Here's the situation: LED auxiliary lights are being mounted on the front bumper of a passenger car (i.e., a multi-lane vehicle, not a truck). These lights look like LED daytime running lights, but they do not have the ECE R87 approval marking. The lights in question do not have an "RL" approval but only an "A" approval. The color of their light is white.
In conclusion, this means that these lights should be classified as boundary lights, or, in colloquial terms, position lights. Consequently, according to § 51 of the German Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO), a total of up to four of these lights are permitted – in addition to the "parking lights" already integrated into the headlights, meaning an extra pair. The publication "Lighting Equipment on Motor Vehicles and Their Trailers" also mentions the dimensions that must be observed, as does the StVZO (e.g. The minimum height is 350 mm, the maximum is 400 mm, measured from the outer edges of the vehicles, and the minimum distance between them is 600 mm. These requirements were also met in the specific case.
I installed the lights according to their dimensions, neatly routed the cables, and connected them to the parking light circuit. This means they turn on with the parking lights and continue to illuminate when the low beam and/or high beam headlights are in use. The lights are designed to be glare-free. While the use of these lights in conjunction with the parking light during driving is not permitted (§ 17 of the Road Traffic Regulations), there is no requirement that this function be technically disabled.
Did I interpret that correctly?
Automobile Zeitzeugen: |SUZUKI Swift Sport (2008)| |Smart 450 (2002)| |Kymco Heroism 125 (1997)|
Translated on 04-07-2026, 10:36.
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