Hong Kong Regulations

ROAD TRAFFIC (TRAFFIC CONTROL) REGULATIONS - REGULATION 47

Lighting on motor vehicles

(Past version on 30/06/1997).



"dipped" (向下斜射)

(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle not being a motor cycle or motor
tricycle on a road during the hours of darkness or in poor 
visibility conditions- (L.N. 41 of 2002)

   (a)  unless he keeps all obligatory front lamps, obligatory headlamps and
        obligatory rear lamps of the vehicle of the type required to be
        carried by the vehicle under the Road Traffic (Construction and 
        Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations ( Cap 374 sub. leg.) lighted but
        the lighted obligatory headlamps shall be dipped where a system of
        street lights is in operation or in the face of approaching traffic;
        (L.N. 41 of 2002)

   (b)  showing a lighted lamp to the rear other than a red or amber lamps
        except while engaged in reversing; or

   (c)  unless he is showing the appropriate lighted front corner marker lamps
        and side marker lamps of the type required to be carried under the
        Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles)  Regulations (
        Cap 374 sub. leg.) while driving the motor vehicle and a trader or
        trailers of a total overall length, while the tow is in operation, of
        more than 11 m.

(1A) No person shall drive a motor vehicle being a motor cycle or motor
tricycle on a road-

   (a)  unless-

        (i)    he keeps all obligatory front lamps, obligatory headlamps and
               obligatory rear lamps of the vehicle of the type required to be
               carried by the vehicle under the
               Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of 
               Vehicles) Regulations ( Cap 374 sub. leg.) lighted; and

        (ii)   the lighted obligatory headlamps are dipped except during the
               hours of darkness or in poor visibility conditions where no
               system of street lights is in operation and the motor vehicle
               is not being driven in the face of approaching traffic; or

   (b)  during the hours of darkness or in poor visibility conditions showing
        a lighted lamp to the rear other than a red or amber lamp except while
        engaged in reversing. (L.N. 41 of 2002)

(2) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a road-

   (a)  showing a lighted reversing lamp of the type prescribed in the
        Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations (
        Cap  374 sub. leg.) except while engaged in reversing;

   (b)  showing to the rear any illuminated miniature representation of a
        light signal or other illuminated device which would tend to distract
        the attention of the driver of a following vehicle; or

   (c)  showing any distinctive lighted lamps except in accordance with Part
        VII of the Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) 
        Regulations ( Cap 374 sub. leg.).

(3) No person shall show a hazard warning light, of the type prescribed in the
Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles)  Regulations ( Cap 374
sub. leg.), on a vehicle on a road unless such vehicle is likely to be a
hazard to other persons using the road. (L.N. 41 of 2002)

(3A) Subject to subregulation (3B), notwithstanding subregulation

(3), where a motor vehicle is stationary on the carriageway of an expressway
as defined in section 122 of this Ordinance or a road with a speed limit
exceeding 50 km/h because of the breakdown of the vehicle or an emergency
involving the vehicle, the driver of the motor vehicle shall show a hazard
warning light of the type prescribed in the Road Traffic 
(Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations ( Cap 374 sub. leg.).
(L.N. 41 of 2002)

(3B) Subregulation (3A) does not apply where the hazard warning light has been
rendered inoperative by the breakdown of the vehicle. (L.N. 41 of 2002)

(4) In this regulation "dipped" (向下斜射) means emitting from a lamp a
beam of light which is deflected downwards or both downwards and to the left
to such an extent that it is at all times incapable of dazzling any person who
is on the same horizontal plane as the motor vehicle at a greater distance
than 8 m from the lamp and whose eye-level is not less than 1 m above that
plane.