There is always a lot of grey area when it comes to the legalities of driving lights. As of August 2017 the ADRs have been updated in regards to the use and installation of Driving Lights, Work Lights, DRLs and Fog Lights. For your convenience, we have highlighted the key points that you will need to consider when installing and using any LED Light in our range. To view the full report click here. For rules and regulations in reference to LED headlight upgrades click here.
ADDITIONAL DRIVING LIGHTS
‘Additional driving lights’ (including LED Light Bars), are auxiliary lights that can be fitted to a vehicle. Such lights serve the purpose of providing increased illumination over a long distance ahead, particularly when the vehicle’s headlights are used on high-beam.
Additional driving lights are covered by the Australian Design Rule 13/00 (ADR13). These regulations are now aligned with the alternate international standards, allowing the fitment of one or more (to a maximum of four) additional driving lights. This removes the previous requirement of additional driving lights being fitted in pairs of two or four.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Any additional driving lights fitted to a vehicle must be designed and securely fitted in a way that:
- minimises the likelihood of injury to a person making contact with the vehicle in an unfortunate event of a crash with a pedestrian;
- does not obstruct the driver’s view of the road and traffic to the front or side of the vehicle;
- the light emitted does not cause discomfort to the driver either directly or indirectly through devices for indirect vision and/or other reflecting surfaces of the vehicle; and
- must remain switched off when high beam headlights are not in operation; and
- must automatically switch off when high beam headlights are either turned off or the headlamps are dipped.
- Additional driving lights that have daytime running lights incorporated within the light, please refer to the section within this document titled DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS to ensure fitment is in compliance with ADR 13/00.
USAGE
The use of additional driving lights cannot be used within 200m behind a vehicle that is traveling in the same direction as the driver, as well as within 200m of an oncoming vehicle. These rules are also implemented to the use of high beam headlights.
IMPORTANT: Some additional driving lights project a beam to a greater distance than 200m. When using an additional driving light with greater than 200m beam distance you must consider the projected distance of the light as this can create a substantial safety risk for oncoming drivers who may be impacted by such lights at a greater distance, and adversely affect vehicles traveling in the same direction in front of your vehicle.
FITMENT
Number: Up to a maximum of 4 additional driving lights.
Position: At the front of the vehicle and must only be ‘front facing’ and not higher than the front edge of the bonnet if fitted to a bull bar or nudge bar.
Fitted symmetrically (same position on both sides of the vehicle).
If installing a single additional driving light (i.e. LED light bar) it must be installed horizontally and located symmetrically about the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle.
Light Colour: White
Operation: To be used in conjunction with the vehicle's headlights.
All additional driving lights must turn off when the vehicle’s headlights are switched to low beam.
Note: Any additional driving lights fitted to the vehicle must not obstruct or interfere with the light emitted by any of the headlights, indicators or parking lights fitted to the vehicle. An LED light bar is considered to be one driving light if all the LEDs operate together simultaneously. If an LED light bar has different parts or sections that can be switched on or off independent of other parts or sections, then each independently controlled section counts as a driving light.
ATTACHMENT POINTS ON BULL BARS & NUDGE BARS
Any additional accessories including additional driving lights must not be installed on top of a bull bar or nudge bar (where the additional driving lights are higher than the front edge of the bonnet), or protruding forward of the bumper bar, bull bar, or nudge bar.
The mounting brackets of any additional driving lights must be rounded and must not have any sharp, pointed or angular edges to ensure that the risk of injury to a pedestrian is minimised (should a pedestrian be hit by the vehicle).
Figure 1 shows the locations that additional driving lights may and may not be fitted.
Figure 2 shows the correct way of mounting some additional driving lights in a combination of ways; note that the vehicles headlights, indicators or parking lights are not obstructed.
OPTIONAL FRONT LIGHTS
DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS (DRLs)
Daytime running lights are lights used to increase the visibility of a vehicle when driving during the day. These lights are available as an optional after-market accessory or manufactured in some new model vehicles.
Colour: White
Number: 2
Position:
• Fitted symmetrically (same position on both sides of the vehicle) at the front of the vehicle (as can be seen in the above images)
• In height: above the ground not less than 250mm nor more than 1,500mm
• Not more than 400mm from the sides (extreme outer edge) of the vehicle; at least 600mm apart between the inner edges, may be reduced to 400mm where the overall width of the vehicle is less than 1,300mm.
• The angle of the beam may only be outwards 20° and inwards 20° and upwards 10° and downwards 10°.
FOG LIGHTS
Front fog lights provide a wide, bar-shaped beam of light with a sharp cutoff (dark above, bright below) at the top, and are generally aimed and mounted low. They are intended for use at low speed to increase the illumination directed towards the road surface and verges in conditions of poor visibility due to rain, fog, dust or snow.
Colour: White or Selective Yellow
Number: 2
Position: Fitted symmetrically (same position on both sides of the vehicle) at the front of the vehicle;
No higher than the top of the low beam headlights;
Not more than 400mm from the sides (extreme outer edge) of the vehicle;
At least 600mm apart; and not less than 250mm above the ground.
Fog lights must be able to be operated independently from the headlights and driving lights. As a minimum, they must only be able to operate when the park lights are on.
SEARCH / WORK LIGHTS
Additional lights intended to be used for temporary purposes (such as the reading of signs, handling or adjusting of loads or providing additional illumination in off-road situations) may be fitted to a vehicle in any location.
Note: The fitment of LED light bars as work lights facing forward is prohibited unless installed below the driver’s eyes.
General Requirements: Work lights must be fitted with a tell-tale illuminated labeled rocker switch to warn the driver the light is on.
Note: A driver must not use or allow to be used, any light fitted to or in the driver's vehicle to dazzle, or in a way that is likely to dazzle, another road user.
