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Anon
By AA | Moderator | 844 Posts | 21 January 2011 at 9:29am

Are you able to advise what the legal requirements are for aftermarket tail lights?

I purchased "smoked" tail lights for my '90 BMW and recently received a green sticker from the Police stating they were not legal.

Are you able to advise if these aftermarket tail lights are in fact legal or not?

Sophie

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 10 September 2010

jbiddle
By jbiddle | Community Member | 1657 Posts | 21 January 2011 at 9:53am

"Smoked" tail lights are not legal because the requirements for a rearward facing position lamp (taillight) include:

Must be substantially red
Must be bright enough to be visible from 200m in normal darkness
The stop lamps must also be visible from 100m in normal daylight (smoked lenses generally prevent this).

Indicators must be rejected for a WOF if they are "altered due to damage or modification".

The reflectors in many of these aftermarket tail lamps are white, not red which is also highly illegal and unsafe (headlights from vehicles following behind reflect back at the driver as white light, not red as OE tail lamps do).

Unfortunately your BMW has been correctly green stickered for non-compliance