Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) (Blue and Amber Lamps) Regulations 2006
Statutory Instruments
Source: Statutory Instruments

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paragraphs: (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles (Blue and Amber Lamps) Regulations 2006.
(2) The Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations 1963 to 1996 and these Regulations may be cited together as the Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations 1963 to 2006.
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paragraphs: In these Regulations “Regulations of 1963” means Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations 1963 ( S.I. No. 189 of 1963 ).
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paragraphs: Article 49 of the Regulations of 1963 is amended by inserting after sub-article (8) the following:
“(9) Where a vehicle equipped with a lamp in accordance with article 52(18) is used in a public place, the lamp may only be used -
(a) if necessary in the circumstances, and
(b) in the case of a vehicle being used by the Irish Prison Service, where the vehicle is clearly identifiable as such by having appropriate livery and is usable for the purpose of transporting prisoners under guard.”.
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paragraphs: Article 52 of the Regulations of 1963 is amended by substituting for sub-article (18 (inserted by the Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 1996 ( S.I. No. 137 of 1996 )) the following:
“(18) (a) The requirements of article 40 (in so far as it refers to articles 41, 42 48 and 49) and articles 41, 42, 48 and 49 (except sub-article 9) do not apply to a lamp complying with paragraph (b) which is carried on a vehicle being used -
(i) by a member of the Garda SÃ­ochÃ¡na in the performance of his or her duties as such member,
(ii) as a fire brigade vehicle,
(iii) by persons providing an ambulance service,
(iv) by the Irish Prison Service,
(v) as an Irish Marine Emergency Service vehicle, with or without a trailer,
(vi) for the delivery or collection of human transplant organs human blood or human blood products,
(vii) as a breakdown vehicle,
(viii) as a road clearance vehicle,
(ix) as a road works vehicle,
(x) by a local authority (within the meaning of the Local Government Act 2001 (No. 37 of 2001)) or other person authorised by a local authority in the collection and disposal of refuse,
(xi) in the provision or maintenance of telephone services or of gas or electricity supply, or
(xii) as a Customs and Excise patrol vehicle.
(b) In relation to a lamp carried on a vehicle referred to in paragraph (a) -
(i) the light shown by the lamp shall in the case of a vehicle referred to in -
(I) paragraph (a) (i) to (vi), be blue, and
(II) paragraph (a) (vii) to (xii), be amber,
(ii) the power of the lamp where the colour of the light is -
(I) blue, shall not exceed 50 watts, and
(II) amber, shall not exceed 36 watts,
(iii) the lamp shall, where possible, be fitted on the roof of the vehicle on a point on its longitudinal axis,
(iv) no part of the illuminated surface of the lamp shall be less than 1.27 metres from the ground,
(v) the area of the orthogonal projection on to any vertical plane of that part of the lamp through which light is shown shall be capable of lying wholly within a square having sides of 230 millimetres in length,
(vi) the lamp, in the case of a road works vehicle, or a vehicle used in the provision or maintenance of telephone services or gas or electricity supply shall be lit only when the vehicle is in use at the scene of operations.
(c) In this sub-article -
‘breakdown vehicle’ means a mechanically propelled vehicle used for towing broken down mechanically propelled vehicles, trailers or semi-trailers to the nearest convenient place of safety or repair and includes a vehicle used in connection with and in the immediate vicinity of a breakdown;
‘Customs and Excise patrol vehicle’ means a mechanically propelled vehicle used by an official of Customs and Excise in the performance of his or her duties as such official;
‘fire brigade vehicle’ means a vehicle used by a fire authority (within the meaning of the Fire Services Act 1981 (No. 30 of 1981)) and includes a vehicle used by a senior fire officer in the performance of his or her duty as such officer;
‘Irish Marine Emergency Service vehicle’ includes a mechanically propelled vehicle, with or without a trailer, used by a senior manager in the Irish Marine Emergency Service in the performance of his or her duty as such officer;
‘road clearance vehicle’ means a mechanically propelled vehicle used for dealing with frost, ice or snow on roads and includes a vehicle used for cutting of roadside hedges or roadside grass verges or in the sweeping of roads;
‘road works vehicle’ means a mechanically propelled vehicle used in connection with the construction, maintenance and improvement of roads or in connection with the provision and maintenance of water supplies, sewerage and drainage services;
‘senior fire officer’ means a fire officer not below the grade of Assistant Fire Officer (Prevention) but including the grades of Second Officer and Third Officer;
‘senior manager in the Irish Marine Emergency Service’ means an officer of the Irish Marine Emergency Service not below the grade of Divisional Officer.”.