Lighting in heavy transport: regulations and practical tips

In this blog:

• Also discuss the most important ECE regulations that apply here.
• Give useful tips for successful installation of complete lighting

European regulations for lighting on heavy goods vehicles

Strict regulations around lighting prevent accidents and protect road users. This is especially important for heavy vehicles, which are large, wide and more difficult to manoeuvre. Specific regulations have therefore been developed.

Installation regulations

ECE R48: This regulation sets out how lighting must be correctly positioned and installed. For seamless integration into professional vehicle manufacturing, it is essential that the positioning of side marker lights, work lights and marker lights is exactly correct. For example, vehicles longer than 6 metres must be fitted with clearly visible marker lights at both the front and rear.

Read more about the ECE R48 regulation.

For vehicles longer than 6 metres, it is mandatory to have side marker lights.
These must be positioned so that the distance between them does not exceed 4 metres, with specific distances to the front and rear of the vehicle.

Warning lights

ECE R65 is the standard that sets specific requirements for warning lights such as beacons and warning lights. For example, these must have a minimum light intensity and display a clear flashing pattern. Read more about this in the article on the ECE R65 regulation.

Technical requirements

The regulation that standardises this is ECE R148. This concerns the approval of lighting units, such as LED lights, to ensure that modern lighting technology complies with uniform safety standards.

Electromagnetic compatibility

A very important aspect of vehicle lighting is electromagnetic compatibility. This prevents CAN bus issues. Standards for this are set out in the ECE R10 regulation. By using products approved in accordance with this standard, the risk of interference with on-board computers is minimised. This also prevents the lighting from interfering with, for example, the truck’s navigation system.

Further details on these standards can be found in the ECE Regulations.

Mandatory lighting heavy transport

Lighting type	Number	Location	Colour
Lightingtype: Rear lights	Quantity 2	Installation: Rear, symmetrical	Colour: Red
Lightingtype: Brake lights	Quantity 2	Installation: Rear, symmetrical	Colour: Red
Lighting type: Direction indicators	Quantity 2	Installation: Rear, symmetrical	Colour: Amber
Lighting type: Side indicators	Quantity 2	Installation: Each side	Colour: Amber
Lightingtype: Reversing lights	Quantity1–2	Installation: Rear	Colour: White
Lightingtype: Rear fog light	Quantity1	Mounting: Rear, left or centre	Colour: Red
Lightingtype: Marker lights	Quantity4	Installation: Front (2), Rear (2), above 2.10 m	Colour: Front: White; Rear: Red
Lighting type: Side marker lights	Quantity: Depends on length	Installation: Sides, between 0.25 m and 1.50 m in height	Colour: Amber
Lighting type: Retroreflectors (rear)	Quantity 2	Installation: Rear, symmetrical	Colour: Red
Lighting type: Retroref lectors (side)	Quantity: Depends on length	Installation: Sides	Colour: Amber; the rear light may be red
Lightingtype: Contour marking	Number: Line or full contour	Installation: Sides and/or rear	Colour: Side: White or Yellow; Rear: Red, White or Yellow

Exceptional transport

Additional lighting requirements apply to exceptional transport. These include extra warning lights such as beacons and warning lights that comply with the ECE R65 standards. The lighting must be adapted to the maximum width and height of the load. Marker lights must make the edges of the load clearly visible. You can apply for a specific exemption here. In many cases, additional requirements also apply in line with the 360-degree lighting directive.

Robust work lights for heavy transport

Transport vehicles are often exposed to harsh conditions. Lighting systems can be subjected to extreme weather conditions and vibrations. This requires lights that are specifically designed to meet these challenges. As a wholesaler of lorry lighting, TRALERT® offers a wide range of vehicle lighting for harsh conditions.

Water and dust resistance

Lights with a high IP rating (for example , IP68 or even IP69K) are protected against water and dirt. This is crucial for vehicles that frequently operate on construction sites or muddy roads.

Vibration resistance

Lighting must withstand the vibrations caused by rough roads to prevent damage.

24 Volt lighting sets heavy transport

TRALERT® specialises in lighting sets for heavy transport. We offer unique ready-made lighting sets tailored to your specific needs. Our sets come with a clear scheme, making installation and maintenance quick and easy. Thanks to the plug-&-play design, you save valuable time during mounting and can replace defective parts in case of damage in no time.

Browse our lighting sets or contact us to put together your own lighting solution.

Disclaimer:

At TRALERT®, we do our best to keep the information in this article as accurate and up-to-date as possible, including the regulations surrounding vehicle lighting. However, legislation can change regularly, and although we make every effort to implement these changes in a timely manner, it is possible that certain updates or adjustments have not yet been incorporated into this article. We therefore always advise our readers to check the current legislation with their local government or regulatory bodies, especially when it comes to exceptions or specific national regulations. TRALERT® is not liable for any damages or fines resulting from outdated or incomplete information in this article.

If in doubt, always contact the competent authority to ensure that your vehicle meets all legal requirements.