Oregon Statutes - Chapter 816 - Vehicle Equipment: Lights - Section 816.050 - Headlights; rules.

Each of the following is a requirement for headlights as described:

(1) On vehicles required to be equipped with two or more headlights under ORS 816.320 and 816.330 the headlights shall be equally distributed on each side of the front of the vehicle. This subsection does not apply to motorcycles and mopeds.

(2) Headlights shall show a continuously burning light except that:

(a) When permitted under ORS 814.320, headlights for motorcycles or mopeds may have an upper beam that can be modulated between a high and lower brightness at a rate of 200 to 280 pulses per minute.

(b) A federally approved headlight flashing system may be used as emergency vehicle lights on police, fire, emergency or ambulance vehicles.

(3) Headlights shall show a white light described in Standard Number 108 of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

(4) Headlights shall show the light forward.

(5) The Department of Transportation shall adopt and enforce rules establishing minimum standards and specifications for headlights. The rules shall conform, insofar as practicable, to safety standards and specifications for vehicle lighting issued by the federal government or to standards and recommendations established by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

(6) When multiple beam headlights are used or when headlights are used in combination with auxiliary lights or passing lights, the lights shall be arranged on the vehicle so that the selection between distributions of light projected to different elevations may be selected by the driver at will or so that the selection can be made automatically.

(7) Headlights shall be aimed in accordance with rules adopted by the department. If headlights provide only a single distribution of light and are not supplemented by auxiliary lights, the single beam headlights shall be so aimed that when the vehicle is not loaded, none of the high intensity portion of the light shall, at a distance of 25 feet ahead of the vehicle, project higher than five inches below the level of the center of the lamp from which it comes, or higher than 42 inches above the level on which the vehicle stands at a distance of 75 feet ahead of the vehicle.

(8) The intensity of the light of single beam headlights shall be sufficient to reveal persons and vehicles upon a street or highway at a distance of at least 200 feet ahead of the vehicle to which they are attached.

(9) Headlights that are required under ORS 816.320 and 816.330 must be mounted, adjusted and aimed in accordance with standards adopted by the department under ORS 816.010.

(10) Headlights that are required under ORS 816.320 and 816.330 and any part for such headlight that tends to change the original design or performance must be of a type that complies with standards adopted by the department under ORS 816.010.

(11) Single beam headlights that are not supplemented by auxiliary lights shall be permitted on a motor vehicle in lieu of multiple beam headlights only if the single distribution of lights complies with any requirements for single beam headlights under this section. [1983 c.338 §458 (2); 1985 c.16 §240 (2); 1985 c.69 §1 (2); 1985 c.71 §4 (2); 1985 c.393 §13 (2); 1985 c.420 §6 (2); 1989 c.402 §8; 1991 c.769 §1; 2003 c.158 §20]

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Last modified: August 7, 2008