Every day, tens of thousands of people take to the road in badly lit and even unlit vehicles, causing major issues for other road users and pedestrians. Badly lit vehicles can cause serious accidents on the road that are completely avoidable if drivers take extra care when checking their vehicle.
Common examples of badly lit vehicles include:
The Night Rider
Usually to be found in well-lit urban areas, night riders think they can see clearly and assume that other road users can see them. They’re often unaware that they haven’t switched on their lights, until stopped by the police, or when hit by another vehicle. It’s quite easy to forget to switch on your lights, especially when leaving an area lit well by streetlights.
Cyclops
Almost as dangerous as cars with no lights are cars with only one working headlamp or tail lamp. The driver’s road vision is reduced by about half and other road users get a false impression of the width of the vehicle.
The Bright Spark
The bright spark believes in using all their lights – all the time. The problem is that the dazzle caused by too much light can be almost as dangerous to other road users as an unlit vehicle.
The Foggy Thinker
In some situations, the foggy thinker may have forgotten that their fog lamps are still on after a previous journey or during patchy fog.
Loaded
Motorists often forget to adjust their lighting according to what’s in their vehicle. A fully laden car with luggage or other heavy items inevitably causes headlight beams to point higher, potentially dazzling on-coming traffic.
Dazed and Confused
Poor or infrequent maintenance may result in mis-aligned lights. These should be checked regularly, either by the old-fashioned method of shining them against a brick wall, or on a regular basis as part of a service and not just once a year during the annual MOT.
A weekly check of all lights is important, particularly when the nights and mornings are getting darker. Replacing a bulb is usually straightforward or get your local garage or high street car accessory store to carry out the work for you. It could save a life, maybe yours!
