I notice increasing numbers of cars, and motorbikes especially, with tinted headlights, in blue, green, or purpley-pink.
They are very confusing - are they legal?
Cliff Pope
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If ever I emerged into the path of a vehicle with coloured headlights I woud be dancing with joy. An accident that would normally be my fault would now put some stupid fashion junkie firmly on the back foot. White lights at the front are there for a very good reason - so that you can tell that a vehicle is approaching you. If the lights are pink, green or purple or whatever a clever lawyer woud have no trouble in convincing a court that you thought the coloured illumination was part of a shop window display or whatever. Anything other than white or amber showing at the front is definately illegal.
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Unfortunately you are counting on the other person actually having insurance
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Cliff,
The coloured lights are popular on bikes but I have never noticed them on a car. Are you thinking of those bulbs on modern BMWs, Renaults etc that are white but show coloured parts of the spectrum at certain angles?
David
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No, I know what Cliff is talking about and I've seen them before. The lights are side light bulbs which you can buy coloured from several local motoring shops near to where I am. They are unnoticeable when the dipped/main beam lights are on as they are either obscured by this or turned off, depending on car, but if just the side lights are turned on the car has coloured (if very dim) front sidelights.
I have to admit I have never seen red ones anywhere though I think that particular colour might raise a little TOO much attention...
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Yes, I did mean headlights. I know its mainly bikes, but I have seen coloured lights on cars too. I cannot swear to having seen all the sizes in all the colours. It is a bit unerving when they appear suddenly, or someone flashes blue lights.
Cliff
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No you are all wrong, Cliff is on about these coloured headlights almost exclusively on bikes which are red, magenta, orange, amber, purple, blue and are all strong colours not just the white headlights tinged with blue or the blue parking lights. Plus they are usually on main beam.
I side with Tom on this, I know there are more important things about than this but its a bit of a basic principle that white/amber in front, red only to the rear so you know what is going in which direction.
This reminds me of an old story when a good old fashioned beat copper had a word with the driver of an old DS Citroen driving on parking lights. Those of us old enough will remember they were very dim lights. "Well sir" said the PC, "you are supposed to show two white lights to the front not two ruddy glowing wires!"
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I know what you mean re bikes having fully coloured lights as I have seen many - but (I am sure they are illegal on bikes anyway, contructions and use and all that) they are completely illegal on a car and a friendly old Police patrol would have impounded your car and given you a good truncheoning before you could say It's a fair Cop. I was referring to the car bit and I do know you can purchase coloured side light bulbs which people can and do get away with.
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I think they come from Taiwan and also from Japan -- they are all over here in the Philippines. Purple, red, orange, you name it. Any color for any light. We also have colored lights dancing round license plate frames, anyone can buy a Kojak style red or blue rotating police lamp (about 8 quid). LInking a set of flashing lights up to the bass in the car's boombox is another neat one. Strobe lights round the rad grille are popular too, purple seems to be the favorite. Not surprising therefore that some have found their way to UK. Another quirk is to drive without any lights whatever. Large semi-trailers frequently do this. Often cars' head or sidelights don't work, in which case leaving one flasher on all the time is quite normal.
There aren't any MOT's and I've never heard of anyone being stopped for non-standard lights. Usually the traffic enforcer is more interested in some imaginary offence he can extract "tong" for (a bribe). Fascinatingly, if you fdail to be nice to the enforcer, he can give you a ticket for Arrogance! True.
If you think I'm exaggerating come and visit us in the friendly Philippines!!
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