Still in the dark
Page 25
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f the first major revision of the Highway Code for 14 years is to be believed, vehicle headlights are no longer necessary at night in built-up areas.
The extensively revised edition, containing 44 new rules, now takes account of "tactile paving", children and their use of seatbelts, car telephones and microphones with snappy, updated graphics using an appropriate "Euro vehicle".
However, page 32 of the code advises on the use of "headlights at night on all roads without street lighting and on roads where the street lights are more than 185 metres (600 feet) apart or are not lit".
The code is unclear as to their use if the street lights are less than 185m apart.
The code also advises drivers to "use dipped headlights at night in built-up areas unless the mad is well lit". The thing is that the section of the code on the road user and the law ties itself in a knot as it states on page 69, paragraph 7, that drivers must use headlights at night on all roads except where the street lights are more than 185m (600ft) apart (and consequently the road is less well lit) and the road is subject to a 30mph speed limit.
It is understood that a reprint is in the pipeline.