Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) Driving Lights/Spotlamps - what's legal?

Thank you all for the spirited discussion from my first posting to Talk Morgan!
as you say Steve, 'Don't sweat the small stuff, I guess'. All is OK.

I have one cautionary tale on this, regarding a mini driver who was fined for having illegal lights:

http://www.mini2.com/forum/general-discussion/176428-fined-driving-spotlights.html

"A friend has recently taken delivery of a new 50th edition MCS and paid BMW £250 for nice spotlights on the grille.
He was driving through the Lake District where he was stopped by the police and given an on the spot fine ( excuse the pun ) for driving with 'fog lights' on when conditions do not warrant it .
He argued they were spotlights not fog lights, but the police disagreed and gave him a fixed penalty notice."

I assume this is a rarity, and not something that the Police would ever consider with a Morgan driver!

Kind Regards,
Glenn
2001 4/4 'Archie'

Did that mini driver contest it?
BMW receipts etc with "spotlights" as evidence!
I bet there is more to that incident than meets the eye!
Having read comments in the post I suspect the Mini driver had his spots on during daytime. How?
If BMW wired them in then surely only for main beam?
I reckon the driver was on main beam with spots on!
How often do we see cars with extra lights on..."driving lights" etc low down in the bumper etc in daytime?
An affectation by many I think.

And a pain, particularly around dawn/dusk...

I am just about to fit spots/driving lights/daytime lights - what is the difference!

Isn't it easier to just fit better headlamp bulbs ? That's what I did , and keeps her nice and streamlined !

Spotlights are long range lights and legally have to go out when lights are on dip. Daylight running lights legally have to go off when the side/head/dip lights are on I.e. They are for use in daylight only as they can dazzle in the dark.

If anybody here is suffering insomnia this is the definitive regs. I am not sure if this has been superseded, I don't think so.

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/contents/made

Legally? Yes I know it's in the rules, but I see an awful lot of cars with DRLs still on when their dipped lights are on. I don't think they are aftermarket ones either, judging by placement on vehicle.

Our old car had +8 spots. I think I used them twice in 10 years. The dipped beam was adequate and main beam fine - with Cibie H180's. The current car seems OK in the dark - better than SWMBO's Mini.

I would save the money and fit uprated bulbs as others have suggested.

But Cibie's...they're just lighting porn..