Why turn on your car's headlights during the day?

Do I need to turn on low beams during the day?

The timing of turning on a car's headlights is not a driver's whim, but a clearly stated point in the traffic rules. A special section describes all the conditions in which you need to light the running lights, high and low beams and fog lights. We will tell you what headlights should be on during the day and what the driver needs to know to avoid controversial issues on the road.

Paragraphs of traffic rules about low beam headlights during the day

The Rules of the Road, paragraph 19.5, tell us that any moving vehicle must indicate itself with BS or daytime running lights. Clause 19.4 allows the use of fog lights to identify vehicles.

Violation of these rules is subject to a written warning from a traffic police officer or a fine under one of two articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation:

• Article 12.20 says that if the driver simply forgot to indicate his vehicle with light signals, then he may receive a warning or a fine of 500 rubles;

• Article 12.5 says that the driver must pay the same fine of 500 rubles if one or both headlights are faulty. In this case, operation of the vehicle is prohibited until the malfunction is eliminated. The same applies to glasses that are too dirty and burnt out light bulbs.

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There is also a controversial point that many car enthusiasts forget or do not take into account.

During the day, the driver uses fog lights and enters the tunnel, and at the exit receives a fine for not turning on the headlights in accordance with traffic rules. He is stopped by a traffic police officer because the driver violated clause 19.1 of the traffic rules, which stipulates that when entering a tunnel it is necessary to switch from the fog lights to the low beams. The same goes for DRLs.

In addition to these rules, traffic rules allow the use of BS as a supplement to side lights (but not instead of them) in conditions of poor visibility. This is not so important, since such a car poses a danger primarily to passing vehicles.

What headlights should you use during the day?

At the beginning of 2006, all Russian drivers were required to use BS during the daytime when driving outside populated areas. As of October 20, 2010, this paragraph was revised, and now every driver is required to turn on the headlights or DRLs when driving on any highway.

Failure to comply with these rules is punishable by a fine of 500 rubles or a warning, so motorists had no choice but to start complying with it. However, debate about how effective and relevant this rule is has not subsided. Some said that a car marked with a light is easier to see in conditions of poor visibility (in fog, heavy rain, twilight and in the forest), while others complained that due to such a rule, fuel consumption would be higher and the bulbs would burn out more often. Let's try to figure this out.

Do I need to turn on low beams during the day?

In total, BS light bulbs, dimensions and license plate lights require about 150 W of power. LED DRL lamps - approximately 15 W. In comparison, an air conditioner requires 4500 watts, approximately 30 times more. Therefore, a thrifty car enthusiast should first of all refuse the air at a comfortable temperature in the cabin, and not the switched on light bulbs. If we translate power into fuel consumption, then BS lamps and other lighting increase consumption by approximately 100 ml of gasoline per hour.

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Why turn on headlights during the day?

It turns out that the car enthusiast loses practically nothing from turning on the running lights, so it’s worth talking about what he gains, besides the 500 rubles saved on a fine.

There are several situations when a car without headlights is practically invisible, even with the DRLs or fog lights on. They are not as rare as they seem.

1. In a forest against a background of trees, a car is lost already at a distance of 150-200 meters - this is the perception of the human eye. This effect can be especially noticeable in winter, when the trees and ground are covered with an even layer of snow - then all objects on a white sheet seem to be noise. Of course, it is rare to see another vehicle in a dense forest, and usually the speed of the vehicle in such terrain is low. But still, you shouldn’t save 100-300 milliliters of gasoline and neglect safety.

1. When driving on a highway in cloudy weather, the car is still noticeable at a distance of 200-300 meters, especially if it is alone on the road. But as soon as other cars appear, but with their headlights on, he gets lost and hardly stands out against the background. When the distance increases to 700-900 meters, even DRLs will not help distinguish the car.

In general, turning on the BS lights helps you not to get lost in traffic and to be seen by other drivers when changing lanes. For pedestrians, the time to detect a car is critical due to the difference in speed.

If you still think you don’t need to turn on your headlights during the day in the city, here is a study by experts that supports turning on low beams. On average, a driver's risk of an accident is reduced by 13 percent. This figure is made up of many others: including, the chances of hitting a pedestrian are reduced by 15%, a cyclist - by 10%, frontal and side collisions - by 10%.

The only bad thing about having the BS on is that it’s harder to notice brake signals in heavy traffic. This can be avoided by installing an additional brake light on the rear window.

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Daytime running lights consume a minimal amount of energy and have virtually no effect on the income of the motorist. The situation is approximately the same with low beam headlights - constantly on, they will cost the driver 100 milliliters of gasoline every hour, which is equal to approximately 4 rubles.

But by spending these four rubles for every hour of driving, the driver saves something more significant - meters and seconds, which allow him to make the right decision in time and safely maneuver in traffic. This is especially important for pedestrians and in conditions of poor visibility: in cloudy weather, fog, rain or in the forest.

Why do cars have low beam headlights during the day?

There was a time when there were relatively few cars on the roads, and this made it possible to move safely over any distance and almost never get into an accident. However, with the increase in traffic flow, the responsibility of drivers for traffic safety has also increased. Therefore, new laws are periodically adopted to reduce the number of accidents. One of them was adopted in 2010, and in accordance with it, drivers are required to turn on low beam headlights during the day when moving around the city and on highways. For what? Let's try to figure this out.

How do low beam headlights help avoid accidents?

When driving within the city, it is not always possible to notice another vehicle in front of you in time and perform one or another maneuver to avoid a collision with it. Statistics show that this happens for various reasons, ranging from excessive fatigue of drivers to their inattention, which can lead to trouble. If they saw the headlights in front of them, they would react to the situation faster and make the right decision in time. In other words, low beam headlights are a kind of signal to other road users that one of the cars is somewhere near them. Also, at dusk or in poor visibility conditions, cars with headlights on become much more visible.

Low beam headlights: disadvantages

There is only one main disadvantage here - premature wear of the lighting equipment itself and additional load on the battery, which clearly does not extend its service life. However, it has been proven that switched-on headlights help prevent serious accidents, which means that all shortcomings are leveled out, in other words, they cease to be significant against this background.

Statistics also show a decrease in the number of road accidents involving trucks after it became mandatory to drive with headlights on during the day. And since this simple solution helps make cargo transportation as safe as possible, existing rules should never be ignored.

What punishment can follow for breaking the law?

Driving during the day without low-beam headlights on may result in penalties. The fine for the driver is 500 rubles. Of course, this is not much, and the punishment for car owners is not very scary, but if you do not turn on the headlights at night, you will have to fork out a much larger amount. Therefore, it is better to make it a habit to always turn on your headlights, which will avoid trouble and not come to the attention of the traffic police.

The main myth about low beam headlights

It lies in the fact that fuel consumption with constantly working low-beam headlights is supposedly noticeably higher. In fact, if there is a difference, it is barely noticeable - a maximum of 100 milliliters of gasoline per hour. Can this be called significant material costs? Of course not. Therefore, turning on car headlights during the day will have little impact on the family budget, but will protect you from getting into an accident and the associated health risks. Thus, there is no reason to break the law. Over time, doing it will become a habit, just like caring for those who are next to you on the road.

Low beam during the day: why?

Since 2010, a law has come into force in the Russian Federation obliging car drivers to turn on low beam headlights or running lights during daylight hours both in the city and on the highways.

This innovation received a fairly positive response among the majority of motorists and road carriers, but it was not without criticism.

Since 2010, a law has come into force in the Russian Federation obliging car drivers to turn on low beam headlights or running lights during daylight hours both in the city and on the highways.

Why do you need low beam?

All freight vehicles moving, both in the city and in a populated area, with their headlights on, additionally report their presence in the traffic flow. Due to the fact that large vehicles are visible from afar to other road users, you can prepare in advance for turning, overtaking or performing another maneuver.

In other words, every driver, by turning on the headlights, ensures, first of all, personal passive safety. As truck drivers have noticed, drivers who ignore this rule are often more likely to fall under the wheels of heavy vehicles.

Traveling during the day with low cloud cover is considered the safest and most comfortable. However, even during the day, due to various circumstances, an accident can occur due to the fact that drivers simply did not notice each other and did not have time to disperse. This especially happens during unfavorable weather conditions. Numerous stories of pedestrians about how they managed to avoid tragic consequences thanks to the car’s headlights being on, once again confirm that this resolution is really necessary and has a single goal - to ensure the maximum safety of absolutely all road users.

By the way, statistics have shown that the number of road accidents involving freight transport has decreased significantly after the introduction of the bill, as evidenced by reports from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Automobile concerns, supporting this rule and taking care of car enthusiasts, create cars that already have automatic switching on of headlights when the engine is ignited.

Consequences of not turning on the low beam

Current traffic rules allow you to drive with low-beam headlights or daytime running lights on 24 hours a day and in any climatic conditions. Proper and timely use of lighting installations allows you to avoid troubles with the traffic police. Many drivers are negligent in complying with regulations, which is fraught not only with financial losses, but also with tragic consequences.

There are often times when a driver simply forgets to turn on the headlights. If this happened in the middle of the day, then, depending on the mood of the traffic police inspector, you may receive a reprimand or a minor fine of 500 rubles. The situation is worse after dark. In such a situation, the car poses a great threat to oncoming traffic, and the fine for “forgetfulness” will be much greater.

Proper and timely use of lighting installations allows you to avoid troubles with the traffic police

According to Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offences, part one, a faulty condition or partial functioning of the lighting equipment prohibits the driver from using the vehicle . This section also deals with dirty headlights that block natural visibility when driving. Such a selfish attitude threatens the driver with an administrative fine and a preliminary warning.

It is important to remember that if you try to drive again with broken or broken low-beam headlights, the driver will be deprived of your driver's license for a period of six months.

Myths about low beam headlights

Despite the administrative responsibility and the exceptional importance of using low beams, there are dissatisfied drivers on the roads who believe that the constant use of lighting devices leads to their rapid failure, which takes a heavy toll on their pockets. Outrages about inappropriateness concern three points:

• reduction in headlight service life;
• increased fuel consumption;
• rapid battery drain.

Of course, all these positions have their place. But is everything so critical?

The service life of headlight bulbs is quite long. They can burn out ahead of time due to voltage drops in the on-board network or increased vibrations. Low beam headlights can only affect battery performance if the driver forgets to turn them off and leaves the car. According to the results of numerous calculations, fuel consumption increased by an average of 0.1 l/hour. All these indicators indicate one thing: it is absolutely not worth risking your life by saving 3 rubles per 100 km on low beams.

Calculation formula for low beam and fuel consumption with headlights on

Rules for using car lights

Good afternoon, dear reader.

This article will review the rules of the road that apply to the use of vehicle headlights and lights in various driving situations.

Lighting devices are designed both to illuminate the road ahead of the car (to avoid collision with an obstacle) and to indicate the car itself (to avoid collision with other vehicles).

Unfortunately, many drivers do not know the rules for using headlights and flashlights, and therefore do not use all the opportunities provided to them.

External car lights

At the beginning of this article, a few words about what external lighting devices a car may have. This information is primarily intended for those who are studying at a driving school and do not yet understand what these or other headlights or lanterns are intended for.

Note. The topic “lighting devices” is one of the most difficult in a driving school, because... It is difficult for a driver candidate who has never driven before to remember the similar names of light devices and the rules for their use.

parking lights

Dimensions are small light devices located approximately at the corners of the car (4 pieces in total). They do not shine very brightly and are primarily designed so that drivers of other cars can understand in the dark where your car begins and ends.

As a rule, the car is designed in such a way that when you turn on the low or high beam headlights, the dimensions turn on automatically. That is, low beam without side lights does not work.

Daytime Running Lights

DRLs are light devices in the front of the car (2 pieces), which shine quite brightly. They are designed to improve visibility of the car from the front during daylight hours.

Daytime running lights should not be used at night because... at night, they can blind oncoming drivers due to their high brightness. However, they do not illuminate the road.

In 2020, most cars are equipped with daytime running lights, but such lights are quite rare on cars manufactured before 2010.

Low and high beam headlights

Low beam (2 bulbs) and high beam (2 bulbs) headlights are the main lighting devices that are designed to illuminate the road in front of the car.

In this case, the low beam illuminates the area directly in front of the car, and the high beam illuminates a more distant area. It makes sense to use low beam at low speeds, high beam at higher speeds.

Fog lights

PTF - 2 headlights in the front bumper of a car, designed to illuminate the road in poor visibility conditions.

Fog lights are optional for 2019, so not all vehicle trim levels have them. That is, the car may not have PTF.

Fog light

Fog light - a red light at the rear of the vehicle, designed to improve visibility of the vehicle in poor visibility conditions. This light device is very bright and in good weather it can blind drivers of cars behind.

This lamp is required to be installed on all cars.

Driving during daylight hours

In good visibility

When driving during daylight hours, the vehicle must have one of the following lights on:

• low beam;
• Daytime Running Lights;
• fog lights;

If the car has all the listed devices, then it makes sense to use DRL. These lights are brighter and use less electricity.

When driving, the following can also be turned on:

In case of insufficient visibility

One of the following lighting fixtures must be used:

• low beam headlights;
• high beam headlights.

In this case, the main beam cannot be used:

• in populated areas on illuminated roads;
• when oncoming vehicles pass;
• when blinding drivers of passing or oncoming cars.

Additionally, the car may include:

• fog lights;
• fog lamp;
• parking lights;
• Daytime Running Lights.

Note. The rear fog light is specifically designed for use in conditions of poor visibility, but in practice no more than 10 percent of drivers use it. The rest, apparently, do not know the relevant rules.

Driving in the dark

One of the following lighting fixtures must be used:

• low beam headlights;
• high beam headlights.

In this case, the main beam cannot be used:

• in populated areas on illuminated roads;
• when oncoming vehicles pass;
• when blinding drivers of passing or oncoming cars.

Additionally you can use:

• fog lights;
• fog lamp (only in case of poor visibility);
• parking lights.

Traffic in the tunnel

When moving in a tunnel, regardless of the presence of lighting, one of the following lighting devices must be turned on:

• low beam headlights;
• high beam headlights.

Additionally may be included:

• parking lights;
• fog lights;
• Daytime Running Lights.

• rear fog lamp (except in conditions of poor visibility).

Stopping and parking a car

At night on an unlit road

Must be included:

Other lighting devices can be used.

In case of insufficient visibility (during dark or daylight)

Must be included:

Other lights, including the rear fog lamp, may be used.

Rules for using lighting devices

The rules for using headlights and flashlights in various situations are discussed in detail above, but remembering them is not so easy. Therefore, we will consider them in a more compact form.

• use the rear fog lamp when visibility is good;
• use high beams in populated areas on illuminated roads, when passing oncoming traffic, when blinding passing or oncoming drivers;
• do not use low or high beams at night, with insufficient visibility, in a tunnel;
• do not use DRLs, low beams or PTF during the day;
• Do not use clearance when parking in poor visibility conditions or on an unlit section of the road at night.

All other options and combinations of lighting devices are not a violation.

In conclusion, let me remind you that fines for improper use of lighting devices are discussed in a separate article:

How to use car lights correctly

High beam

We turn on the high beams at night, when there is insufficient visibility and in tunnels. At the same time, the Rules allow the use of low beams in these cases.

We switch far to near in the following cases:

— when passing oncoming traffic (150 meters before the oncoming car);

— when passing oncoming traffic at a greater distance, if the driver of the oncoming car “blinked” his headlights at you;

- in all cases when your distant driver can blind oncoming drivers;

- in populated areas, if the road is illuminated.

You can use your high beams when overtaking. Paragraph 19.11 of the traffic rules allows the driver to “blink” his headlights to warn of overtaking.

Low beam

We turn on low beam headlights, as well as high beams, at night, in tunnels and when visibility is poor. During the day we turn on the low beam or DRL (clause 19.5 of the traffic rules).

In addition, clause 19.3 establishes the possibility of using low beams when stopping and parking at night in unlit areas or in conditions of insufficient visibility. In this case, the low beam is used as a complement to the side lights.

Fog lights

Fog lights can be used in conditions of poor visibility, as well as at night in unlit areas together with high or low beam headlights. Front fog lights, in addition, can be used independently (instead of low beams or DRLs) when driving during daylight hours (clause 19.4 of the traffic rules).

It is worth noting that traffic regulations allow the use of rear fog lights only in conditions of poor visibility.

Please note that the very term “insufficient visibility” (road visibility less than 300 m in conditions of fog, rain, snowfall, etc., as well as at dusk) only implies a deterioration in visibility due to weather conditions. Neither the winding road, nor the trees growing along the side of the road (limiting visibility and visibility), nor buildings and structures have anything to do with insufficient visibility.

Don't forget that traffic regulations prohibit combining rear fog lights with brake lights.

Controversial issues

Let's look at typical cases when a traffic police inspector accuses a driver of violating the rules for using lighting devices.

The Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation provides for liability for such a violation in the form of a warning or a fine of 500 rubles (Article 12.20).

1. You see a traffic police crew in an ambush and warn other drivers by “blinking” your high beams. Such actions are not prohibited, since there is no direct prohibition on them in the traffic rules.

2. At night, when entering a populated area along a lighted road, you did not switch to the near one. For this, you will be reasonably held accountable, since the need to switch to a nearby vehicle is established by clause 19.2 of the traffic rules. If the road is not lit, you can continue driving with high beams.

3. During daylight hours, to indicate a vehicle on the road, you drive with front fog lights and also drive through a tunnel. As you exit, an inspector stops you. The punishment will be fair. Indeed, according to paragraph 19.4, fog lights can be used instead of low beams, while paragraph 19.1 speaks of the need to turn on high or low beam when driving through a tunnel.

By the way, the same situation occurs when driving with DRLs. When entering a tunnel, you need to turn on the low or high beam. You cannot drive through the tunnel with DRLs.

4. If you do not switch from high to low when driving oncoming in the dark, the punishment will be fair. Even if people you meet don’t ask you to do this, clause 19.1 of the traffic rules states the need to switch to the next one at least 150 meters from the oncoming car.

5. During the day in a populated area, you drive with high beam headlights. In this case, there is no violation, since there is only one direct ban on the use of high beams in a populated area - darkness and a lit road.

6. Driving around the city at night with DRLs will incur a fine. In this case, traffic regulations clearly require that either the low beam (if the road is lit) be turned on, or the high beam if there is no lighting in the populated area.

7. If one headlight on your car does not work (it doesn’t matter whether it’s low beam or high beam), you will be held accountable under another article - Part 1 of Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (the punishment is the same - a warning or a fine of 500 rubles).