In this viral TikTok video with over 17.9 million views (and counting), a person has adorned their automobile with fairy lights within the spirit of Christmas. Many customers are loving the thought and have began modifying their vehicles to show their very own festive lights.
Graham Conway, Managing Director at main UK lease agency Choose Automobile Leasing, has weighed in on this development to spotlight what precautions folks ought to take in the event that they want to enhance their vehicles, and whether or not one of these modification is authorized within the UK.
Is it unlawful to decorate my automobile with fairy lights?
There isn’t any particular legislation that prohibits the usage of fairy lights on the outside of your automobile; nevertheless, some modifications are unlawful, and the legality of the lights is decided by how they’re used.
Including LED fairy lights would fall beneath beauty modifications, that are modifications made purely for aesthetic functions. These sometimes embrace tinted windscreens, customized paintwork, or wheel equipment. Such modifications are a good way to make your automobile distinctive and stand out.
Nonetheless, since fairy lights emit a variety of colors, this could be a authorized gray space. It’s unlawful to drive with extra blue or crimson lights except your automobile is an emergency automobile. As fairy lights can emit these colors, it’s possible you’ll be stopped by the police and obtain both a warning or a penalty, at their discretion.
For security and to keep away from penalties, it’s strongly suggested to chorus from placing fairy lights in your automobile altogether. Whereas it might be acceptable to make use of them when the automobile is parked at residence and pose no danger to different highway customers, it’s best to keep away from their use solely to stop any potential hurt or points they could trigger.
What does the legislation say?
Whereas there are not any particular legal guidelines governing fairy lights on autos, the next legal guidelines and concerns beneath the Freeway Code and different laws might apply:
Careless or harmful driving
The Street Visitors Act 1988 states that driving with out due care or in an unreasonable method may end up in penalties. If fairy lights impair your imaginative and prescient or distract you or different drivers, this can be thought-about careless or reckless driving.
Distractions
Rule 148 of the Freeway Code advises drivers to keep away from distractions whereas driving. Just lately, police have cracked down even more durable on distracted driving with new AI cameras that detect cellphone use.
Fairy lights could possibly be thought-about a distraction. If an accident happens whereas the automobile is supplied with fairy lights, the motive force could also be held responsible for damages in addition to violating this rule.
Influence on different highway customers
The Street Automobile Lighting Laws 1989 govern the use, positioning, and performance of lights on autos. Their objective is to make sure highway security by standardising automobile lighting to scale back accidents attributable to poor visibility or confusion. Utilizing fairy lights whereas driving may breach these laws.
Shiny or flashing lights might distract different drivers or pedestrians, resulting in potential violations of each the Lighting Laws and the above-mentioned careless driving guidelines.
Insurance coverage Impacts
Even small modifications to your automobile can affect insurance coverage prices, as suppliers classify all modifications as modifications, even short-term ones like fairy lights.
Key concerns:
- Failure to Declare: In case you are concerned in an accident and your automobile has fairy lights, your insurer might argue that you simply didn’t declare the modification. This might invalidate your coverage.
- Negligence: Insurers may declare negligence in your half for utilizing distracting or unsafe decorations, doubtlessly holding you partially liable in an accident.
- Elevated Premiums: If fairy lights enhance the chance – by distracting drivers, impairing visibility, or inflicting a hearth hazard – your insurer might elevate your premium.
- Refusal of Protection: Some insurers might refuse to cowl autos with exterior ornamental lights altogether.
Whereas driving with fairy lights could be a enjoyable method to rejoice the festive interval, it’s vital to contemplate the potential dangers to your self and different highway customers. All the time guarantee your decorations adjust to the legislation, don’t distract different drivers, and verify together with your insurer to keep away from any disagreeable surprises.
