Auxiliary Driving Lamps

Contributed - Feb 9, 2005 / 4:05 pm | Story: 7019

Q: The brightness and overuse of auxiliary driving lamps mounted below the headlamps has pretty-well spoiled my night time driving experience. I am referring to usage during clear weather and especially on pickups or SUV that cast a beam higher than a passenger car. Are the regulations regarding proper times to use these lamps being enforced? I just give them a flick of my bright beams to let them know how intense their aux. lamps really are.

A: An auxiliary driving lamp must operate so that it is luminated only when the upper beam of a multiple beam headlamp is illuminated. The rules are enforced.

Auxiliary driving lamps
Section 4.09 (1) of the Motor Vehicle Act Regulation indicates that a motor vehicle may be equipped with 2 auxiliary driving lamps, mounted on the front of the vehicle at a height of not less than 40 cm and not more than 1.06 m, that are capable of displaying only white light.
(2) An auxiliary driving lamp must be directed so that the high intensity portion of the beam is, at a distance of 8 m from the lamp, at least 12 cm below the height of the lamp and, at a distance of 25 m from the lamp, not higher than 1.06 m from the road surface.
(3) An auxiliary driving lamp must operate so that it is illuminated only when the upper beam of a multiple beam headlamp is illuminated.

Constable R.A.(Richard) ASELTON
Central Okanagan Traffic Services - Media Liaison
Kelowna R.C.M.P. Detachment

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

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About the Author

Tim Schewe is a retired constable with many years of traffic law enforcement experience. He has been writing his column for most of the 20 years of his service in the RCMP.

The column was 'The Beat Goes On' in Fort St. John, 'Traffic Tips' in the South Okanagan and now 'Behind the Wheel' on Vancouver Island and here on Castanet.net.

Schewe retired from the force in January of 2006, but the column has become a habit, and continues.

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