Head Lamps

These lamps are attached to the front of a car, for the purpose of

1) illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility such as either due to lack of sunlight or haze and

2) to enable other road users know your presence and increase your conspicuousity.

 

So as not to blind oncoming vehicle drivers, the power of the headlight is regulated. For low beam it is 55w and for high beam 65 watts. One cannot use a 100 watt bulb for the headlights (although you can buy it in shops) as they are not meant for road or highway use.

 

With each year performance of cars had improved so much that headlamps are said to be not keeping in tempo. However the lights have actually improved from the days of sealed beam. Modern designs in reflectory has made lights much brighter and with farther penetration. The headlamps are actually either an integrated unit with a two-filaments bulb, one for low or dipped beam and one for high beam, or it could be as separate units. One lamp is for low and another for high.

Low Beam

This is a dipped beam from the headlamp so that oncoming drivers will not be glared. The beam is normally pointed slightly to the left for all right hand drive cars. The wattage for the dipped beam is 55 watts

Main beam (high beam)

Main-beam also called high beam provides an intense, center-weighted distribution of light with no particular control of glare. Therefore, they are only suitable for use when alone on the road, as the glare they produce will dazzle or blind other drivers.

 

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Driving Lamps

 “Driving lamps" refer to different lamps in America as to Europe. In Malaysia and most Commonwealth countries, driving lamp refers to light illuminated by a little filament bulb in the headlamp unit. In some French cars these bulbs are orange in color. This lamp is mainly used in city driving at night where street lightings are bright enough so as not to require a higher wattage light.  In the US and some European countries driving lamps refer to the main high beam.

Reversing Lamp

Other then the number plate lamp this is the only other white light placed on the rear of a vehicle. The logic is simple, in a dark situation whenever you see a white light it means they are coming in your direction and presence of the rear light it cannot be mistaken other than the fact that the car is reversing.

Brake Lamps

These are rear facing lamps which are red in color that gets illuminated when the brake pedal is activated. It can be incorporated with the rear lamp by being in the same shell but with a higher wattage filament connected to it.  Dual filament bulbs have two different wattage. The lower wattage being for the rear lamp whilst the higher wattage is for the brake lamp.

 

In Malaysia and in many developed countries it is regulatory to have a third brake light placed in the center at a higher plane. In the US it is called ‘Centre High Mount Stop Lamp’ whilst in other countries it may be called safety brake light or eye level brake light.  Recommended position just inside the back glass or in some case integrated into a rear spoiler.

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Rear Lamps

These are rear facing lamps which are red in color. It gets illuminated when the headlight or driving light is switched on. On the road when you see two red lights it will mean that the car in front of you is traveling in the same direction as you.

Number Plate Lamp

The only other white light placed at the rear but this lamp is not positioned to face the rear rather it is just to illuminate the registration numbers.

Directional Indicators

These are lights which are traditionally placed on the four corners of a car to indicate directional change. They could be to the outside of the headlamp, above it or below it. These lamps are amber in color and are placed to the right of the headlamp (for right indicator) and to the left of headlight for left indicator.

Turn signals are required to blink on and off, or "flash", at a steady rate of between 60 and 120 blinks per minute

Hazard Lamps

This is for strict use if the vehicle is a hazard and when activated all four indicators lights flash. DO NOT use the hazard light in rain or driving through tunnels and such because if you use the hazard, the indicator lights become useless. The Hazard lights should be used when your vehicle become to hazard to other road uses and this is when the car is stationary like obstructing traffic and such.

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Optional Lamps

Off-road vehicles

Vehicles used off road, or at very high speeds often have extra lamps to broaden and extend the field of illumination in front of the vehicle. On off-road vehicles in particular, these additional lamps are sometimes mounted along with forward-facing lights on a bar above the roof, which protects them from road hazards and raises the beams allowing for a greater projection of light forward. These lamps are required for fast race driving as a normal beam may handicap a car from going faster.

Cornering lamps

On some models, white cornering lamps provide extra lateral illumination in the direction of an intended turn or lane change. These are actuated in conjunction with the turn signals, though they burn steadily, and they may also be wired to illuminate when the vehicle is shifted into reverse gear.

Gas Filled

Gas filled lamps has been around for a while as can be seen on street lights at intersections where sodium filled bulbs are used to give the orange colored light. In car however, halogen filled bulbs appeared in the early 60’s as a solution to blackening of bulbs from usage. It was found then that with halogen the beam was brighter.

Today we find High Intensity Discharge lights finding acceptance among drivers though it can sometime be dazzling to other road users. HID lights uses Xenon for enhance illumination. A 65 watts HID bulb can give illumination equivalent to a 130 watts bulb.

We will discuss this at another opportunity. Meanwhile for those interested to find out more on regulations regarding lightings for vehicles or anything that regulate vehicle construction you may visit the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe – Transport Division.

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