“- Hta O.reg 611 And Hta 84”

This is more out of curiosity than anything.

A long time ago but...I have a buddy who used to be a police officer who noticed my rear taillight was burned out. He said don't worry the HTA says you only need one.

But from what I have read, when a safety certificate is given under 611 it says all lights that came with the car have to work. But a section of the HTA says you only need one rear facing red light.

I would assume a charge could be given under section 84 unsafe vehicle? But his response was no, the safety was at a point in time to register the vehicle but does not mean it is unsafe to operate as the law only requires one light.

The same could be said of mirrors. 611 says if they came with them they have to be there but the HTA also says you only need one with an unobstructed view.

Don't these contradict each other?

Yes, you only need 1 working tail light or brake light when out driving. The only time you need 2 is for the safety. There are specific charges for lights being out, section 84, the unsafe vehicle section, would only be used if you had several violations such as a couple of lights out, no emergency brake, worn tires - it's more of a catch-all charge instead of laying a bunch of tickets...I suppose the two do contradict each other, however, when you go and have a vehicle certified, they want you to be in a proper safe condition to start with...