Spotlight height

Sir,

Mr. Kidman has not got the whole story. Fog/spot lights (and for that matter headlights I suppose) must be mounted between 2 ft. and 3 ft. 6 in. above ground level if you want to use them wheu on please. If they are mounted below 2 ft. you can only use them in fog or falling snow.

I have a Land Rover with a Notek Blue Spot Farlight mounted on the near-side and set so as to throw low on the nearside kerb (or equivalent) to detect rural cyclists. My son has been approached on several occasions by policemen with a friendly warning that it should not be used but there has been no further argument when they have been shown that the centre of the lamp is 2 ft. 6 in. from the ground.

I also have a fog lamp with a moving interior controlled by a bowden cable. It is very useful to be able to shift the beam easily in fog, but fog or not the setting must not be altered with the lamp alight and the car in motion. I have on occasion stopped near policemen to re-set the beam but nothing has ever been said to me about the use/abuse of the device.

I wonder where we stand about spotlamps on the roof? On the face of it they can only be used on private roads or outside the U.K.

South Perrott – . D. T. Harrison-Sleap.

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Sir,

Mr. Anthony Kidman may be interested to know that I was stopped by a constable of the R.U.C. for using one of a pair of spotlights on an Austin A35 as a headlamp “other than in fog or falling snow.”

When I said that the centre of the lamp was more than 2 ft. from the ground and, therefore, that this restriction did not apply, the reply was: “Oh! and what section of the Act is that in?” I didn’t know either, but it is in Lucas’ instructions for fitting these lamps!

Belfast. – R. A. Snow.