Fitting LED flashing lights to a car

[[Matt]]

Just a heads up but these are called <removed> lights around where i live.... Its defined on urban dictionary too...

 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/

 

the stupid little, often neon blue LED lights that a boy racer will have on the bonnet of their (badly) souped up Astra/Polo/other random car your Gran wouldnt be seen dead driving. Users of these ****** lights are often 17-24 year old Burberry wearing idiots who hang around schools and colleges after final bell, honking any fit girl who walks past.

 

Just google image search the term "<removed> lights" including the quote marks to see what i mean.

[EmilyM]

I saw a car last night with green light strips on the back, I couldn't tell what car it was, something small.

[Terry Bull]

Is the OP on about the LED's that boy racers have fitted to the front on their Corsa/106 et al. or the amber LED/strobes that are fitted to road works vehicles?

[oldmickyboy]

i'm pretty sure its illegal to have any flashing lights on your car unless you have an emergencey service

[Zaytsev]

Hey guys

 

Im after some automotive advice. I want to fit some LED amber flashing lights to my car. I want some under the grille and in the boot.

 

Whats the best way of doing this? Is it better to "properly" wire them onto the battery, or solder the wires into a cigarette lighter plug and run them that way??

 

Cheers

A

 

Save your self some trouble and put a pair of knickers on your head. Hey presto people will think you're a total **** without the need for DIY.

[Terry Bull]

Save your self some trouble and put a pair of knickers on your head. Hey presto people will think you're a total **** without the need for DIY.

 

It works for me :hihi:

[terminator]

i'm pretty sure its illegal to have any flashing lights on your car unless you have an emergencey service

only red light to rear drive/park/brake/fog other than white Licence plate light .Licence plate must be visable from a distance of 15 m but must not project light out from the rear plus white reverse lights Any other colour is ilegal.

Front Lights white only other than standed coloured indicators.FRONT AND REAR

In theory you could have multi colour lights flasihing or not but if they give any light out towards front or rear of vehicle at a certain distance i cant remember what that is off hand sumat silly though like 12 " they would be legal although police aint too keen on the idea.Hence you will see some custom cars with lights under the actual vehicle or showing wheel discs etc.

[brus]

only red light to rear drive/park/brake/fog other than white Licence plate light .Licence plate must be visable from a distance of 15 m but must not project light out from the rear plus white reverse lights Any other colour is ilegal.

Front Lights white only other than indicators.

In theory you could have multi colour lights flasihing or not but if they give any light out towards front or rear of vehicle at a certain distance i cant remember what that is off hand sumat silly though like 12 " they would be legal although police aint too keen on the idea.Hence you will see some custom cars with lights under the actual vehicle or showing wheel discs etc.

 

So for the past 45 years i have been breaking the law by using a car with flashing amber rear indicators then ?. I think not. Read the following,

 

 

United Kingdom

 

 

Usage of emergency vehicle lighting is restricted in the United Kingdom through the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989.[18] It is illegal for any vehicle to show a flashing coloured light (with the exception of the normal direction indicators and Anti lock brake indicators[clarification needed], unless it is an emergency or other authorised vehicle.[19] However recently pedal cycles can exhibit a flashing rear red lamp

 

The main colour for emergency service vehicles is overwhelmingly blue, although there is also widespread use of flashing (white) headlights and some police forces use blue and red combinations (almost always more blue than red) The legal definition of an emergency vehicle limits the use of both methods to vehicles used for:[20]

 

* Fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes (although no restriction exists here on private fire brigades or ambulance services)

* Fire salvage

* Forestry commission or local authority when fighting fires

* Ministry of defence bomb disposal, mountain rescue, nuclear emergency or armament support

* Blood transfusion vehicles operating under the National Health Service Act (or Scottish equivalent)

* HM Coastguard and auxiliary

* British Coal Corporation (for mine rescue)

* Lifeboat launching vehicles (usually restricted to launching slipway)

* Authorised Search and Rescue vehicles

* Vehicles used for the purpose of conveying human tissue for transplant

* HM Revenue and Customs where investigating serious crime.[21]

 

Blue flashing lights must only be lit at the scene of an emergency, or when the driver considers it desirable to indicate that the journey being undertaken is urgent.[22] Under these circumstances, some services may also choose to allow their drivers to claim legal exemptions from certain motoring regulations (although these are not specifically linked to the use of warning beacons), such as being able to treat a red traffic light as a give way sign, ignoring the speed limit and passing the wrong side of a keep left/right sign. They may not, ignore "no entry" signs, drive the wrong way down a one-way street or cross a solid white line in the middle of the road (other than the same exceptions granted everyone else e.g. to pass a stationary vehicle). In reality some drivers will disobey other laws at their professional judgement but they do so without any automatic protection from the law.[23] Some services, such as HM coastguard do not allow all their staff to claim all the exemptions available to them.[citation needed]

 

With the exception of breaking the speed limit, which requires the driver to have completed or be performing a suitable training course[24], no qualification other than a driver's license is legally required to use blue lights, though most organisations will insist that their drivers are trained in emergency driving techniques.

 

The common combination of blue flashing lights with two-tone sirens has led to 'blues and twos' becoming a nickname for the core emergency services as a whole, as well as the title of a British documentary series depicting them.

 

Doctors on emergency calls are allowed a green courtesy light.[25] Flashing red lights are not generally allowed on vehicles, though many emergency vehicles have rear-facing flashing red lights, which are used to signify that the vehicle is stationary. These are, however, specifically prohibited by the RVLR.[19][25]

 

Checkered lights denote command and control vehicles - these are red and white for fire (one of the few situations where a forward-facing red light may be shown), blue and white for police and green and white for ambulance,[25] and are often fitted in the middle of the light bar.

 

Amber lights grant no priority in traffic and exist purely to advertise the vehicle's presence. The RLVR specifies several classes of vehicles which may use amber lights, such as towing, highway maintenance, pilot vehicles escorting an oversize load, and vehicles unable to travel over 25 mph[21] and fitting these lights to other vehicles is technically illegal (although these beacons are widely fitted to vehicles as wide ranging as security and ambulances).

 

It should also be noted that UK legislation considers all lights, reflectors and reflective material to be lights, and all items resembling special warning beacons (of any colour) must be covered and not just disconnected (as this is a separate offence)[26] while on the public highway.[27] Similarly, no distinction is made between lights mounted on light bars and those mounted anywhere else on the vehicle (e.g. headlights, indicators, brake lights) - all are covered by the same regulations.

[terminator]

So for the past 45 years i have been breaking the law by using a car with flashing amber rear indicators then ?. I think not. Read the following,

 

 

United Kingdom

 

 

Usage of emergency vehicle lighting is restricted in the United Kingdom through the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989.[18] It is illegal for any vehicle to show a flashing coloured light (with the exception of the normal direction indicators and Anti lock brake indicators[clarification needed], unless it is an emergency or other authorised vehicle.[19] However recently pedal cycles can exhibit a flashing rear red lamp

 

The main colour for emergency service vehicles is overwhelmingly blue, although there is also widespread use of flashing (white) headlights and some police forces use blue and red combinations (almost always more blue than red) The legal definition of an emergency vehicle limits the use of both methods to vehicles used for:[20]

 

* Fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes (although no restriction exists here on private fire brigades or ambulance services)

* Fire salvage

* Forestry commission or local authority when fighting fires

* Ministry of defence bomb disposal, mountain rescue, nuclear emergency or armament support

* Blood transfusion vehicles operating under the National Health Service Act (or Scottish equivalent)

* HM Coastguard and auxiliary

* British Coal Corporation (for mine rescue)

* Lifeboat launching vehicles (usually restricted to launching slipway)

* Authorised Search and Rescue vehicles

* Vehicles used for the purpose of conveying human tissue for transplant

* HM Revenue and Customs where investigating serious crime.[21]

 

Blue flashing lights must only be lit at the scene of an emergency, or when the driver considers it desirable to indicate that the journey being undertaken is urgent.[22] Under these circumstances, some services may also choose to allow their drivers to claim legal exemptions from certain motoring regulations (although these are not specifically linked to the use of warning beacons), such as being able to treat a red traffic light as a give way sign, ignoring the speed limit and passing the wrong side of a keep left/right sign. They may not, ignore "no entry" signs, drive the wrong way down a one-way street or cross a solid white line in the middle of the road (other than the same exceptions granted everyone else e.g. to pass a stationary vehicle). In reality some drivers will disobey other laws at their professional judgement but they do so without any automatic protection from the law.[23] Some services, such as HM coastguard do not allow all their staff to claim all the exemptions available to them.[citation needed]

 

With the exception of breaking the speed limit, which requires the driver to have completed or be performing a suitable training course[24], no qualification other than a driver's license is legally required to use blue lights, though most organisations will insist that their drivers are trained in emergency driving techniques.

 

The common combination of blue flashing lights with two-tone sirens has led to 'blues and twos' becoming a nickname for the core emergency services as a whole, as well as the title of a British documentary series depicting them.

 

Doctors on emergency calls are allowed a green courtesy light.[25] Flashing red lights are not generally allowed on vehicles, though many emergency vehicles have rear-facing flashing red lights, which are used to signify that the vehicle is stationary. These are, however, specifically prohibited by the RVLR.[19][25]

 

Checkered lights denote command and control vehicles - these are red and white for fire (one of the few situations where a forward-facing red light may be shown), blue and white for police and green and white for ambulance,[25] and are often fitted in the middle of the light bar.

 

Amber lights grant no priority in traffic and exist purely to advertise the vehicle's presence. The RLVR specifies several classes of vehicles which may use amber lights, such as towing, highway maintenance, pilot vehicles escorting an oversize load, and vehicles unable to travel over 25 mph[21] and fitting these lights to other vehicles is technically illegal (although these beacons are widely fitted to vehicles as wide ranging as security and ambulances).

 

It should also be noted that UK legislation considers all lights, reflectors and reflective material to be lights, and all items resembling special warning beacons (of any colour) must be covered and not just disconnected (as this is a separate offence)[26] while on the public highway.[27] Similarly, no distinction is made between lights mounted on light bars and those mounted anywhere else on the vehicle (e.g. headlights, indicators, brake lights) - all are covered by the same regulations.

 

No just missed indicators out for rear and no thanks passed and failed enough vehicles in past thank you very much.

[destroyer]

:hihi:Wants to see them on mine then blue flashing LED they only basicly glow and been through 3 mot tests and never been pulled over them yet although as stated police are not very pleased about them being there but are totaly legal.I gueess if they was actual bulbs throwing light off it would be a different story.You can also buy number plate bolts etc that are LED.