When it comes to your safety while driving, your headlights play an important role.
At night, they show you the way, and at other times, they can be used as an early warning devise to other cars, especially in low visibility driving conditions including cloudy, foggy, grey, wet conditions plus during dusk and dawn.
The US National Highway Traffic Administration recently completed a study on headlights and found:
- The primary reason for severe night-time accidents is dim, cloudy or improperly lit headlights.
- A 20% to 50% reduction in headlight output leads to a 90% increase in the possibility of an accident.
- An estimated 90% of cars on the road have dirty or yellowed headlights.
- Dirty or yellowed headlights greatly reduce vision.
When was the last time you looked at the condition of your headlights? Here’s some quick and easy maintenance tips to help improve the safety of your headlights:
Upgrade your headlight bulbs:
Any upgrade above a basic headlight replacement can create a better, safer experience for drivers. Better headlights can help increase your visibility farther down the road – which can help you react sooner.
Replace headlight bulbs before burnout:
Headlights can dim over time so make sure to replace them before they burn out. If you can’t remember the last time the headlights were changed, it may be time for an upgrade.
Restore your headlight lenses:
If your car has faded, cloudy plastic headlight lenses, your headlights are not working at their best. Overtime, the covers receive minor scratches, where dust collects.
Give them a thorough clean or replacement. You can try our simple, cost effective, homemade remedy here – or check your local auto retail store for headlight cleaning kits. A good restoration kit can let up to three times more light shine on the road from the same, once cloudy headlight.
Keep your headlights clean:
Be sure all vehicle lights, including headlights, taillights and turn signals, are clean to maximise the safety and visibility of your car.
Brighton Panel Works specialises in prestige car repairs, providing services ranging from panel beaters and paintless dent removal to courtesy cars. We are experienced in repairing all prestige car models, including Range Rover, Audi, Volkswagen, Lexus, Volvo, Porsche, Mercedes and BMW. Our clients come from all across Melbourne, including Hampton, Glen Iris, Toorak, Armadale, Malvern, Brighton, Elwood, Elsternwick, Bentleigh East and more.