UPDATE: Clarity on the use of LED lights
Rand West City traffic police chief gives clarity on the use of LED lights on the roads.
The confusion about whether LED light on vehicles are legal or not, has been cleared up.
“For as long as such lights do not come standard from the manufacturer, they will be deemed illegal”, said the Chief of the Rand West Traffic Department, Kenny Mapondo.
He said any kind of light that is added to a vehicle by its owner is illegal as this is not in line with the manufacturer’s specifications. Mapondo also said it is violation of the National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996. He went on to say that quite often, knowingly or unknowingly, motorists continue to violate this Act.
You get people who just fit lights on their vehicles, but these lights are not governed by the regulations. We are aware that there are motorists who like blueish lights, but they are illegal, because they create problems for other motorists, especially at night. For instance, if a vehicle with such lights is approaching from far away, it will look like a police or traffic vehicle.”
Mapondo said there are also criminal elements that are associated with the use of unregulated lights. “Motorists have been hijacked after stopping for vehicles with additional lights, thinking that the other vehicle is that of the police or traffic department,” he said.
He said the unauthorised LED lights continue to be a nuisance to other motorists and make driving unpleasant.
Also read: WARNING: No more LED lights allowed on the road
Johan Jonck, editor of the Arrive Alive website wrote, “Vehicle lamps must comply with the provisions of Regulations 157 to 185. A single lens bar mounted to the front of the vehicle is not legal. Spot lamps are not legal. A spot lamp is a lamp that can be adjusted. The additional set of lamps on the front of many vehicles are not spot lamps, they are an additional set of head lamps. That is legal as long as the head lamps comply with the SANS specifications.” Click here for more clarity.
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