; 2007 reg Sch 2 cl 97)


(1) When on, a tail light of a vehicle must:

(a) show a red light visible 200 metres from the rear of the vehicle, and


(b) not use over 7 watts power.

(2) A tail light fitted to a street rod vehicle may incorporate a blue lens not over 20 millimetres in diameter.

Yes. Being facetious.

Please read the rules.

It is interesting that it mentions all manner of lights but driving lights.
Could a driving light be considered a head light under these rules?
Full Text:

Division 3 Headlights


73 Headlights to be fitted to vehicles(cf ALVSR 2015 r 73; 2007 reg Sch 2 cl 86)


(1) A motor vehicle must be fitted with:

(a) 1 low-beam headlight if it is a moped, motor bike, or motor trike with 1 front wheel, or


(b) a pair of low-beam headlights if it has 4 or more wheels or is a motor trike, except a moped, with 2 front wheels.

(2) If a motor vehicle built after 1934 can travel at over 60 kilometres an hour:

(a) each low-beam headlight mentioned in subrule (1) must be able to work in the high-beam position, or


(b) the vehicle must be fitted with:

(i) 1 headlight that can work in the high-beam position if the vehicle is required to have 1 low-beam headlight, or


(ii) a pair of headlights that can work in the high-beam position.

(3) A motor bike may be equipped with a headlight modulation system that:

(a) varies the brightness of its high-beam headlight or low-beam headlight, but not both, at a rate of at least 200 and at most 280 flashes a minute, and


(b) is designed to operate only in daylight.

(4) Additional headlights may be fitted to a motor bike or motor trike, or a motor vehicle with 4 or more wheels that was built before 1970.

(5) Additional pairs of headlights may be fitted to a motor vehicle with 4 or more wheels that was built after 1969.

(6) Despite rule 25B and any requirement of the third edition ADR, an emergency services vehicle may be fitted with headlights or additional headlights that are capable of flashing if:

(a) the headlights flash only when on low beam, and


(b) the headlights are wired to operate in conjunction with any flashing or rotating lights fitted to the vehicle as permitted by rule 114 (4).

(7) In this rule, an emergency services vehicle means any of the following:

(a) a police vehicle,


(b) an ambulance,


(c) a firefighting vehicle,


(d) a Red Cross vehicle used for conveyance of blood for urgent transfusions,


(e) a mines rescue or other rescue vehicle,


(f) another vehicle that is an emergency vehicle within the meaning of the Road Rules 2014.


74 How headlights are to be fitted(cf ALVSR 2015 r 74; 2007 reg Sch 2 cl 87)


(1) The centres of low-beam headlights fitted as a pair on a motor vehicle with 4 or more wheels must be at least 600 millimetres apart.

(2) However, subrule (1) does not apply to a motor vehicle built before 1970 if the centres of its low-beam headlights:

(a) were under 600 millimetres apart when the vehicle was built, and


(b) are not nearer than they were when the vehicle was built.

(3) Each low-beam headlight of a pair on a motor trike (except a moped) with 2 front wheels must not be over 400 millimetres from the nearer side of the vehicle.

(4) The centre of a low-beam headlight fitted to a motor vehicle built after June 1953 must be:

(a) at least 500 millimetres above ground level, and


(b) not over 1.4 metres above ground level.


75 How single headlights are to be fitted(cf ALVSR 2015 r 75; 2007 reg Sch 2 cl 88)


(1) A motor bike or trike with a single headlight fitted must have the light fitted in the centre.

(2) Subrule (1) applies to a motor bike with an attached sidecar as if the sidecar were not attached.


76 NSW rule: how additional headlights are to be fitted(cf 2007 reg Sch 2 cl 89)

If 2 or more additional headlights are fitted to a motor vehicle with 4 or more wheels, the additional headlights must as far as possible be fitted in pairs.


77 Performance of headlights(cf ALVSR 2015 r 77; 2007 reg Sch 2 cl 90)


(1) When on, a headlight, or additional headlight, fitted to a vehicle must:

(a) show only white light, and


(b) project its main beam of light ahead of the vehicle.

(2) Headlights must be fitted to a vehicle so their light does not reflect off the vehicle into the driver’s eyes.


78 Effective range of headlights(cf ALVSR 2015 r 78; 2007 reg Sch 2 cl 91)


(1) This rule applies to a headlight that is on at night.

(2) A low-beam headlight must illuminate the road ahead of the vehicle for at least 25 metres.

(3) A high-beam headlight must illuminate the road ahead of the vehicle for at least 50 metres.

(4) However, a low-beam headlight fitted to a motor vehicle built before 1931, or a moped, need only illuminate the road ahead of the vehicle for 12 metres.


79 Changing headlights from high-beam to low-beam position(cf ALVSR 2015 r 79; 2007 reg Sch 2 cl 92)


(1) A motor vehicle built after 1934 that can travel at over 60 kilometres an hour must be fitted with:

(a) a dipping device enabling the driver in the normal driving position:

(i) to change the headlights from the high-beam position to the low-beam position, or


(ii) simultaneously to switch off a high-beam headlight and switch on a low-beam headlight, and


(b) for a vehicle built after June 1953—a device to indicate to the driver that the headlights are in the high-beam position.

(2) A headlight fitted to a vehicle not fitted with a dipping device mentioned in subrule (1) (a) must operate in the low-beam position.

(3) When a headlight fitted to a vehicle is switched to the low-beam position, any other headlight on the vehicle must operate only in the low-beam position or be off.

(4) In this rule:
alternative headlight means a light which is lighted in the place of a headlight by a dipping device.

dipping device means a device by which the driver of a motor vehicle, while retaining his or her normal driving position:

(a) can cause the main beam of light projected by each of the headlights of a motor vehicle which has 2 headlights or by the headlight of a motor vehicle which has one headlight to be dipped, or


(b) can extinguish each of the headlights of a motor vehicle which has 2 headlights or the headlight of a motor vehicle which has one headlight, and simultaneously light 2 alternative headlights or one alternative headlight (as the case may be), or


(c) can extinguish each set of headlights where a motor vehicle has 4 headlights, in sets of 2, and simultaneously light one light in each set.