mrx:
can’t a truck be legal in poland/ wherever but unroadworthy in the uk? if so surely the foreign standerds arent relvent. just beacuse a truck/car is legal in the uk wouldn’t mean that it is automatically roadworthy in poland.
Actually you got me thinking with that. And I digged a bit and I got example that you are right. There might be such cases. But my example is actually the other way round.
Polish law says that if the vehicle is fitted with some lights, they have to be in working order. So if your fog lights or extra headlights dont’ work in UK, you don’t have to worry, as they are not mandatory so they aren’t checked. But if you go to Poland and ITD (Polish VOSA) will stop you and find that they are not working, you will have either to fix them on the spot, or you are in trouble. The rule is: if your vehicle is fitted with some lights to be used in the traffic (fog lights, extra headlights, day running lights, extra reversing lights, yellow beacon etc.) they have to be working.
Abother thing is that Polish law says that if you have any other lights (other than front white lights, side yellow lights, rear red lights, white reversing lights, yellow (or blue, when apply) beacons or indicators - for example hundreds of this fancy colourful coca-cola style lights or adjustable spot light), you can’t use them when driving on public road, and you can be fined for this too. Unless off course, they are legal in country of your registration.
Now I am not sure if this lights are legal in UK or just tolerated. If they are legal - you are OK to drive truck with them in Poland. If they are just tolerated, then don’t be suprise if Polish ITD will not be so understanding…
For example many people seem to fancy having contour lights replaced with blue bulbs. That might be tolerated in UK, but this is a breach of international rules that say front vehicle lights have to be white or selective yellow (if i remember correctly). So you might be fined for that too…
So I guess there are some situation when that works other way round as well. But since Polish roadworthiness requirements are a bit stricter than British, then I would rather expect that it will be in some cases where trucks is fitted with some non-standard things that are tolerated in Poland but not here (for example flags on the windscreen maybe? - you have that rule I think, that nothing can’t be withing the scope of windscreen wiper (except from tax discs I guess 
), in Poland laws says that it has not pose danger by obstructing your view…
of course there is a difference between not meeting all uk standards and being unroadworthy.
Off course. I think being unroadworthy is quite universal - you got bald tires, not working lights, brakes are bad or exhaust emissions too high…
But as long as we tell about specifications if the vehicle is legal in UK it has to be respected as such in Poland and other way round.
If the laws regarding spray supression in Poland and in UK are different, VOSA cannot do anything to Polish registered lorry as long, as it meets Polish requirements.
And in other way - for example if you run your British truck with number plate placed right on the top above the doors, then you are legal, as it’s OK in Britain and Polish laws about that number plate can’t be placed higher than something (i don’t remember exactly) do not apply to you.
But if your number plate is damaged and can’t be read, or if lighting for it is not working - then your vehicle is not roadworthy.
Btw: there is something these of you who go to Poland must be aware of, and I guess this apply to many other countries as well, but I just use Polish example.
In Poland trailer is considered as a separate vehicle. If the vehicle is parked on the public road, it has to display at least one number plate - for trailers, farm tractors and motorcycles - or two - for other vehicles. If the vehicle is parked on public road and it does not display a number plate, it can be impounded or removed… I heard about a case of the guy who was importing used caravans from UK. He pulled one to Poland, then he left it parked outside his house and went back to pull another one, taking number plate with him. On his return he found that caravan was towed away…
They were using helicopter to enforce road traffic back then? 
