noticed one of my brake lights has died, so i have taken the bulb from one of the reversing lights. Do i actually need two reversing lights, some cars have one and some have two.

Just a case of whether i get a bulb now or when i get round to it.

If your car has two, then both should work, doubt the old bill would bother you though, just get one when you are next at halfrauds

for the purpose of your MOT if its fitted it needs to work, if you happened to get pulled you'd get a producer and need to give evidence that its been fixed.

Reversing lights are not tested in the MOT.

I don't believe revering lights are part of the MOT per se

It one had a broken lens it may fail but I don't think they're tested or are a legal requirement

Seeing as a reverse gear isn't needed for an MOT I don't think you need reversing lights, unless the 'if fitted it must work' rule applies.

Am I the only one who thought this was going to be a picture of a car, buried in reversing lights?

unless the'if fitted it must work' rule applies.

no – it's not even tested or mentioned in the manual

Seeing as a reverse gear isn't needed for an MOT

How does this work? what exactly is an MOT for? i seem to be having a problem getting my head round the idea of driving a car without a reverse gear.

They're not checked at MOT, but under the Construction and Use regs you need one if your car was build after 1975(?). Incidentally if it was tested at MOT the absence of a bulb might be enough to make a case that there isn't a light fitted, would depend on the tester though.

Mine only has one as standard as do most of the reasonably new VW's.

Think you'll be fine but would still get a new one when you have the chance

i'll get a new one as they are a handy spare in case something more important, an indicator or brake light goes.

Lots of bike engined kit cars don't have a reverse. I've driven mine for about 5 years without needing one. You just need to plan ahead.

i just have this image of jeremy clarkson trying to pick up a transit and turn it round like he did to that peel p50,

I'm with you, Tracker.

You know the way some 'people' have loads of front lights, rally lights, fog lights, blinding-every-other-poor-sod-on-the-road lights?

Well, I wanted that here, but with reversing lights 😥

actually my reversing light has never worked since i got the car (dodgy switch) i asked my usual mot garage and was told it was not an mot requirement, perhaps i should check again?.

perhaps i should check again

Here you go

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual/mot_section_one.htm

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual/contents.htm

Just replace the bulb….

Slightly O.T. here,but i've always wondered why a rear numberplate light(s) is needed.
After all,you don't have one on the front 'plate do you?

Many years ago I got a £5 fine for not having a rear reg plate light. Also got a £15 one for not having a secure battery,they said it was a fire hazard.I did tell them that it had been like that for ages & not caught fire but it didn't help & I ended up having to go to court…..
Mind there were a few other things too….Like 4 bald tyres,no hand brake,no indicators(they came on just didn't flash)& no high beam either.One of the PC's gave a cheer when the horn worked,LOL ……. 😕

Definately don't need reverse lights for the MOT. Used to work in a garage and its not a legal requirement. Look at old Minis and the like, they never had them. Its why some of them had a great big lamp fitted on the boot lid.

for the purpose of your MOT if its fitted it needs to work,

Not true, mine are not working & it passed an MOT, I had pointed it out & asked them to fix them but they forgot, so I still don't have any.

No idea about the MOT, but the police won't even notice unless you reverse into them, in which case the absence of a bulb might be relatively insignificant 🙂