The lights play a very significant role in driving a vehicle and are considered to be an essential element of every car. Lights provide a driver with a possibility to see in darkness while he is driving. If lights function right and are bright enough, then a driver is able to see what is in the road ahead. As opposite, if lights are poor, the risk of accident is much higher. Further in this essay I am going to describe and explain several reasons in detail, why it so important to drive with lights on. Different types of lights and their function are also going to be described.
First and the main reason, why it is necessary to drive with lights on is that it allows to see others in the road, which might be especially important during the night or if the weather is not very good. For example, if the lights are not good, it creates a difficult and even dangerous situation in the road because other drivers can not to notice a car without lights. Thus, as statistic shows, there are many cases of accidents in the roads, and the absence of the lights or their incorrect functions is one of the main reasons. Moreover, without lights it might be difficult for a driver to see pedestrians or animals that might appear on the road and provoke an accident. The police warn that it is very important to turn on the headlights once it starts getting darker. As they say, it is necessary not to wait until it gets completely dark, but rather to turn on the lights during the twilight already, even if the road is still visible. It is needed because during the twilight time cars might become invisible without lights, especially of the sun setting is behind a car.
Another reason to turn the lights on while driving is the law. According to jurisdictions in many countries and in the states of America, driving without lights at night or early in the morning is considered to be against the law. For example, according to the jurisdiction in California, it is required to turn the light on from one and half hour before the sunset to one and half hour after it. This rule also relates to other conditions of low visibility that might occur in the road.
It is also important to know that there are several types of lights, and each of them has its own purpose and is used for particular reasons. Hazard lights, for example, should be turned on while driving on a dual carriage or on a motorway, and it is usually used by a driver if he or she wants to warn other drivers that is a hazard or danger on the road ahead. It is important to remember that hazards lights are forbidden to use if the car is in motion, and these lights should be turned on only when a car is stationary. In many cases drivers use hazard light when their car is broken down and they have to stand in a dangerous place, which can affect other cars that are moving. However, though hazard lights help to make a stationary car more visible, it is not a guarantee that they can prevent an accident. According to the statistics, there are still many accidents than happen when one of the cars is stationary with the lights turned on. Therefore, if happens so that you have to stop on the road, it is important not to sit in a car, but rather leave it and stay in a safe position. Another type of lights is fog lights that all cars are equipped with. It is better to turn these lights on if the weather is foggy and visibility is low. Though it is not mandatory, it is recommended to use them it will help to stay safe on the road and reduce the risk of accidents. However, it is important to remember that fog lights are very bright, therefore it is forbidden to turn them on in a clear weather due to the risk that other drivers can be dazzled. The third type of lights is known as sidelights. They look like small white small lights located on the front corners of a vehicle. When these lights are turned on the number plate and the rear tail light are also illuminated. These lights cannot improve visibility on a road, however they also play an important role – backup. It is possible to use sidelights if the headlights blow – then a sidelight serve as an indicator for others that you are actually a car rather than any other vehicle. Also, sidelights help to park a care at night on a road, especially if the speed limit on this road is higher than 30 miles per hour. Dipped headlights is another type of light used by drivers, and usually the main reason to use it is to increase and improve visibility at might. It is recommended to turn on dipped headlights when it is dark because they do not only help to light the road, but also allow other drivers to see you. Dipped headlights should be also used during the daytime when the visibility is reduced due to hard weather conditions such as heavy rain, snow or fog. One more reason to use dipped headlights is overtaking. The most common and the brightest type of lights that a usual car is equipped with is full beam headlights. These lights are able to give as much visibility as possible in the darkest conditions. Since these lights are very bright, they should be used by a driver only on an empty stretch of road. If there is another car moving towards, dipped headlights should used instead. Due to their brightness, full beam headlights must not be used during day time even if the visibility is not very good because they can dazzle other drivers and cause an accident. Instead, it is always recommended to use dipped headlights, even if one of them is broken. (Clement-Hayes)
Summarizing all the written above about using lights that are used during driving, it is possible to say that there many reasons to drive with your lights on and there are many types of different lights that should be used in accordance with particular circumstances and situation. However, there is one common reason for driving with lights on in general: to prevent and reduce the risk of possible accidents that happen on roads so often.
Works cited
Clement-Hayes, Honor. “How to use your car lights to stay safe and legal” Ingenie: drive well, pay less. Ingenie Services Limited. 30 Oct 2014. Web. 20 July 2016.
