Car Lights

Hitting the road without all the necessary car lights in proper working condition is an easy way to get pulled over by the police. Besides, it is a dangerous thing to do. Read on to find out more about the invention that enabled us to use cars regardless of whether it is day or night.

Car lights have been around since there were cars. In the earliest car models that came out in the 1880s, a time when there were no electric bulbs, acetylene lamps were mounted on the front of the cars to light the road. Then came sodium vapour lamps. They ruled over the world for the better part of a century. Today, there are more advanced and energy-efficient lights in place. Apart from headlights, there are also other lights on cars to serve a variety of purposes. While some of them are for the driver to see ahead, some others are for signalling. This guide will tell you everything you need to know before you purchase a new set of lights for your car.

Different types of car lights and the uses of each of them

There are a few different types of lights on all kinds of automobiles, including cars. They let the driver see the road and help other drivers to see them. Some of these lights are indicators to let others know if you are about to turn or brake the vehicle. It is imperative to use proper lights at the proper times to ensure one’s own safety and the safety of others. For that, you have to know which these different lights are and what they are supposed to do. Here is a list of the five most common types of lights used in cars. In this article, you will also find some awesome tips that you can follow while shopping for these lights online.

Headlights

Which is the most important light in any vehicle? You guessed it, the headlights. When somebody says car lights without specifying, you always think of the headlights, don’t you? This light serves two vital purposes—one to illuminate the road ahead for the driver to see. Second, to signal other drivers or pedestrians about an approaching vehicle. Although very bright headlamps are great for the driver to see the road nice and clear at night, that would make it difficult for other motorists on the road. Headlamps have a high beam and a low beam setting to serve both these purposes at appropriate times. Of all the lights in a car, headlight bulbs consume the most power.

Fog lights

These must be the set of car lights that people are mostly oblivious to. That’s because, for the most part of the year, you do not use them. Because yellow light can penetrate further than normal headlights, fog lights are bright yellow in colour. They will help you see the road and also let other motorists know that you are there in foggy weather. But bright yellow lights can refract back to the driver’s eyes. In order to reduce this effect, manufacturers mount them low on the front bumper. So, you should use them only during fog.

Brake lights

These lights alert the drivers behind you that you are slowing down or stopping your car. They are bright red to make them easy to notice. Brake lights turn on whenever you push the brake pedal. On cars, brake lights are located alongside the tail lamps. If you want to tell the driver you are going to stop or going to slow down, you can tap on the brakes a few times before flooring the pedals to avoid the driver confusing the brake lights with taillights. It is important to maintain brake lights in proper condition and ensure their visibility to avoid accidents.

Taillights

Usually, taillights and brake lights are inside the same globe. But a taillight will turn on automatically as you turn on the headlamps. These lights are for the drivers behind your car to recognise that a car is ahead of them. Without taillights, a fast-moving vehicle will not notice other vehicles in front of them and will ram into them. Both taillights and brake lights are red in colour. But to help distinguish between each other, brake lights are made brighter. Also, there will be additional red lights on the rear of the cars apart from the taillights that only light up when the driver brakes.

Signal lights

When you are making turns, it’s important to let other cars know that you are turning and which way you are turning. This helps avoid collisions and avoid unnecessary slowing down of traffic. Signal lights, or blinkers, are therefore on both sides of the vehicle. Unlike a brake light, you have to turn on the signal light manually. It is actually a more convenient way to signal than throwing your hands out as people did in the days of yore. But a lot of people fail to ensure that it is in proper order and will only know that they were not working when police stop them. Using LED car lights for the blinker is a good idea to give it a longer life.