The road and the car are a wonderful tandem and at the same time require concentration and attention from the driver. Any driver will answer you that for safe driving it is necessary to take into account a large number of subtleties and strictly adhere to the rules of the road. Unfortunately, many novice drivers miss a number of important roadway rules. One of these nuances is the timely inclusion of the overall lighting of the car. Drivers also call them differently - dimensions, sidelights, parking lamps. Let's take a look at what it is, study the types and location of the dimensions, as well as what penalties may result in the neglect of these light symbols of the car.
As stated in the Rules of the Road (SDA), side lights are light bulbs (optical devices), the main function of which is a visual indication of the size of a moving or stopped vehicle. In order not to confuse the dimensions with other automotive lighting equipment, you need to know exactly where the marker lights are on the car. They are located on the sides of the machine, as well as in front and behind, installed in pairs and on the same line. Dimensions are either part of the headlights or are a separate unit.
Such automotive lighting equipment is turned on in the following situations:
Clearance lights are needed to visually indicate the size of a moving or stopped vehicle.
- poor visibility on the road. According to the traffic rules, the dimensions are included during snowfall, heavy and not very fog, heavy precipitation, twilight;
- movement in tunnels;
- as a designation of the car during parking at night. Sometimes, in addition, drivers also turn on the emergency gang.
By turning on the headlights, you will mark your vehicle, making it easier for yourself and for oncoming vehicles to drive. Novice drivers are often convinced that the parking lights are daytime running lights, but this is not the case. The brightness of sidelights is much less than that of daytime running lights. Don't repeat this mistake!
What color should be the dimensions
Vehicle marker lights
It should be noted that the color of the side lights of the car according to the traffic rules is clearly indicated. According to the legislation of our country, the front position lights must be exclusively white. The front dimensions can be installed as an integral part, or separately. As for the rear sidelights, there are no options here - they should burn exclusively in red. The color of the side marker lights must be orange, sometimes yellow or blue is allowed.
Fine or how not to forget about sidelights
Since the situations of switching on this type of lighting to indicate the size of the car are strictly regulated by legislative acts, the penalty for driving without side lights is also clearly indicated. So for what the inspector can announce a warning or issue a fine:
The fine for faulty parking lights on a car is up to 500 rubles.
- not visible (dirty) or at least one of the indicating lights is not turned on;
- the color of the fire does not correspond to those indicated in the traffic rules.
In the case of the above situations, you may be issued both a fine for faulty marker lights (up to 500 rubles) and a warning. It all depends on the consequences of faulty or not included dimensions.
Please note that in older cars, this lighting equipment is turned on simultaneously with other headlights; in newer models, the dimensions can be turned on separately. Therefore, be sure to check if the parking lights icon on the panel lights up.
The question often arises, is it possible to drive with parking lights during the day? No. It is necessary to turn on either the running lights or the dipped beam.
Additional vehicle lights
In view of the fact that trucks are quite voluminous, it is necessary to install additional marker lights on them. In addition to the standard ones (front and rear), additional marker lights for trucks are also attached to the sides. Be sure to ensure that the light bulbs do not differ from each other in brightness, luminous intensity and type. As with passenger cars, the side marker lights for trucks must be orange or amber. Sometimes car owners have a desire to install blue marker lights, this is allowed, but only if these are side markers. A mandatory rule when fastening light bulbs is symmetry and it is advisable to buy light bulbs from one manufacturer. This will give you a guarantee that the bulbs will look the same on the car.
Although jeeps and other large cars are classified as cars, very often the owners install parking lights on the roof of the car. This not only looks beautiful and fashionable, but also allows oncoming traffic to more accurately determine the size of a moving car.
LEDs or halogens
Side marker lights
Often, halogen bulbs are used for parking lights, but today manufacturers are increasingly using LED lamps for car parking lights. This choice is based on the functionality of the LEDs. LED marker lights for a much longer life (up to 100,000 hours), the brightness of such bulbs is better, they consume less electricity, they are resistant to temperature fluctuations, vibration, and incorrect operation. Despite the increased cost of LEDs, their characteristics completely cover this drawback and quickly pay off.
The main thing, no matter what size bulbs you choose, remember - they should not burn brighter than brake lights.
Malfunctions or how to replace the gauge
Warnings about side lights not included were written above, but what to do if this happened and the sidelights do not burn. If you notice that the light bulb is burned out or flickering, be sure to replace it.
This type of lighting equipment can not “burn” in two cases:
The main thing, no matter what size bulbs you choose, remember - they should not burn brighter than brake lights.
- the bulb itself burned out;
- the headlight fuse has blown.
The question of how to replace the side light bulb is quite simple to solve. It is necessary to open the hood of the car, remove the cover on the back of the headlight. Pull out and unscrew the base, replace the light bulb with a new one.
In the second case, they are often interested, where is the side light fuse located? Look for it under the steering wheel on the right. You can check the fuses with a tester. Unfortunately, it is difficult to say exactly which of the fuses is responsible for the dimensions specifically in your car brand, so study this issue in the manual for the car.
We hope that our article helped you figure out what the parking lights look like, the rules for their operation, the options for choosing and replacing light bulbs.
The side lights of a car are called barely luminous low beam headlights and rear dimensions, or reflectors.
In North America, parking lights are called parking lights, in the UK they are front lights. You can also find such names: parking lamps, sidelights.
In North American countries, lanterns can be either white or amber, but in all other countries - only white. The luminous intensity of side lights should be in the range from 4 to 125 cd.
Story
For the first time, the mandatory installation of parking lights on a car was enshrined in the regulations of Canada and the United States.
On January 1, 1968, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration passed a resolution according to which parking lights must be installed on cars, trucks, buses. It must be said that the introduction of this rule helped to reduce the number of accidents by half.
Types and arrangement of marker lights
Marker lights are installed front and rear. They are located on the sides of the vehicle. The headlights can be part of the headlight unit or be located separately.
Light sources are LEDs, LED blocks or halogen lamps. When installing non-standard light sources, it must be remembered that the rear position lights of the car should burn less brightly than brake lights.
The side lights are switched on separately or automatically when the dipped beam is switched on. Some cars have the function of turning on the parking lights on one side to indicate their dimensions in a tight, poorly lit parking lot.
Pros and cons of headlight bulbs
Today, LEDs are increasingly used in parking lights. Compared to conventional incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs are much brighter and consume less energy. The service life of LED parking lights is quite long (about 100,000 hours of operation), they are resistant to overloads, vibrations and temperature changes.
The only drawback of LED lamps is the higher price compared to incandescent lamps.
Purpose of marker lights
Front marker lights
Marker lights, which are dimly lit headlights and reflectors, first of all, give an understanding and idea to other drivers and road users of what size your car is, and also where the left side of the car is located, and where is the right one. The purpose of the side lights is to give an orientation to other drivers moving towards or along the way, the overall parameters of your car, for example, when it is moving behind (see ""). The rest of the information about the parameters and dimensions of your car is given by flashing beacons, which are usually installed on the cab roof. As a rule, drivers turn on the parking lights when the vehicle is parked for quite a long time in conditions of insufficient natural light. The headlights behind the moving vehicle will be returned to the driver by reflectors. Of course, the marker lights on the car are much brighter and more striking.
Rear marker lights
Rear position lights are used to indicate the car both at night and in conditions of insufficient visibility. In case of fog on the road and poor visibility, they are used together with the rear fog lamps. The color of the taillights is red. The machines use a pair located on both sides on the same line. In this case, the viewing angles of the emitted light and the sides are normalized. Tall vehicles (buses, trucks, etc.) must have position lights at the top as close to the edges as possible.
Parking lights malfunction
The SDA prohibits driving with missing or turned off headlights and tail lights in the dark. And if at least one light bulb burned out on the car, then this is the reason why you can earn a fine for using the car in a faulty condition.
Often, when replacing halogen lamps with LED ones, the indicator light for the parking light and brake lights malfunction sensor lights up. This is due to the fact that the power of the LED is lower than the power of the incandescent lamp, which means that the on-board computer simply does not see it. To solve this problem, you can put a resistor in front of the diode to reduce and stabilize the voltage.
However, LEDs are not suitable for all cars, so sometimes it is better to leave halogen lamps, anyway, the difference in electricity consumption will be minimal.
Sometimes drivers can forget to turn off the parking lights, which leads to battery drain. Some automakers have solved this problem in a rather simple way: when the door is open and the side lights are on, an audible signal is heard that reminds the driver of the included dimensions. Today, modern cars have "learned" to turn off the lights on their own if the driver forgot to do it.
Usually, all marker lamps have a long service life, but if it becomes necessary to replace or repair the lamps, this procedure does not take much time.
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Today we will talk about the side lights of the car. The difference between marker lights and headlights is that they serve to improve visibility and indicate the dimensions of your car, in the dark or with insufficient visibility.
Many beginners forget about marker lights, which cannot be done. If in old cars the side light was turned on along with the backlight of the devices, and it was impossible to forget about it, in new cars everything is separated, and by turning on the backlight of the devices, you can forget about the dimensions - this cannot be done.
How to enable
Let's start with how to include dimensions. When buying a car, first of all, study not the engine power, but the location of the outdoor lighting controls.
In different cars, the control can be done in different ways, and it is necessary to know exactly where the dimensions, headlights, and hazard warning lights turn on.
In addition, the side lights of different brands may differ in design: there may be ordinary size indicators and bulbs in the headlights, or they may be separate. In any case, carefully study the service manual of your car, and remember the location of the controls.
When to enable
When visibility deteriorates. Fog, snow, rain, dusk, tunnels. There is one caveat here: do not confuse position lights with running lights. Running lights are always on (or dipped headlights), but the dimensions - with insufficient visibility - do not confuse these concepts. In a word: visibility began to deteriorate - the parking lights were turned on. Make life easier for yourself and for oncoming traffic. Parking lights are especially important in fog: the most difficult movement is movement in fog, especially in the dark. Don't be deceived by sufficient visibility - at the slightest sign of fog, turn on your parking lights.
It is necessary to clearly understand - if you see well, this does not mean that the driver of the oncoming car also sees. And by turning on the marker lights, you can mark the boundaries of your car. Also - when stopping on the side of the road, in conditions of poor visibility, in no case do not forget about the parking lights. Believe me: a car emerging from the darkness on the side of the road is very bad. If you've ever experienced something like this, you know.
When you stop on the side of the road at night, additionally turn on the emergency flasher for better visibility.
Responsibility
12.20 Violation of the rules for the use of external lighting devices, sound signals, alarms or emergency stop signs: a warning or a fine of 100 rubles.
Remember: turning on the parking lights is safety on the road. Do not forget to turn on the dimensions, and do not pull to the last, until it gets completely dark. Visibility has deteriorated a little - turn on the dimensions, and your path will become safer.
