When to turn on low beam headlights in Russia

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.

You can no longer turn on low beam headlights during the day in Russia from April 1 - true or not?

Low beam during the day

New laws regarding car headlights and external lighting devices in general have not been introduced in our country for a long time. But just recently, there was an alleged change in the current traffic rules - low beam headlights in the daytime in Russia now don’t have to be turned on, at least in the summer. According to various sources, the new norms will come into force on April 1, 2018. Is it true? We have figured out all the changes to the Rules and other regulations!

What's happened?

In mid-March 2018, the network was overwhelmed with news that supposedly another change would come into force on April 1: the obligation to turn on headlights during the day in Russia was abolished. There are no references either to the initiators of the bill or to the official documents amending the traffic rules. And the news was spread mainly through Telegram and WhatsApp messengers.

According to the innovation, in our country, from April 1, there is no obligation to turn on headlights during daylight hours - specifically low beam and even daytime running lights. That is, something happened to clause 19.5 of the traffic rules, which reads:

, low-beam headlights or daytime running lights must be turned on on all moving vehicles for the purpose of identifying them .

According to various sources, the new law has the following types:

• According to the change, it is allowed not to turn on low beam headlights during the day only in the summer or snowless seasons - from April 1 to September 30 of each year. The reasoning is simple: in summer the daylight hours are much longer than in winter, therefore there is simply no need to use lighting devices;
• You don’t have to turn on the low beams, but daytime running lights are definitely necessary - a strange statement, in fact, because today, even without changes to the traffic rules, this is prescribed;
• In Russia, headlights on have been completely abolished during the daytime - that is, in any season on any car you can not use external lighting devices (except for turn signals, of course) during the day.

This is true?

No. It is not true. Low beam headlights or DRLs still need to be turned on during daylight hours. No new laws regarding external lighting devices have been introduced since April 1, 2018. even back in 2014. And changes specifically regarding light are not planned.

How can you prove it?

Everything is very simple. There are 2 possible “proofs”.

Official publication of changes

Since the traffic rules are formally a by-law approved by a decree of the Russian Government, changes are introduced by the relevant resolutions. And it’s easy to prove that there were no changes regarding lighting devices, knowing how the regulations come into force:

1. the resolution is introduced for discussion and adopted,
2. further, the published change must be published on one of the official websites of legal information, and these are regulated by Presidential Decree No. 763 of May 23, 1996 on the procedure for the entry into force of legislative acts.

Paragraph 2 of this Decree tells us the following:

2. Acts of the President of the Russian Federation and acts of the Government of the Russian Federation are subject to official publication within 10 days after the day of their signing in Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the Collection of Legislation of the Russian Federation and on the Official Internet Portal of Legal Information (www.pravo.gov.ru ) , the functioning of which is ensured by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.

Accordingly, by going to these sites we will not find any official resolutions on changing the rules for daytime driving without low beam headlights from April 1, 2018:

• not on the Rossiyskaya Gazeta website,
• nor on the legal information website.

What's the truth?

They were allowed to drive during the day without headlights - this is the truth. But not in Russia. The corresponding decree was issued by the authorities of Transnistria, an unrecognized state of the Moldavian Republic. 2 years ago

How this news suddenly spread to Russian traffic regulations remains a mystery. But the fact remains - in Transnistria, indeed, from April 1 to September 30, you can not turn on low beam headlights during the day (video about this below), but Russian traffic rules in this regard have not changed.

Revisions of traffic regulations

Another argument against changes in the Traffic Rules is the edition of the traffic rules. With each change, a new edition comes into force. Today, the most up-to-date database on them is contained on the Consultant Plus website. And here you will find 3 editions: one that entered into legal force on March 18, 2018, and 2 more that are pending.

But most importantly, none of them has in the list of changes section 19 of the traffic rules, which specifically concerns lighting devices.

1. the edition, which came into force on March 18, made reflective vests mandatory,
2. the second will take effect on April 28 and marks the appearance of waffle markings at intersections,
3. the third – from July 1 and will regulate the environmental class of cars.

As you can see, no changes have been introduced to the traffic rules since April 1, 2018, and you still need to turn on your headlights during the day.

How should we use lighting devices today?

So, the traffic rules today regulate the following rules for the use of headlights.

Night time:

• low or high beam (see below conditions when you cannot use high beam) when driving,
• near and/or rear PTFs together with dimensions when parking on unlit sections of roads (it is not necessary to turn on the near ones, but the dimensions are required),
• only on unlit roads and only together with a neighbor or a distant driver.

Insufficient visibility (fog, rain, etc.):

• low or high beam (see below conditions when you cannot use high beam) when driving,

Daylight hours (any of the following):

There is no need to turn on the taillights during the day.

Tunnels:

• low or high beam (see below for conditions when high beam cannot be used).

When not to use high beam headlights:

• on an illuminated road in populated areas,
• closer than 150 meters from oncoming traffic,
• further than 150 meters from the oncoming traffic, if the driver of the oncoming car blinks his headlights,
• in any case where you may blind drivers.

Direct blinding of pedestrians by distant traffic regulations is not prohibited.

What is the fine if you drive during the day without headlights?

If you drive on December 06, 2019 without any lights at all - regardless of whether it is low beam lights, DRLs or fog lights, then you will face a fine of 500 rubles. This is provided for by the only article in the Code of Administrative Offenses - 12.20, which provides for penalties for any violations of the use of lighting devices - be it the absence of light during the day or the failure to turn on turn signals during maneuvers.

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:

Low beam headlights during the day from June 2019: do you need to turn them on?

Information about changes in traffic rules from June 6, 2019 is widely distributed on the Internet, raising a lot of questions from motorists.

Let us remind you that the traffic rules stipulate the requirement to drive in the daytime with running lights or low beam headlights. However, at present, a number of small news publications have reported the abolition of the obligation for drivers to turn on their low beams during the day, which has raised many questions on the hotline to our lawyers.

Question 1: Do I need to turn on low beam headlights during the daytime from June 2019? I heard that this strange rule was canceled and now you can drive without lights and not be afraid of fines.

Question 2: An inspector stopped me and showed me that I had not turned on the low beam. But this rule does not apply in the summer, or am I misunderstanding something?

Question 3: Is it always necessary to turn on low beam headlights when driving in the daytime, or are there any relaxations and exceptions to this rule?

We figured out where these strange rumors about summer time came from and will give you a comprehensive and competent answer.

What do the traffic rules say, are there any changes since June 6?

And the traffic rules still unambiguously and unconditionally establish in clause 19.5 that during daylight hours, drivers of any moving vehicles are required to use running lights or use low beam headlights to indicate their vehicle.

Below is a paragraph of the rules without distortion.

This means that you are required to drive with low beams or running lights at any time of the year during daylight hours, if the latter are provided for by the design of your car.

Alternatively, drivers can use fog lights in combination with low beam and running lights. Just don’t confuse the classic “dimensions” with running lights.

But where did the rumor about the abolition of low beam headlights come from?

You can travel, but not with us

And the whole point is that on the territory of Belarus from May 25 to June 6, a special event was held due to the end of the school year.

As part of this campaign, all drivers were required to drive with their headlights on even during the daytime, since the Belarusian traffic rules do not require driving with the lights on.

Since June 6, this requirement has lost force in the neighboring Republic, but a number of news publications, without understanding it, interpreted it to our traffic regulations.

The requirement to turn on the lights during the day was also canceled in Uzbekistan - the corresponding provision came into force in June of this year.

We note once again that there have been no changes in Russian traffic regulations regarding the abolition of the obligation to turn on low beams during the day .

Responsibility for driving without low beams

The liability for driving without low beam headlights is quite small - a fine of 500 rubles or a warning established by Art. 12.20 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

To avoid a fine, you can correct the violation on the spot by notifying the traffic police inspector that your headlights are on.

If the headlights do not work, you need to inform that you are aware of the problem and are moving to the place where the problem will be fixed, but this does not guarantee that you will get rid of the fine.

In any case, whether to impose a fine on you or not remains at the discretion of the traffic police inspector.

For more information about liability standards, see the publication “Fine for driving without low beams.”

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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).