Hi, just checked the legal situation:
LED lights are absolutely illegal in the UK.
It is actually quite funny:
The UK laws regarding type approval are quite lax compared to other countries. So we can get away with a lot of things that would get your car impounded in e.g. Germany. However regarding lighting the situation is a bit different: Since the UK laws regarding car lights were written when there were no LED lights (automotive), they do not mention them, and as such they are absolutely not allowed - the laws specify what is allowed and not what isn't, so as they are not mentioned, all LEDs are illegal (including sidelights, indicators, etc.).
The only way LED lights in modern cars can be legal in the UK is by EU regulation which has been/had to be directly adopted by the UK. That is the little 'E' mark on most light units - tested, and approved according to EU regs and therefore legal throughout the EU - incl. UK. So after Brexit, many modern cars (with LED lights) may become illegal in the UK, if the government misses that little detail
In order for LED lights to be type approved (E marked) the whole unit has to be tested, there can be no approval for replacement bulbs that go in place of a regular H4 or H7 unit - as alignment is crucial, and cannot be guaranteed using a standard socket, usually the whole unit has to be replaced.
So, in short, any of the above LED replacement bulbs are not street legal and will - as murphyv310 pointed out - lead to an immediate MOT fail, maybe even classed as "dangerous", so you won't be allowed to drive the car of the garage forecourt until they are replaced and the MOT is passed. Many decide to remove them for the MOT - I did so with (type approved, but you never know) sidelight bulbs. But if you happen to dazzle a police car, a technically savvy officer could decide to prevent you from continuing your journey if he deems the lights to be a danger to traffic.
LED lights are absolutely illegal in the UK.
It is actually quite funny:
The UK laws regarding type approval are quite lax compared to other countries. So we can get away with a lot of things that would get your car impounded in e.g. Germany. However regarding lighting the situation is a bit different: Since the UK laws regarding car lights were written when there were no LED lights (automotive), they do not mention them, and as such they are absolutely not allowed - the laws specify what is allowed and not what isn't, so as they are not mentioned, all LEDs are illegal (including sidelights, indicators, etc.).
The only way LED lights in modern cars can be legal in the UK is by EU regulation which has been/had to be directly adopted by the UK. That is the little 'E' mark on most light units - tested, and approved according to EU regs and therefore legal throughout the EU - incl. UK. So after Brexit, many modern cars (with LED lights) may become illegal in the UK, if the government misses that little detail
In order for LED lights to be type approved (E marked) the whole unit has to be tested, there can be no approval for replacement bulbs that go in place of a regular H4 or H7 unit - as alignment is crucial, and cannot be guaranteed using a standard socket, usually the whole unit has to be replaced.
So, in short, any of the above LED replacement bulbs are not street legal and will - as murphyv310 pointed out - lead to an immediate MOT fail, maybe even classed as "dangerous", so you won't be allowed to drive the car of the garage forecourt until they are replaced and the MOT is passed. Many decide to remove them for the MOT - I did so with (type approved, but you never know) sidelight bulbs. But if you happen to dazzle a police car, a technically savvy officer could decide to prevent you from continuing your journey if he deems the lights to be a danger to traffic.
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