ECE R65 is a European directive that defines the requirements for emergency lighting and sirens for vehicles and trailers that ensures road safety and good lighting in traffic.
LED lightheads, beacons and lightbars used on public roads must be ECE R65 certified which means that they must meet certain requirements.
ECE R65 Requirements:
- Visibility from a distance of 20 meters from the vehicle
- At a height of 1.5 meters
ECE R65 certificate applies to the following vehicle categories:
- Vehicles with at least 4 wheels (Categories M1, M2, M3, N1, N2, and N3)
- Trailers (Categories O1, O2, O3, and O4)
- Agricultural and forestry tractors (Category T)
- Off-road mobile machinery (Category G)
When should an ECE R65 certified flashing light be used?
- Rescue, repair, recovery or towing of vehicles
- Escorting transport for which an exemption has been granted
- Escorting military columns
- Agricultural, forestry or off-road work vehicles that travel at a reduced speed, or trailers pulled by these vehicles that are wider than 2.6 meters including the load
- The transport of an indivisible load for which an exemption has been granted
- Work around, on or on roads, including snow removal and gritting of slippery roads
- Providing assistance on or near the road
Legal liability
If a vehicle is not equipped or is insufficiently equipped with the correct warning lights, the owner of the vehicle may be held legally liable in the event of an accident. It is important to ensure that the emergency LED lighting on the vehicle is ECE R65 certified and installed according to European regulations. When LED lightheads, beacons and lightbars are ECE R65 compliant, the driver will not be held accountable.