Your Lights and Signals Keep You Safe While Driving
Using your lights and other signals while you drive is imperative to the safety of not only yourself, but those around you. These are the safety features that allow you to be fully seen by other drivers and pedestrians while you are on the road. Several signaling devices come standard on all cars. These include headlights, tail lights, indicators, brake lights, hazard warning lights, reversing lights, and the car horn. Knowing how to use them properly allows you to communicate with other drivers and pedestrians, alerting them of your next move so that you can all avoid an accident.
It is important to give the correct signal at the proper time in order to effectively communicate with those around you. For example, if you intend on turning left but use your right turn signal, you may end up causing an accident because the people around you will not be expecting you to turn left. In addition, you should make sure to use your signal at the right time. Too late can cause an accident, while signaling too soon can be confusing.
Benefits and Safety of Maintained Lights & Signals
Not only is it a legal requirement, but keeping your lights and signals in good working order can be helpful for you and others on the road. They allow you to be seen in the dark and to see things on the road better.
There are several simple things you can do to ensure your lights and signals are properly maintained. First, check your lights before you drive away. Make sure the casings are clean so that you can have the best lighting possible. If a friend is with you, it is a good idea to also check your brake lights. If you notice your indicator bulb blinking at a faster rate than normal, it is possible that it is not working correctly.
Aftermarket Lights
While laws concerning the use of aftermarket lighting can vary from state to state, in general laws are fairly similar when it comes to certain things. Flashing lights are typically prohibited, as are the use of red lights in the front of your car. In fact, it is a good idea to avoid using blue and red all together, as these colors are typically saved for emergency vehicles. In addition, the lighting around your license plate should always be white.
Many states also consider the use of under glow in cars to be illegal unless you are at a show or exhibition. Similar rules are in place for flashing or rotating lights. If you want to add this type of lighting, it is a good rule of thumb to only use them while on your own property, as several states do not allow the use of them at all in any public area, even parking lots.
Bulb Types
While there are plenty of options out there when it comes to what kind of light bulb you use in your car, there are generally three types of bulbs - halogen, xenon HID, and LED.
- The oldest type of bulb that is still in use, halogen bulbs are the cheapest available. Because they are typically used throughout the car, they are generally easy to replace as well. However, they do not last as long as the other options, nor are they as bright.
- HID bulbs are filled with xenon gas, which provide a brighter light source than halogen, making them the preferred option by many drivers for headlights. However, they are fairly expensive to replace and are difficult to outfit your car with if you have an older model that uses halogen bulbs. To replace your car with HID bulbs would require an HID conversion kit, which is not road legal.
- Meanwhile, LED bulbs are popular because they produce a lot of light without using much energy. However, these bulbs should only be used inside your car. LED bulbs used for headlights or other exterior bulbs are not considered to be road legal.
