Is it possible to drive during the day with high beams. When you need to turn on the low beam headlights. Changes in traffic rules
A modern car is festooned with external lights like a Christmas tree with toys. And all this must be skillfully used. Those who think that it is up to the driver to turn on certain lights or not turn them on are mistaken. The nineteenth section of the Rules strictly regulates when and what needs to be included. To deal with all this, let's simulate a real trip.
So, we start moving during the day in clear weather.
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.5. During daylight hours, on all moving vehicles, in order to identify them, they should includelow beam headlights or daytime running lights.
The rules divide the day into the following parts:
- Daylight hours.
- Evening twilight.
- Night time.
— Morning twilight.
Movement during daylight hours with a transparent atmosphere is the most comfortable and safe. However, even during daylight hours, for various reasons, drivers may not see each other, and an accident occurs, as they say, “in broad daylight”.
In order to ensure b O For greater safety, the Rules oblige all drivers to mark their vehicle while driving ( not only at night, but also during the day!). At the same time, during the day, that is, during daylight hours, to designate their vehicle, drivers are required to turn on either dipped beam headlights or daytime running lights (if any).
Daytime running lights are a novelty that has recently become increasingly popular, because they have noticeable advantages:
- Better recognizable.
– Automatically turn on when the engine is started and turn off when the engine is turned off.
– Differ in economy, high reliability and durability.
– Extend the life of a conventional lighting system.
The rules singled out daytime running lights as a separate term and gave them the following definition:
Rules. Section 1. “Daytime running lights” are external lighting devices designed to improve the visibility of a moving vehicle frontduring daylight hours.
Please note - daytime running lights indicate the vehicle only in front!
And during daylight hours, this is absolutely correct.
During the day, the vehicle ahead is clearly visible to you (without any additional lighting). And at the same time, you easily, without particularly straining, constantly monitor events from behind, thanks to the fact that the car driving behind has daytime running lights on.
Or due to the fact that the headlights of the dipped beam are on at the rear.
Or due to the fact that the rear fog lights are on.
Students. Excuse me, where are the fog lights? In paragraph 19.5 there are no fog lights! Paragraph 19.5 refers only to dipped-beam headlamps and daytime running lamps.
Teacher. Yes, you are absolutly right. Paragraph 19.5 does not really say anything about fog lights. But they are mentioned in paragraph 19.4.
instead of low beam headlights in accordance with clause 19.5 of the Rules.
Let's summarize:
During daylight hours, on all moving vehicles, for the purpose of their identification, the following must be included:
– or low beam headlights;
– or daytime running lights;
Or fog lights.
Have you forgotten yet? We move during the day in clear weather. But there's a tunnel ahead!
In tunnels on a moving vehicle low or high beam headlights must be on.
It doesn’t matter at all whether the tunnel is short or long, whether there is artificial lighting there or not.
In all cases, when moving in a tunnel, drivers must turn on exactlylights near or far light.
And rightly so - in any tunnel, lighting is always not enough. And then artificial lighting is not the sun and can go out at any moment. And then daytime running lights or fog lights will not help you much. Here you will need headlights (dipped beam or high beam).
There is such a problem in Tickets, and here you are often mistaken:
In a tunnel with artificial lighting, the following must be included: 1. Low beam headlights or parking lights. 2. Low beam headlights or daytime running lights. 3. Low or high beam headlights. Task comment Some of you are beginning to doubt - is it possible to turn on the main beam in the tunnel? I'll blind everyone!
Of course, if the traffic is dense (at least in the tunnel, at least not in the tunnel), drivers are required to switch to dipped beam.
But if there is no one to blind (at least in the tunnel, at least not in the tunnel), who will forbid you to turn on the high beam headlights. The rules meant exactly that. |
We left the tunnel, you can continue driving on the dipped headlights,
you can switch to fog lights, you can switch to daytime running lights.
But suddenly the sky was covered with black clouds, everything around darkened, and it began to rain.
Or, let's put it this way - there are no clouds, it's just evening, twilight, not yet night, but visibility has become insufficient .
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.1. In conditions of insufficient visibility, regardless of the illumination of the road, a moving vehicle must turn on low or high beam headlights .
That is, the Rules do not make any difference between traffic in a tunnel and traffic in conditions of insufficient visibility. And, in general, it’s right - in both cases, the illumination is insufficient, and the requirement “dipped beam or high beam headlights must be turned on” is quite justified.
But, on the other hand, the conditions of insufficient visibility are not only a decrease in illumination, as, for example, at dusk. The conditions of insufficient visibility are also a temporary deterioration in the transparency of the atmosphere, as, for example, in fog - it is light, but nothing is visible! So, maybe it's time to turn on the fog lights and rear fog lights? Let's see what the Rules say about this:
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.4. Fog lights can be used in conditions of insufficient visibility with low or high beam headlights .
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.7. Rear fog lights can be applied only in low visibility conditions.
That is, in conditions of insufficient visibility, first of all, it is necessary to turn on the dipped or main beam headlights! If desired, fog lights can be added to them, and if necessary, you can also turn on the rear fog lights.
Here we have to make a small digression. Experience in a driving school tells me that not all students have a clear idea of which lights are located in front, which ones are in the back, how they work and, in general, how a headlight differs from a lantern.
The main purpose of headlights is to illuminate the road. And they are, of course, located in front and they are white. True, fog lights can also shine with yellow light (it is believed that yellow light breaks through fog better).
The main purpose of the lights is to designate the vehicle itself. And they are located at the back and are all red. The only exceptions are reversing lights and license plate lighting - they are white.
In addition, the car (motorcycle) also has side lights. The front marker lights are white, the rear marker lights are red.
It is extremely important for the driver to know exactly how the work of headlights and lanterns is coordinated. In particular, it must be understood that it is possible to turn on the parking lights without turning on the headlights. But it is impossible to turn on the headlights without turning on the parking lights!
That is, when we say that the driver turned on the parking lights, this means that two white lights are on in front, and two red lights are on in the back (but the headlights are not on).
If we say that the driver turned on the headlights (no matter which ones), this means that the headlights are on in front, and two red marker lights are on the back.
But back to "our sheep". So, in conditions of insufficient visibility, the driver must turn on the headlights of the dipped or main beam (and since the headlights are on, it means that the red side lights will definitely be on behind).
But in heavy fog (snowfall, rain), the main beam of the headlights does not reach the roadbed!
This is where it's time to go to the middle and connect foglights. A flat and wide beam of fog lamps beats under a veil of fog, highlighting not only the roadway, but also the roadside.
See how well the logo of the “autoschoolhouse” has become visible.
Just do not try to move on some foglights. Fog lights illuminate the road 5-10 meters from the car. Driving in conditions of insufficient visibility on foglights alone is dangerous and therefore prohibited by the Rules.
But there is another problem.
In conditions of insufficient visibility, the rear position lights already at a distance of 10 meters turn into inconspicuous dots, or even become invisible.
In this case, the rear fog lights will help out the driver. They burn incomparably brighter than side lights.
That is why the Rules allow the use of rear fog lightsonly in low visibility conditions!
If you turn them on in a transparent atmosphere, you will blind the drivers behind you.
There is one problem in the Tickets about the rear fog lights. It is frankly provocative, and you often make a mistake here:
Twilight faded into night. The dark time has come.
But the fog cleared. The atmosphere is absolutely transparent.
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.1. In the dark time of the day on a moving vehicle, the dipped or main beam headlights must be turned on.
I emphasize! – if the Rules say: "In the dark time of the day" and they don’t add anything, which means that it’s a dark impenetrable night in the yard, but that’s all. No fog, rain, snowfall, etc.
Since we already moved with the onset of twilight with the low beam headlights on, then with the onset of the dark time of the day we don’t need to do anything. True, two points remained unclear. First, are fog lights allowed at night? And, secondly, in what cases can high beam headlights be used?
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.4. Fog lights can be used at night on unlit sections of roads together with low beam or high beam.
As you can see, driving at night on foglights alone is strictly prohibited by the Rules (as well as in conditions of insufficient visibility). But you can add fog lights to the dipped or high beam headlights if the road is not lit.
Now about when you can use high beam and when not.
We already know that both low and high beams can be used, firstly, when driving in a tunnel, secondly, when driving during the day in conditions of insufficient visibility, and, thirdly, when driving at night, no matter what kind of visibility (sufficient or insufficient). It remains only to understand when you can use the low beam, and when the high beam.
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.2. High beam headlights must be switched to low beam:
- in settlements, if the road is lit;
- at an oncoming siding at a distance of at least 150 meters from the vehicle, as well as at a greater distance, if the driver of the oncoming vehicle by periodically switching the headlights shows the need for this;
- in any other cases, to exclude the possibility of blinding drivers of both oncoming and passing vehicles.
Let's deal with each of these requirements separately.
1. High beam headlights must be switched to low- in settlements, if the road is lit.
Let us leave this requirement of the Rules without comment. Everything seems to be clear here anyway - we drive along city streets at night with low beams (unless, of course, they are lit).
But if we climb into a place where we can’t see a single light, then even in the city it is allowed to turn on the distant one.
2. at an oncoming siding at a distance of not less than 150 meters to the vehicle as well as with more if the driver of an oncoming vehicle indicates the need for this by periodically switching the headlights.
The main beam (if it is correctly adjusted) reaches the roadbed at a distance of 90 - 100 meters from the car. Rules have generously set a minimum distance between converging vehicles - 150 meters. By this time, the drivers of both vehicles are required to switch the high beam headlights to low beam, so as not to blind each other.
But it may happen that the headlights of one of the cars are not adjusted, and the main beam hits, as they say, “into the sky”. In this case, oncoming drivers from afar will ask (flashing their headlights) to switch to low beam. And the rules oblige the driver to do this , even if the distance between approaching vehicles is more than 150 meters.
3. High beam headlights must be switched to low beam -in any other cases to exclude the possibility of dazzling drivers, as oncoming as well as passing vehicles .
High beams can create problems not only for those who are driving in the opposite direction, but also for those who are moving ahead in the same direction. No minimum distance has been established by the Rules for this situation, but a competent driver will always dip his headlights when approaching the vehicle in front.
And by the way! How should a driver behave when dazzled by headlights?
We have already discussed this situation in the seventh topic. Let's repeat it again. Night time.
The road outside the settlement without artificial lighting. A car is driving towards you with the headlights on. Just imagine - you do not see the roadbed, you do not see the markings, you do not see the roadside. It's deadly!
The most correct now is to portray a forced stop. That is, you do not need to put up an emergency stop sign, just turn on the emergency light alarm and stop smoothly without changing lanes. I assure you, this is the most correct and safe solution. Moreover, the Rules require the same:
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.2. Last paragraph. When blinded, the driver must turn on the alarm and, without changing lanes, slow down and stop.
And finally, the most difficult driving conditions!
Not only is it night outside, there is also insufficient visibility!
In this case, the Rules did not come up with anything new, because all the possibilities of a modern vehicle have already been exhausted.
Soin low visibility conditions the procedure for using external lighting devices is the same at any time of the day. You can turn on the high beam, you can turn on the low beam, you can add fog lights, you can turn on the rear fog lights.
Another thing is that experienced drivers never use high beams when driving in heavy fog, rain or snow. They know full well that in such conditions, the high beam is ineffective - it simply does not reach the road surface, and the driver sees nothing but fog, snow or rain.
In such conditions, the most correct thing is dipped beam plus fog lights. And, of course, the speed must be such that the stopping distance is less than the visibility distance.
A special case - towing!
When towing, two vehicles move as one at a close distance from each other. In this case, they should designate themselves as one whole.
Towing - in front, and he has includedlights, towed - at the back, and it has includedparking lights .
Rules. Section 19. Clause 19.1. At night and in conditions of insufficient visibility, regardless of road lighting, as well as in tunnels, a moving vehicle must turn on the following lighting devices:
- on all motor vehicles and mopeds - high or low beam headlights, on bicycles - headlights or lanterns, on horse-drawn carts - lanterns (if any);
- on trailersand towed motor vehicles - parking lights.
The rules forbade the towed person to turn on the headlights even at night and even in conditions of insufficient visibility (only side lights!). And this has its own logic. After all, the towed one will also have an emergency flasher turned on:
Rules. Section 7. Clause 7.1. The hazard warning lights must be on when towing (on a towed motor vehicle).
To designate your vehicle, this is quite enough, but it does not need to illuminate anything - a towing vehicle is driving ahead at a maximum of 6 meters.
There is one such problem in Tickets, and here you are often mistaken:
What external lighting devices should be turned on at night and in conditions of insufficient visibility, regardless of road lighting, as well as in tunnels on towed vehicles? 1. Daytime Running Lights. 2. Parking lights. 3. Rear fog lights. |
On July 1, 1994, it entered into legal force, which approved not only the traffic rules (hereinafter referred to as the Rules), but also:
- Basic provisions for admission ...;
- List of faults and conditions ... (hereinafter - the List).
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Section 19 of the Rules and Section 3 of the List fully regulate the rules for the use of headlights, lamps, sound signals and other lighting devices, as well as the colors allowed for use.
What color is allowed
What colors are allowed by the Rules is indicated in clause 3.6. List.
front
In ab. 2 p. 3.6. The list says that the front of the car must be equipped with headlights emitting only:
- White;
- yellow;
- or orange light.
Otherwise, the operation of the vehicle is prohibited, and administrative proceedings are initiated against the driver (see below for possible sanctions).
Retroreflectors located in the front must have only white color, a different shade is prohibited.
dipped beam
With regard to dipped beam, the List does not establish a separate prohibition. That is, low beam headlights should emit only a white, yellow or orange tint, the rest are prohibited.
Similar requirements are defined for the main beam, that is, the light bulb must emit white, orange or yellow.
Behind
In ab. 3 p. 3.6. The list indicates what color the lighting devices installed at the rear of the vehicle should emit.
As a rule, two rear lights are installed on the car, which include various blocks with bulbs:
- overall lighting (the weakest in terms of power);
- fog light;
- brake signal;
- reversing;
- turn signals.
The rear light box used to signal the start of reversing must emit only white, otherwise the operation of the motor vehicle is prohibited.
The same requirement applies to light bulbs illuminating the state registration plate - they must also emit only a white tint - others are prohibited.
In other compartments of the rear light, 3 colors are allowed:
- Red;
- yellow;
- or orange.
At the same time, the List does not indicate that any signals should only be of a certain color.
This means that turn signals can be red, yellow or orange. When using any of these colors, the driver will be considered to have complied with the requirements of the traffic rules, and liability will not arise.
The same applies to dimensions, brake lights - they can be yellow, orange or red.
In practice, it turned out that:
- dimensions have a red, not very bright light;
- brake lights have a red tint (more pronounced than the side lights);
- turn signals - yellow or orange;
- rear “foglights” - the brightest red color (brighter than the dimensions and brake lights).
Please also note that rear reflectors can only be red.
Fog lights
Fog lamps, as a rule, are an additional element of the vehicle equipment and are not mandatory for use in accordance with the Rules.
In other words, if there are additional headlights on the car, the driver must use them in accordance with the established requirements, if they are not there, it's okay, there will be no responsibility.
PTF belong to the front lighting devices. There are no special color requirements for foglights.
And this means that the PTF, as well as the dipped and main beam headlights, should only be:
- or white;
- or yellow;
- or orange.
Otherwise, the same responsibility awaits the driver as for the use of dipped (driving) beam headlights that do not meet the color requirements.
When which headlights need to be turned on according to traffic rules
In Section 19 of the Rules, a citizen can obtain all the information of interest to him regarding the procedure for using lighting devices.
In the town
There are not many regulations in Section 19 of the Rules that govern any difference in the use of headlights and lamps in the city and outside it.
In the daytime
According to this article, sanctions can be as follows:
- or a warning issued in writing in accordance with the rules;
- or a monetary penalty in the amount of 500 rubles, charged in accordance with.
As we noted above, for any violation of clause 19.1. - item 19.11. of the Rules, the driver will incur one of the specified sanctions, that is, for, for example:
- driving with fog lights at night (without dipped beam switched on together);
- non-switching from far to near when an oncoming car is at a distance of less than 150 meters;
- driving during the day without PTFs or low beams turned on at all;
- turning on the rear fog lights in any conditions, except for insufficient visibility, etc.
The traffic police inspector will have to decide what exactly to apply to the driver - a warning or a fine - immediately on the spot - when issuing a decision (). When choosing a sanction, the inspector must be guided by the requirements, and also take into account the presence of mitigating or aggravating circumstances for the driver ( and ).
If the inspector imposes a fine, it can be paid at a 50% discount if the payment is made within the first 20 days after the decision (CAO).
These types of liability are valid in the event that the driver violates the rules for using headlights and lanterns. For non-compliance of lighting devices with established requirements, responsibility is much tougher.
For example, if the headlights emit a red light, the punishment will come according to the Code of Administrative Offenses. The sanctions are as follows:
- cancellation of a driver's license for a period of six months to 12 months;
- + additional penalty in the form of confiscation of non-compliant headlights.
The same part says that exactly the same responsibility awaits those who install lighting devices with a color of lights or a mode of operation that do not comply with Section 3 of the List.
The legislator did not clearly indicate whether this provision applies only to the front or to the rear instruments too (and why the lights with red light were singled out in a separate wording at all).
It seems that deprivation + confiscation also awaits those whose turn signals, dimensions and rear brake lights will be a color other than red, yellow or orange (and the tact of those whose reverse signals will be any color other than white).
In practice, deprivation usually awaits those who install xenon or headlights with inappropriate colors. For rear lights, sanctions usually come under Part 1 of Art. 12.5. Code of Administrative Offenses - a warning or a penalty of 500 rubles. A novice driver can get confused in the legal requirements - what and when to include.
Therefore, our editors present a convenient table for all occasions:
|
Situation |
Which headlights (lanterns) should be (can be) switched on? |
| Traffic within a built-up area during the day in clear weather | The driver must use low beam. If not enabled, there will be a warning or a fine of 500 rubles. If the vehicle is equipped with front “foglights”, you can safely turn off the low beam and drive on the same PTF. Side lights can be turned on or off - the requirement for their mandatory inclusion in this case is not presented |
| Driving outside the built-up area during the day in clear weather | Be sure to turn on the dipped beam, and if there are fog lights, you can turn off the dipped beam and drive only on them (or you can use them together). High beam outside cities can be used even during the day (but pointless), the exception is the presence of a car in front, the distance to which is already less than 150 meters |
| Traffic in the city at night or at dusk | Dipped beam or low beam + fog lights. You can switch to high beam if the road in the city is not lit, and turn it off when an oncoming car approaches |
| Traffic outside the city at night | Dipped beam or dipped + "fog". Far can always be used - even if the track is lit (do not forget about oncoming cars) |
| Driving in the city or outside it in the presence of adverse weather conditions (heavy rain, snow, fog, etc.) - no matter, day or night |
To avoid a fine for incorrect use of lighting fixtures, the driver must drive with headlights on at any time of the day. If this condition is not met, he will be punished with a fine. In addition, in case of violation of the rules for operating the car in the event of an accident, both participants will be recognized as the perpetrators. Even if only one person breaks the rules. The reason for making such a decision may be a failed headlight.
Vehicle Design Daytime Running Lights may not be available on all models. As for their self-installation, this can also lead to a fine. And even if such structural changes are not detected during inspection by a traffic police instructor, they will be detected during a scheduled technical inspection. To prevent these actions from being regarded as an offense, the driver will first need to obtain the appropriate permission from the authorities for the installation of daytime running lights. Those models of cars where the design provides for daytime running lights can drive without fear that they will be fined.
If for some reason one of the dipped beam headlights does not light up in the car, then this is also may result in a fine. At the same time, the interpretation of such a situation may differ slightly from the case described above. In this case, the driver did not violate the rules for the operation of lighting devices. A violation here is a malfunction of the headlight, as well as conditions prohibiting the operation of the car.
