LIGHTING THE WAY Published by
INTRODUCTION
THE EXTERNAL LIGHTING ON YOUR VEHICLE IS AN IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE THAT HELPS ALERT OTHER ROAD USERS AND PEDESTRIANS TO YOUR PRESENCE, AND YOUR INTENTIONS, AND THEY HELP YOU SEE THE ROAD AHEAD. THE HIGHWAY CODE STIPULATES THAT ‘LIGHTS, INDICATORS, REFLECTORS, AND NUMBER PLATES MUST BE KEPT CLEAN AND CLEAR’ AND ‘MUST BE PROPERLY ADJUSTED TO PREVENT DAZZLING OTHER ROAD USERS’. IF YOUR LIGHTS AREN’T WORKING CORRECTLY YOUR VEHICLE WILL FAIL ITS MOT AND YOU COULD BE PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE AND ISSUED WITH A FINE.
CHECK ALL YOUR LIGHTS ARE WORKING ON A REGULAR BASIS BUT PARTICULARLY BEFORE A LONG JOURNEY. THIS JOB IS EASIER WITH TWO PEOPLE, ONE OPERATING THE LIGHTS AND THE OTHER STOOD OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE TO CHECK THEY’RE WORKING BUT IT CAN BE CARRIED OUT BY ONE PERSON IF NECESSARY BY PARKING CLOSE TO A WINDOW, GARAGE DOOR OR WALL.
SIDELIGHTS
USED WHEN VISIBILITY IS REDUCED AROUND DAWN OR DUSK, OR IN DRIZZLY WEATHER, TURN THE LIGHTS TO THE FIRST POSITION TO ENSURE THEY ARE WORKING ON THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE VEHICLE.
DIPPED BEAM
CLICK THE LIGHTS INTO THE NEXT POSITION AND HEY PRESTO, YOU’RE ON DIPPED BEAM. THIS IS A VEHICLES’ MOST USED LIGHTING POSITION AND HELPS IMPROVE VISIBILITY ON THE ROAD WITHOUT DAZZLING OTHER ROAD USERS. LIGHTS ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SHOULD ALSO ILLUMINATE WHEN ON DIPPED BEAM.
MAIN BEAM
FOR WHEN THERE IS NO STREET LIGHTING, MAIN BEAM IS A BIT OF A DAZZLER, ALLOWING YOU TO SEE AS MUCH OF THE ROAD AHEAD AS POSSIBLE. FLASH YOUR MAIN BEAM TO MAKE SURE ALL IS IN ORDER.
FOG LIGHTS
OFTEN FOUND ON THE FRONT OF A VEHICLE AND ALWAYS ON THE REAR, FOG LIGHTS SHOULD BE CHECKED, JUST IN CASE IT GETS FOGGY.
DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS (DLRS)
MODERN CARS, SINCE 2011, HAVE DRLS THAT COME ON AUTOMATICALLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED BUT TURN OFF WHEN YOUR SIDELIGHTS OR HEADLIGHTS ARE ON.
BRAKE LIGHTS
STATING THE OBVIOUS, PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE WORKING.
REVERSING LIGHTS
DIP THE CLUTCH AND PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE, SOME CARS ONLY HAVE ONE REVERSING LIGHT SO MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR VEHICLE’S HANDBOOK FIRST.
INDICATORS
CHECK RIGHT AND LEFT INDICATION AT THE FRONT AND REAR OF YOUR VEHICLE.
HAZARD LIGHTS
A BUTTON, USUALLY LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DASHBOARD AND IDENTIFIABLE BY A RED TRIANGLE, WILL TURN YOUR HAZARD LIGHTS ON. HAZARD LIGHTS ARE YOUR INDICATOR LIGHTS, FLASHING IN UNISON, USED TO WARN OTHER ROAD USERS THAT YOUR VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND CAUSING AN OBSTRUCTION DUE TO AN ACCIDENT OR BREAKDOWN.
REGISTRATION PLATE LIGHT
ONLY FOUND ON THE REAR REGISTRATION PLATE, THIS LIGHT ENSURES YOUR VEHICLES’ LICENCE IS CLEARLY VISIBLE AT ALL TIMES.
HORN
NOT TECHNICALLY A LIGHT BUT JUST AS IMPORTANT IN ALERTING OTHER ROAD USERS TO YOUR PRESENCE, GIVE IT A BLAST TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS.
IF YOU SPOT A FAULT WITH ANY OF YOUR LIGHTS AND FEEL CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO CHANGE THE BULB, REFER TO THE VEHICLE’S HANDBOOK FOR INFORMATION, OTHERWISE DROP YOUR CAR INTO A LOCAL GARAGE.