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Lighting regulations lost in the fog as tippers fail tests

5th September 2002
Page 18
Page 18, 5th September 2002 — Lighting regulations lost in the fog as tippers fail tests
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• by Robin Meczes A leading haulage consultant is advising tipper operators to take care after two of his clients had tippers failed at annual test for having incorrectly positioned rear fog lights—even though the vehicles were as originally supplied.

Graham Doughty, MD of Transport Management Consultants (TMCJ, says one operator submitted four identical Daft at the same time at Purfieet test station: three passed but one failed. The same operator had a Scania failed on another occasion for the same reason, even though it had passed at a previous test.

Another TMC client who Operates a fleet of Volvo tippers had a failure recorded for the same reason, says Doughty: "The lighting regs state that rear fog lights must be fitted between 250mm and 1,000mm from the ground. The problem seems to arise on tippers when these light fittings are situated to accommodate tipper lifting body, frame and hydraulics."

Doughty says the problem isn't confined to any particular bodybuilders or chassis manufacturers and suggests bodybuilders are siting the lights up high to protect them from tipped loads.

Allan Burton, MD of Thompsons (UK), one of the companies that bodied the vehicles in question, agrees that lights have often been mounted higher than the regs specify for this reason: "The chassis are usually supplied with temporary light fittings for delivery but without any specified lighting position. The lights must be fated high if you are to avoid the load failing back on them as it

piles up on the ground."

This practice dates back years, he points out, but has only recently led to test failures. The suggestion now, he adds, is that the fog lights in existing light clusters should be blanked off and additional fog lights fitted lower down, Thompsons is doing just this, but Burton doubts the lights will last long, in the longer term, vehicle manufacturers need to rethink the light dusters," he says.

Chris Bartlett, director of bodybuilder Wllcox, says only a handful of customers require lights to be fitted higher than the regulations permit. Wilcox tends to attach lights to the mudguards and there can be visibility problems if they're tucked up too high beneath the body on vehicles with long rear overhangs, he warns.

Doughty is concerned about the test stations' apparent inconsistency. He has written to the VI and received a promise that it will address this issue. "I think in the near future there are going to be a lot more test failures as a result," he says.

VI customer com plaints co-ordinator Steve Box says he has referred the matter to the Vehicle Certification Agency. "The problem is that we have to work to the legislation," he says. "I don't know how widespread this problem is, but I sympathise with the hauliers affected."

Meanwhile, Doughty has also written to his clients' Traffic Commissioners to ensure their records show the failures were not down to poor maintenance. He su ests other tipper operators caught out in the same way should follow suit by writing to their TCs asking that the reasons be placed on their file.

le Another 174C client. Hanson subsidiary Plnden Plant Processing of Longfield. Kent, has just put a Thomsons-bodied Foden tipper through its annual test without problem, even though the rear fog lights on it are 1,190mm from the ground.

"In the past two months, I've put five identical tippers through their test and not had any problem," says Pinden transport manager Paul Elcombe. "If one suddenly failed next time I'd certainly want to know the reason why."


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