Do you know how many type of lights there are in and outside your car i.e.
either on the front, rear or side? Do
you know what their intent and purpose are? I write this because looking at the
number of motorists using their hazard lights when there is rain make me
wonder if they know what the lights are there for. Let us forget about the
lights inside a car as they are there for the purpose of convenience only.
The
lights on the outside of your car are there to help you drive safely in
conditions that are not favorable by:-
i) providing illumination for the driver
so that he can drive safely and
ii) to increase your chance of being seen.
Other
road users can gauge your presence, your position, your size, direction of
travel and also the drivers intentions (if any) of changing direction and
lastly the speed of your vehicle.
Now all these lamps come in
different colors and wattage and they operate differently in a regulated
manner thus everybody driving will understand what message another driver is
giving by activating their lamps. But are the lights and colors enough? No the
lights must be on a set position to help others comprehend your intentions. For
example a headlamp must be in the front of the car and not on the roof or at the side-pillar
or at the back.
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.
“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.
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.
In recent years however, some cars including Proton Gen 2, Perodua
MYVI and Viva and Honda City had placed the indicators in between the two
headlights. A study done in UK
showed that reaction time to interpret the signal took a little longer than
that placed traditionally. Writer had once almost run into a Viva which had its
left light blown and the driver had indicated turning right. But what this
writer thought it was a
motorcycle indicating to turn left!
The positioning of
the front indicators in between headlights can prove unsafe to the vehicle
driver and other road user it is recommended that the relevant authorities must
ensure that this trend is checked immediately before someone dies because of
misinterpretation of signals. As it is, current international regulations
(UNECE) are silent on this.
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.
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.
HeadLamps
These
lamps are attached to the front of a car, for the purpose of 
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. 
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. 
