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Post #9
Holy crap.. That's messed up. Especially the story about the fire truck. Ya see why fog lights should be MANDATORY on all vehicles. People laugh when I tell them I insist on having car with at least 1 rear but it's instances like this that call for them. Absolutely, the matter is on the AMVCB agenda for 24 November 09. Will advise outcome - next step. *= Australian Motor Vehicle Certification Board. |
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Keepleft
Post #10
The subject is to be studied further, latest Government correspondence, 10 December 2009:- QUOTE The matter of compulsory rear fog lamps on MA, MC and MB/NA category vehicles, and the discrepancy between Australian Design Rule 13/00 Installation of Lighting and Light Signalling Devices on other than L-Group Vehicles (ADR 13/00) and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe R48/03, Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Vehicles With Regard to the Installation of Lighting and Light-Signalling Devices (UNECE R48/03) was discussed in depth at the recent meeting of the Australian Motor Vehicle Certification Board, comprising the federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government (DITRDLG), who convene the forum, and representatives from the road authority form each jurisdiction across Australia and New Zealand. DITRDLG advises that at the time ADR 13/00 was prepared and introduced in 1985, it is unsure of the requirements for rear fog lamps in Europe, but they did not attract much discussion during the ADR’s public comment consultation period. Accordingly, they were not included as a mandatory item in the ADR. Once a global technical regulation (GTR) is approved, it does not automatically receive endorsement in Australia. Instead, if the GTR results in changes to standards that could impact on local industry or members of the public, DITRDLG are obliged to submit it to extensive public consultation, including a regulatory impact statement (RIS) that assesses the cost-benefit relationship associated with introducing the changes. When UNECE R48/03 was introduced, items such as mandatory rear fog lamps were considered an imposition on local industry and the community and could not be introduced without the necessary consultation and RIS, which would have delayed its implementation. Instead, the decision was made to make rear fog lamps optional. DITRDLG further advises that it is currently comparing all the ADRs against the equivalent referenced UNECEs to identify discrepancies between them, with the view to rationalising them. Mandatory rear fog lamps will be assessed as part of this process and it is anticipated that they will be subjected to extensive consultation. I hope this explains the reasons for the difference between ADR 13/00 and UNECE R48/03 and the intention of DITRDLG to investigate the matter further. Protecting local industry? NB; rear fog lamp function was mandated in GB back in 1980, on the Continent - earlier than that. |
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trev0006
Post #11
Wow very scary pictures. With ref to Kedderz @ Toymods for most of these. Note the dark clouds. Okay, we blame 'speed', but it helps to be able to see the lead cars . . . . I've not downsized the pics, so viewers can zoom closer for greater detail with minimum distortion. (Could respondents kindly watch language in this thread:-) Australia is continuing its efforts at harmonising is vehicle design rules with the UNECE Global Technical Regulations for land transport, one of those international rules, "UNECE Transport Regulation 38" effectively mandates for at least a single rear fog lamp; typically right of the vehicles centerline. In Australia to date, we have opted out of this rule by 'optionalising' it. This is achieved in relation to light vehicles (cars, vans & 4WD's) by ADR 13, Part 8.5.1. This to my mind is serious negligence; road users have a fundamental right to the very best global technical rules existing, therefore - sidelining certain rules is *not* conducive to a safer road network. To that end the NSW Government has asked RTA's "Centre For Road Safety", to raise the compulsory fitting of rear fog lamps at national level. (Meaning to new market vehicles, not those currently registered. The effort will have support of both sides of politics in this jurisdiction I'd signal). The move is long overdue and there is more to 'it' than counting 'death', for example, to help reduce the cost of insurance payouts etc arising from rear-end crashes involving wet and poor visibility weather phenomena, that also typically involve 'excessive speed' as one of the contributing criteria. The NSW Fire Brigade fire fighting vehicles have had a rear fog lamp fitted as a *mandatory requirement* for some years, for use in bushfire smoke conditions, dust etc and so on. (The NSW Rural Fire Service choose to *not* to fit the lamp function, preferring instead to rely on the vehicles standard hazard-warning lights) Another example why the NSW government seeks to adopt rear fog lamps:- (Ref to WIKI) The rear fog lamp is cheap insurance under such low-visibility examples. Naturally, an enforcement program by road authorities and police would likely be undertaken, and text regarding the correct use of rear fog lamps has been in all state and territory driver handbooks a number of years. In Australia, Australian Road Rule 221(e), permits use of a vehicles "hazard-warning lamps" under hazardous weather conditions on moving vehicles. This allowance was carried into national legislation by NSW back in the 1990's, and in turn was adopted here in NSW back 1988 (Brad Hazzard, LIB) as State law, it followed a 53 car pileup in heavy fog on the NSW F6. NSW has often seen similar events on other key roads. SE QLD ditto. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8FkLjK9KG4tirescars However, the use of hazard-warning lamps by Australia,- effectively as a defacto rear fog lamp system, runs contrary to the UN Convention on Road Traffic of 1968 and amendments to date. Australia contracted the 49' Convention (Gazz 53') and in doing so undertook to maintain ongoing uniformity, unless we formally withdraw from the process. * A cars flashing hazard-warning lamps ARE NOT brighter or stronger - than a single rear fog lamp, often by a matter of seconds. 5 September 2009, picture below RTA F3 camera shot: Toyota PRADO, the owner has modified the two 'dummy' rear fog lamp compartments "as extra brake-lights", effectively a defect under ADR 49/00 in regards photometrics; basically when applying the brakes, those behind get to see two varying levels of brake-light brightness. Angle-of-view performance comes into play. Another reason why ADR 13 Part 8.5.1 needs to be rescinded, to prevent 'dumb' modifications like this. (Poor quality mobile phone pic taken from Prado point forum). An historic crash event example (of many similar where we blame speed), Tuesday, September 24, 2002 I'll add more detail including pics as needed to this post as I get time. Link - Darwin fog event. http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/07/30/4883_ntnews.html Link - Calls for greater roadside safety. http://www.nbntv.com.au/index.php/2009/07/...oadside-safety/ Link - Page 2 references poor visibility crash (rain F3) and each page - the need for safety vests & warning triangles in cars. http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=63394 Link - Singapore penalty for mis-using front and or rear fog lamps:-) See Question 5! http://ask.lta.gov.sg/home/lta/listings.as...y=45052#2289838 |
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Keepleft
Post #13
if you have ur lights on, arent the rear red lights enough? sure iv seen some dark ones, but the majority of tail lights are bright enough even in the heavyest of rain. maybe a downwards pointing, very bright red light would be an idea? a) Under normal "nightime" rain circumstances, yes. The crash pics and other examples however are evidence that more is needed when things 'get bad'. b) For daytime/daylight hours in particular, AND when in heavy rain with 3ml of roadwater, and even when under torrential rain on a high-speed road at night, the rear fog light IS needed. c) A 'downward pointing light' is not an ADR item, what is however - is the rear fog lamp. Per discussion above,- this lamp is designed for such conditions. * Rem, rear fog lamp is not just for heay rainfall, but of course heavy fog, dustorms, when in bushfire smoke and on gravel roads in daylight etc. I advocate installing one, and if buying a new car - insist on it. Regards. Buy a UNECE R27 Spec hazard-warning triangle for your vehicle for use at crash scenes (to prevent secondary) and breakdowns. SUPPLIERS - via "auto-parts retailers"; I suggest HELLA Part No 2901 or; PRO-KIT Item No. RG9212, $21. From; BUNNINGS stores nationwide - Code 14 580, $9.90. AS3790 accepted. http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au/mediaFiles/lic_drivesafe4.pdf |
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Keepleft
Post #15
History of a particularly large crash (series of them) on the NSW F6, from the Sydney Morning Herald of September 29, 1986. |
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Keepleft
Post #16
Recent TASMANIAN event:- July 19, 2010 |
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