Fog lights, head lights, side lights; most drivers know they exist, but not everyone knows when to use them, or even how to switch them on! In this series, we cover everything you need to know about your car’s lights, including:
- Brake lights
- Dipped lights
- Full beam lights
- Fog lights
- Hazard lights
- Indicators
- Sidelights
- Tail lights
- Brake lights
Some of these lights might come on automatically, and some need to be activated by you; but it is useful for you to know where they are, how to test them, and how to change them as not having the right lights working could result in a fine and even points on your license.
Brake lights
Your brake lights are red and located near your tail lights at the rear of your car. Brake lights show other vehicles that you are slowing down. You don’t need to activate your brake lights, but you do need to make sure that they are working; being caught with a faulty brake light is dangerous enough to earn you a fine or a verbal warning from the police. If you are unsure about how to fix or replace your brake light bulb, pop into your local garage, who will be able to do it with relatively little time and expense involved.
Dipped lights
Dipped headlights are the standard lights that we most commonly use to improve visibility in the dark. The lights dip downwards which stops them from dazzling other drivers, hence the name. If you drive abroad, you may need to apply stickers to your headlights to stop them from dazzling oncoming drivers.
Dipped headlights should be used when visibility is significantly reduced – this means that you can’t see more than 100m ahead, for example in bad weather or at night.
Many modern vehicles have automatic headlights, which come on provided the dial is set to the right setting. Otherwise, you can usually switch on your headlights via your indicator stick or dashboard dial.
Full beams
Full beam is useful in conditions where visibility is drastically reduced. They are higher up than dipped headlights and therefore shine more light on the road ahead. Often, you can activate full beam by flicking the indicator stick while the headlights are already on.
Full beam can only be used on unlit roads, where there is no oncoming traffic – this includes cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians. If you are following a vehicle or making a left hand turn, you must dip your headlights as they can dazzle other road users and cause an accident.
If you are unsure of which lights to use, and when, or if you are nervous driving at night, get in touch with a local driving instructor to give you a refresher on driving in challenging conditions. And don’t forget to follow Trust A Garage on Facebook or X!