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National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996)

Regulations

National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000

Chapter VI : Fitness of Vehicles

Part II : Equipment on or in respect of vehicles

159. Head lamps

 

(1) No person shall operate on a public road—
(a) a motor vehicle, other than a motor cycle, a motor tricycle with one wheel in front or trailer, unless it is equipped in front on each side of its longitudinal centre-line with—
(i) one head lamp capable of emitting a main-beam and a dipped-beam;
(ii) one head lamp capable of emitting a main-beam and one head lamp capable of emitting a dipped-beam; or
(iii) one head lamp contemplated in item (i) or head lamps contemplated in item (ii) and an additional head lamp capable of emitting a main-beam;
(b) a motor cycle without a side-car or a motor tricycle with one wheel in front, unless it is equipped in front with—
(i) one head lamp capable of emitting a main-beam and a dipped-beam;
(ii) one head lamp capable of emitting a main-beam and one head lamp capable of emitting a dipped-beam, both of which are fitted in the same vertical plane; or
(iii) two headlamps, each capable of emitting a main-beam and a dipped-beam, both of which are fitted in the same horizontal plane; or
(c) a motor cycle with a side-car, unless—
(i) the motor cycle is equipped in front with one head lamp contemplated in paragraph (b)(i) or head lamps contemplated in paragraph (b)(ii) or (iii); and
(ii) the side-car is equipped with one parking lamp which complies with the provisions of regulation 164 or with one head lamp contemplated in paragraph (b)(i), subject to the proviso to regulation 161(4)(a).

 

(2) At least one head lamp contemplated in subregulation (1)(a) capable of emitting a dipped-beam or a parking lamp complying with the provisions of regulation 164 shall be so fitted on each side of the longitudinal centre-line of the motor vehicle concerned that the portion of the illuminating surface thereof furthest from the longitudinal centre-line of the motor vehicle is not more than 400 millimetres from the outer edge of the front of the motor vehicle.

 

(3) The main-beam and dipped-beam of a head lamp fitted to a motor vehicle first registered on or after 1 January 2002, shall comply with the requirements of standard specification SABS 1046 "Motor vehicle safety: lights and light signalling devices installed on motor vehicles and trailers", and standard specification SANS 1376 "Lights for motor vehicles", Part 2: "Head lights". Provided that the height of the dipped beam and headlamp of a light motor vehicle shall not exceed 1400 millimetres measured from the ground to the centre of the lamp.

[Regulation 159(3) substituted by regulation 45 of Notice No. R. 846 of 2014]