What is ADR?

If you have been looking for LED work lights for your vehicle, you have probably come across the term ADR. ADR stands for 'Accord européen relatif au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par Route,' or in simpler terms, the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road. When transporting hazardous materials, the lighting on your vehicle must have ADR certifications. Transporting hazardous materials without ADR certification for your lighting is considered an offense.

The ADR guidelines are updated every two years. This means that the rules are checked to see if they are still appropriate for the current time. Changes are made to the rules where this does not apply. So please bear in mind that the rules can change.

What are hazardous substances?

What is important to know, of course, is what is meant by hazardous substances. Dangerous substances are divided into nine groups:

  1. Explosive substances or objects
  2. Gases
  3. Flammable liquids
  4. Flammable solids
  5. Oxidising substances
  6. Toxic and infectious substances
  7. Radioactive substances
  8. Corrosive substances
  9. Various hazardous substances

The above classes are further supplemented by certain letters. It may happen that products receive several letters since they fall into several groups. The added letters are:

  • A fot asphyxiant
  • O for oxidizing
  • F for flammable
  • T for toxic
  • C for corrosive
  • S for self-ignition
  • W for water

In addition to the added letters, Roman numerals are added to indicate how dangerous the cargo is. These are just three possibilities:

  • I = very dangerous
  • II = moderately dangerous
  • III = less dangerous

When the products or goods you are transporting fall into one of the above classes, your lighting must have ADR certification. Examples include medicines, cosmetics, fuels and cleaning products.

Check out our range of ADR LED work lights here.