Trailer lighting rules, regulations and requirements.
Ensuring your trailer has the appropriate lighting is a legal requirement (The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989). This simple guide will help you to be within the current laws for use on the UK public highway.
All trailers must have fitted:
- Two red sidelights.
- Two red stoplights.
- Two red reflective triangles.
- An illuminated number plate.
- Amber indicators (designed to flash between 60-120 times per minute).
- Some form of letting the driver know trailer indicators are working correctly such as a buzzer or light.
All trailers built after September 30th 1990 also require:
- White front reflectors.
If the trailer is more than 1.3m wide they also require:
- At least one red fog lamp.
Larger trailers (1.6m and over) require additional features:
- White front reflectors.
- White front markers/lights.
Trailers Manufactured from October 2012 fitted with brakes require additional features:
- Reverse light
Longer trailers (6m and over, excluding drawbar, but not boat trailers) require additional features:
- Red/White side markers.
Arranging lights and reflectors:
- Indicators should be a minimum of 350mm and a maximum of 1500mm from the ground.
- Indicators should be a maximum of 400mm from the side of the trailer.
- Indicators should be a minimum of 400mm apart.
- Reflective rear triangles should be positioned, a minimum of 250mm and a maximum of 900mm from the ground, a minimum separation of 600mm and no more than 400mm from the sides.
- A single fog lamp should be mounted on the rear of the trailer, anywhere between the centre point and offside edge.
- Two fog lamps must be separated and positioned at opposite sides of the rear of the trailer.
- Fog lamps should be a minimum of 250mm and a maximum of 1000mm from the ground.
- Fog lamps should be a minimum of 400mm apart.
- There should be at least of 100mm of separation between the fog lights and the tail lights/indicators.
For a wide selection of towing or trailer related equipment, including trailer lighting, please visit towingandtrailers.com:
