What lights should be turned on at night in the city

Night driving in urban areas is very different from driving on the highway or in rural areas. The dense flow of cars, bright street lights and the presence of pedestrians dictate their strict requirements for road lighting. The main task of the driver at this moment is not just to see the way ahead, but also not to interfere with other participants of the movement, while maintaining maximum visibility.

Many motorists mistakenly believe that the presence of street lights completely removes from them the responsibility for turning on the headlights. However, the statistics of road accidents show that it is at dusk and at night, even on illuminated avenues, the risk of accidents increases due to poor visibility of pedestrians in dark clothes and sudden rearrangements. The right choice of light mode is not only a matter of compliance with traffic rules, but also personal safety.

In this article, we will discuss what kind of lighting devices should work on your car when driving around the village in the dark. We will take a detailed look at the difference between near and high beams, analyze the impact of weather on visibility and discuss the technical nuances of optics tuning, which will help to avoid fines and emergencies.

The main requirements of traffic rules for lighting in the city

According to the current traffic rules, traffic in the dark requires the mandatory inclusion of lighting devices. For urban conditions, the standard is passing-light. This mode provides sufficient lighting of the roadside and roadway at a distance of 40-50 meters ahead of the car, without blinding drivers of oncoming vehicles and pedestrians.

Use of the running lights (DHO) at night is strictly prohibited, since their brightness is not enough for full road lighting, and rear position lights when they work may not light up automatically, making the car invisible from behind. Inclusion fog-light In conjunction with the passing light, it is allowed, but only if visibility is limited, although on a clear city night there is no urgent need for them.

It is important to understand that the urban environment is full of reflective surfaces: windows, wet asphalt, metal fences. Near-light is designed to minimize glare and ensure a uniform distribution of light flux. Ignoring this rule can lead to the fact that you simply do not notice a person getting out from behind a parked car.

⚠️ Attention: Driving with the lights off at night in a city is equated to violating vehicle operating rules and entails administrative liability, even if the street is well lit.

In addition, modern automatic lighting systems often have sensors that can make mistakes when entering a tunnel or under a bridge. The driver is required to manually monitor the work light-switchto make sure that the headlights are burning in the right mode, and not only the dimensions work.

Near vs. Long: When and where to switch

The main rule of night driving in a village is: far-light It's forbidden to use in the city. This restriction is dictated by the high density of buildings and the presence of a large number of sources of artificial lighting. The far-light illuminates the road for 100-150 meters, but in the city it creates a dazzling effect for oncoming drivers and drivers moving in the passing direction in the rear-view mirrors.

Switch to high beams in the city can only be in exceptional cases, for example, when giving signals warning about overtaking (short-term wink) or when driving on a completely deserted road with no street lighting, which is rare for a large city. Even on the desert night avenues, there is a counter-transport It requires an immediate transition to the passing light.

There is also the concept of “light etiquette”. If you are standing in traffic at night, using high beams or even brightly burning stop lights (while holding the pedal) annoys other drivers. In such situations, it will be correct to transfer the gearbox to parking mode or use the parking brake to remove the foot from the pedal and give rest to the eyes of others.

Technically, the switching is done by a lever under the steering wheel or a separate button, often designated by the symbol of a headlight with direct beams. In modern cars with a system Adaptive Driving Beam The computer itself cuts the area of the oncoming car from the high beam, but relying on electronics in a densely populated city is risky - it is better to use a proven passing light.

Features of lighting in bad weather

Weather conditions make their own adjustments in the choice of lighting devices. Rain, fog or snowfall drastically alter the optical properties of air. In fog or heavy rain, the inclusion of high beams is strictly prohibited, since light rays are reflected from water droplets and create a dense white wall in front of the driver, completely hiding the road.

In such situations, it is necessary to include fog-light (PTF). They have a special form of a beam of light that slips low over the road and does not reflect back into the eyes of the driver. However, it is worth remembering that PTFs are effective only at speeds up to 60 km / h and with visibility less than 100 meters. On a clear night, using them without passing lights makes no sense and can blind others.

If you are in a heavy snow or rainstorm area where visibility has dropped to almost zero, the safest option is to pull over (if permitted and safe), turn on the alarm and wait out the weather. Continuation of movement with high beams on in thick fog is one of the frequent causes of mass accidents.

The wipers and the headlight washer must be in good working order. Dirty headlights scatter light chaotically, reducing lighting efficiency by 40-50%. Regularly wiping the optics before a night trip in the rain is a mandatory procedure for safety.

Technical nuances: setting and serviceability of headlights

Even the right choice of light mode will not help if the optics itself is set incorrectly. Adjustment of beam direction - critical parameter. If the headlights are "driven up", you will blind the oncoming even in the near light. If you are too low, you will not see the pedestrian in time. Many cars have a manual angle corrector that needs to be adjusted depending on the cabin load.

Checking the light is better to carry out against the wall at a distance of 5 meters. The boundary of chiaroscuro should be clear and have a step shape (in countries with right-hand traffic, the left part of the border is below the right). The difference in the color temperature of the lamps (one yellow, the other white) is also a sign of malfunction and can cause a stop by the inspector.

The lamps should be replaced in pairs. If one lamp burns, the second one is likely to be near the end of its life. The use of high-brightness lamps (e.g., labeled +50% or +100%) is only permissible if they are certified for your type of headlight. Installation of xenon or a powerful LED in reflex headlights designed for halogen, leads to a strong scattering of light and blinding others.

⚠️ Note: Installation of lamps that do not correspond to the type of headlight (for example, xenon in a halogen headlight without a lens) is the basis for deprivation of rights under part 3 of article 12.5 of the administrative code of the Russian Federation, as it is considered to be changes in the design of the vehicle.

It is also worth paying attention to the condition of the glasses. Muddy "tired" plastic headlights let much less light. Headlight polishing is an inexpensive procedure that can significantly improve night visibility without replacing lamps.

Psychology of night driving and fatigue

At night, the perception of speed and distance is blunted. It is more difficult for the driver to assess the dimensions of the car ahead and the distance to it. Visual fatigue It comes faster, especially with the constant flashing of oncoming car lights and urban illumination. This condition, known as “road hypnosis,” reduces the response.

To reduce the load on the eyes, it is recommended to periodically shift your eyes from the road to the side of the road or appliances, giving the eye muscles to relax. The bright light of the cabin dashboard should be removed to a minimum, so as not to create contrast with the darkness outside the window. Many modern cars have a “Night” mode or light sensor that dims the backlight of buttons and screen.

It is also important to consider the condition of the windshield. At night, even light divorces from the "janitors" or fat film from cigarette smoke (if smoked in the cabin) begin to shine brightly from headlights, creating a rainbow effect and distorting the picture. Clean glass from the inside is the key to a safe night.

If you feel like you blink more often than usual or “nose pecking”, no tips on lighting will help. The only right thing to do is to stop and sleep for 15-20 minutes. Caffeine only has a short-term effect, after which there is even greater fatigue.

Fines and liability for breach of rules

Violation of the rules for the use of external lighting devices in the Russian Federation is regulated by Article 12.20 of the Administrative Code. The use of high beams in a village where it is prohibited, or movement with non-working headlights in the dark entails the imposition of a fine. Although the amount of the fine is small (500 rubles), the risk of creating an emergency situation is disproportionately higher.

More serious consequences can occur if improper lighting causes an accident. In this case, a driver who has violated the lighting rules can be found guilty of the accident with all the ensuing legal and financial consequences, including compensation for damages and treatment of victims.

The following is a table of the main lighting violations and liability measures:

It is worth noting that traffic police inspectors often use the fact of blinding with high beams as an excuse to stop the car and check documents. Therefore, compliance with the rules of light is also a way to avoid unnecessary attention from the traffic police.

⚠️ Note: If you are stopped for "xenon in halogen", do not sign a protocol of consent to the violation immediately. Demand an expert examination of the light flux, as it is sometimes difficult to visually determine the type of lamp, and deprivation of rights is too serious a punishment without proof.

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