Such automotive lighting equipment is turned on in the following situations:
- poor visibility on the road. According to traffic regulations, the lights turn on during snowfall, heavy and not very fog, heavy precipitation, twilight;
- movement in tunnels;
- as a designation for a car when parked at night. Sometimes drivers also turn on the emergency lights.
By turning on the sidelights, you will mark your vehicle, making driving easier for both yourself and oncoming cars. Novice drivers are often convinced that side lights are daytime running lights, but this is not the case. The brightness of the sidelights is much less than that of daytime running lights. Don't repeat this mistake!
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Rules for using headlights and running lights according to traffic regulations | ▼ About Lada ▼ The main purpose is vehicle safety when driving in conditions of poor visibility or when parking near the roadway. Ask, I'm in touch!
What color should the dimensions be?
Since the situations of turning on this type of lighting to indicate the size of the car are strictly regulated by legislation, the fine for driving without side lights is also clearly indicated. So why can an inspector issue a warning or issue a fine:
In the case of the above situations, you may be issued both a fine for faulty side lights (up to 500 rubles) and a warning. It all depends on the consequences of faulty or not turned on dimensions.
Please note that in older cars, this lighting equipment is turned on simultaneously with other headlights; in newer models, the lights can be turned on separately. Therefore, be sure to check whether the side lights icon on the panel lights up.
The question often arises: is it possible to drive with side lights during the day? No. It is necessary to turn on either the running lights or the low beam.
To ensure the safety of cars and pedestrians, side lights, also called parking lights, are used. They are placed on the sides of the front and rear of the car, and must light up if you are driving in the dark. They are also left on when stopping or parking on the roadway or on the side of the road.
Front dimensions are called differently: sidelights, parking lamps, dimensions. They are located along the edges of the front of the car in one line. In older models, as well as on trucks, the dimensions are located on the wings.
What kind of lighting do you prefer?
Built-in Chandelier
The front lights should only illuminate in white. Traffic rules oblige drivers to turn on these lights at night and in poor visibility conditions together with other optics: fog lights, low or high beam lights.
For the first time, front markers were installed on American cars back in 1968 and have since become mandatory, since thanks to them, accident rates were reduced by almost half.
In the rear of passenger cars, the dimensions are also located on the sides in one line and are part of the headlight unit. According to the list of faults, the rear lights can only be red. If we are talking about buses or freight vehicles, then the dimensions should be not only at the bottom, but also at the top, to indicate the size of the vehicle.
The rear lights must be turned on at night, both while driving and stopping on the side of the road.
Penalty for not turning on side lights
The Code of Administrative Offenses does not have a separate fine for non-flammable, non-working or dirty dimensions. However, Article 12.5 Part 1 clearly states that in case of any non-compliance of lighting devices with the basic provisions for admitting a vehicle to operation, either a warning or a fine of 500 rubles will be issued.
That is, this fine can be received in the following cases:
The decision to issue a fine or a warning is made by the inspector on the spot, based on specific traffic circumstances and Order No. 185 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Installation of side lights
Today, halogen bulbs or LEDs are usually installed in the dimensions. Whichever of these types of lamps you choose, you should remember that the rear lights should not shine brighter than the turn indicators or brake lights.
The optimal choice would be LEDs or LED blocks, since, unlike conventional incandescent and halogen light bulbs, they consume less electricity, and their service life can reach 100 thousand hours of glow. True, they cost more.
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Car side lights - what are they: why are they needed, what do they look like and where are they located? The main purpose is vehicle safety when driving in conditions of poor visibility or when parking near the roadway. Ask, I'm in touch!
Is it possible to make turn signals larger?
Quite recently, avid car owners came up with a unique method that allows their cars to stand out from the crowd - installing side lights in the cornering headlights. In fact, this is a fairly simple external tuning procedure. It is better to contact a specialist for these purposes, although sometimes you can redo the side turn signals yourself. You can do this as follows:
- Open the hood and remove the corresponding lamp.
- Take into account the design features of the car.
- Carefully remove the damaged lamp.
- Pull out the ground wire and connect it to the power cable.
It is always necessary to take into account that the dimensions in turn signals are considered violations by law. Therefore, if the side lights are converted to the type of optics considered, the driver may face a serious fine.
What devices are used at night?
It would be more correct, of course, to say “in the dark,” which is even defined in the traffic rules. Without going into too much detail, it’s just a time when it’s dark, at dusk in the morning or evening and at night.
Here headlights are used in high and low beam modes. If you are parked overnight (or if you are driving with a trailer, or are towed), then you need to switch to dimensions. In this case, the fog lights should not work separately; they are accompanied by high beam or low beam.
If you have a spotlight, do not use it if you are driving through a populated area or when you see an oncoming car. This is a traffic violation.
The rules establish a procedure that ensures the safety of all road users. Therefore, it is not allowed to blind oncoming drivers with high beams if the cars have approached more than 150 m. In addition, the oncoming driver may ask you to switch the mode of the lighting devices. This is usually done by “blinking” the headlights.
When moving around the territory of a well-lit populated area, they also do not use high beams. And, as in the situation with daytime mode, it is prohibited to use fog lights on a lit road without accompanying low or high beams. DRLs are also not turned on at night.
For movement through tunnels day and night, all of the above requirements apply.
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Side lights - what are they? What color should they be? The configuration and design may differ, there is only one requirement - the designation of the dimensions of the car, which is where the name comes from, so that other drivers correctly assess its size and maintain a safe distance. Ask, I'm in touch!
What are side lights?
This is part of the car lighting. According to traffic regulations, each car must be equipped with small lighting in the front, rear and on each side. A small light bulb is installed in the optics, as well as on the sides (usually in the area of the front fenders, and in the case of trucks - along the entire body).
The legislation of all countries obliges all owners to turn on this lighting when it gets dark. As soon as the driver turns on the light switch (daytime lights or main low beam), the dimensions of the car located around the perimeter of the body automatically begin to light up.
Hazard and other warning signals
If you are in tow, then turn on the hazard lights; if you are blinded by oncoming traffic and you have lost the ability to see something, immediately press the button. “Blinking headlights” helps to avoid such unpleasant moments. True, there are unscrupulous drivers who always leave their high beams on.
The rapid switching of headlights (high-low - low) is “blinking”. It is also used in cases when you want to overtake the car in front. The popular use of this mode helps warn other drivers about an imminent meeting with traffic police officers.
You won't find an official justification for "blinking" anywhere, but this is not a case where something is allowed that is not prohibited. You may well be fined for such actions, imputed to a violation of traffic regulations regarding the operation of headlights.
Device
Illumination of the front and rear dimensions is included in the design of the optics. So, the front light will be equipped with a lamp that will have a white light, and the rear light will have a red light.
Side lights are always yellow. Most cars have a white light bulb installed in the socket, but its glow depends on the color of the backlight element housing. However, there are car models in which each headlight is white, but the bulbs glow in accordance with the type of signal provided by the manufacturer:
- Turning and side lighting - yellow glow;
- Rear optics - red light, with the exception of turn signals in some models, as well as a reversing light;
- The front optics are white except for the turn signals.
Traffic rules
Today, the use of low beam headlights is strictly regulated. The rules must be followed in order not to receive a noticeable fine. The law states that side lights are necessary to indicate a vehicle at night. Traffic rules assume that you will turn on light devices not only at night, but also during snowfall, fog, and twilight.
Side light color
It should be noted that in the traffic regulations the color of the side lights is clearly indicated. They can be exclusively white. As for the rear elements, they can be exclusively red. In the case of side lights, the choice is significantly greater. Yellow, orange or blue colors are allowed.
Fines
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How to use it correctly If in old cars the side lights turned on along with the instrument lighting, and it was impossible to forget about it, in new cars everything is separated, and by turning on the instrument lights, you can forget about the dimensions. This cannot be done. Ask, I'm in touch!
Possible malfunctions and how to fix them yourself
Just like any other vehicle equipment, sidelights may not work. Therefore, new drivers often do not understand how exactly they can replace the side light bulb. In fact, the algorithm itself is quite simple: you just need to open the hood, remove the cover from the inside of the lighting equipment, remove the base and replace it.
According to the rules for driving on modern highways (Chapter 19), it is prohibited to use vehicles with damaged external lighting devices. If at least one device malfunctions, there is a risk of receiving a fine justified by operating the machine with breakdowns.
Sometimes cases arise when, when changing a halogen part to an LED element with similar functions, the control panel reflects a malfunction of the sidelights. Considering that the built-in computer is designed for the declared power of the luminous elements, and the diodes use a much smaller amount of electricity and the control panel simply does not register them. But professionals recommend not to adjust the classification of the source, because the lights discussed are not suitable for all models.
Sometimes drivers completely forget to turn off the sidelights, which automatically leads to an almost immediate discharge of the battery. Many manufacturers have been able to correct this flaw: when the lights are on and the door is open, a characteristic sound is sent as a reminder. But the next modifications of the machines have already been trained for similar personal control of the lighting device.
Often the installation has a significant service life, but in the event of an unexpected malfunction or the need for quick repairs, such a procedure does not require a lot of money and time.
Types of sidelights for cars
As mentioned earlier, automobile sidelights are divided into three application groups:
Front side lights
The devices have several names: markers, sidelights, stop lights. They are located on the front area of the vehicle, closer to the edges. On older modifications or cargo types, installation can occur on the side wings.
Front side lights
The front LEDs should only produce white light. At night, drivers are required to turn on additional lighting equipment in combination with fog lights, high or low beams.
History says that the first LED lamps for cars were installed on American vehicles, approximately in 1968. It was from that moment that the product became mandatory, since it contributed to a reduction in accident statistics by almost 50%.
Rear side lights
Regarding passenger vehicles, the rear units are mounted in the same way, on the same line in the side areas of the vehicle. They are only available in red and may be included with headlight units.
Tail lights are always red only
As for larger vehicles, lighting equipment is often located closer to the top.
Halogen installations are considered the most common. However, at the moment they share the leading position with LED lamps for vehicles. The second option has more functional capabilities:
The cost of installing LEDs is much higher than the halogen type, but the technical characteristics fully compensate for this disadvantage.
When replacing the side light bulb, it is important to remember that its brightness should not be higher than that of the brake lights.
Fog light
- If the car is equipped with a power button located on the center console (as, for example, in the VAZ 2109), then this button activates the side lights, as well as the low beam. To turn on the first, the button must be pressed once, and when the next mode is activated, the low beam is activated.
- If you use a steering column switch, you need to work with it to control the optics. The switch should have a button that turns on the lights (the author of the video is the Rama rus channel).
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LEDs or halogens
Typically, halogens are used as side lights, but LEDs are increasingly being installed in modern cars. The reason is that such lamps have better functionality. Here are just some of the advantages that this modification of light sources has:
- They shine brighter;
- Devices require less energy to operate;
- Such lamps have a much longer working life (can reach 100 thousand hours of operation);
- The lamps are not afraid of vibrations;
- Temperature changes do not damage such light bulbs;
- They are more stable compared to halogens.
The only drawback of such light sources is their high cost. But this minus is more than offset by the advantages listed above. Regardless of the type of bulbs that are selected for the side lights, their brightness should not exceed the brightness of the brake lights.
How to enable
When purchasing a new car, every motorist must not only check the technical condition of the vehicle, but also how all its options are turned on/off, including side lights. The reason is that in each car model, the switches are located in different parts of the control panel or on the steering column switches.
You should also figure out as soon as possible how different light bulbs are changed in order to understand whether it will be possible to carry out the replacement yourself in the event of a breakdown on the road. In some cars, the side light bulbs are located in a common headlight module, and replacing even the smallest bulb requires the services of service station specialists. In other machines this procedure is much simpler.
Where are they located?
The arrangement of dimensions is usually standard, but there are features in cars of certain brands. The standard arrangement is in the headlights and taillights, but there are several features that are shown in the photo.
The standard option, which is a low-power bulb located in the front headlight together with the low or high beam.
In modern cars, dimensions are most often implemented in the form of LED lighting. It not only consumes little electricity, but also performs a decorative function, making a particular brand recognizable.
The tail lights are always red. They can be either in the form of a light bulb under a red diffuser, or in the form of an LED module.
For trucks, light sources are located not only from below, but also from above, as well as from the side. To enhance the effect, reflective elements are also glued to the surface.
And buses should also be equipped with additional lights so that drivers can assess the size of the vehicle from afar.
