The headlights burned out at night: what to do if you need to continue driving?

Is it possible to drive without the lights on during the day?

It is forbidden. And the point here is not a lack of lamps or a malfunction of the head light. Traffic regulations directly prohibit driving at least without daytime running lights. However, let's consider all situations!

If you just forgot to turn it on

It is forbidden. Clauses 19.4 and 19.5 of the Rules collectively say that during daylight hours all vehicles must have the following on:

or DRL,
or low beam headlights,
or foglights as an alternative to the above.

So, during the daytime, your car should have at least some kind of light on the front.

If a light bulb burns out

In this case, you are also prohibited from driving, but here we are talking about a malfunction of the light device, and the traffic rules have a separate rule in this regard. So, if you drive without bulbs in your headlights during the day, or the bulbs are burned out, then this falls under the list of malfunctions for which the operation of the vehicle is prohibited.

Clause 3.3 of the List prescribes the following:

3.3. External lighting devices and reflectors do not work in the prescribed mode or are dirty.

But paragraph 2.3.1 of the Rules indicates that if a malfunction occurs along the way, referring to this List, the driver can drive to a parking lot or to a car service center.

If there are no headlights after an accident

If the headlight is completely missing, then in this case clause 3.1 of the List of Faults is violated, namely one of its conditions prohibits driving the car both day and night:

3.1. The number, type, color, location and operating mode of external lighting devices do not meet the requirements of the vehicle design.

Please note that a violation of the integrity or inoperability of the headlight also violates paragraph 3.3 of the List cited above.

Is it legal to drive a car with the headlights off day and night?

Driving a car with the lights turned off may be the wish of the person driving it, or the result of a breakdown or emergency. Absolutely all such moments can become the basis for violating traffic rules. In what cases is it permissible to drive with headlights off during the day and at night, what punishment can be applied for this, and when can you not turn on various lighting devices? Driving without lights on during the day. It's simply prohibited. The reason is not a lack of lamps or a breakdown; the traffic rules directly prohibit movement without lights on, for example, daytime running lights. But it is worth considering all possible situations.

Forgot to turn it on.

This action is prohibited. According to clauses 19.4 and 19.5 of the traffic rules, in the daytime each car should turn on the main or additional lighting, as an alternative to the first two lighting devices.

Lamp burnout.

Driving in this situation is also prohibited, but here we are talking about a breakdown of the lighting device. The Rules have a separate provision for this case. Driving without lamps in the daytime or their burnout is included in the list of breakdowns in the presence of which the use of the car is prohibited. Despite this, according to clause 2.3.1, the driver has the right to proceed with such a malfunction to a service center or parking lot.

Getting into an emergency situation.

In the complete absence of a headlight, there is a violation of clause 3.1 of the traffic rules, which prohibits the movement of the car due to a design discrepancy in the number, color, location or operating mode of external lighting devices. In addition, movement in this situation will be a violation of clause 3.3. the above List.

Driving with headlights off at night. This is also not allowed. What differences are there between driving without lighting during the day and at night?

While DRLs or fog lights can be used during the day, driving at night is prohibited unless the car has low or high beams. Fog lights can only be turned on together with them. In addition, during the daytime it is allowed to drive with such a malfunction to the place of parking or repair, but at night this is prohibited, for which a fine is imposed.

The second point is regulated by clause 2.3.1 of the traffic rules, which states that driving a car is prohibited if at least one headlight does not work, and it does not matter which side, both must be working.

Amount of fine. Due to the fact that most of the above standards have a reference to the List of vehicle malfunctions for which the car cannot be operated, the degree of responsibility should be looked at there. It is provided for only one type of punishment in the Code of Administrative Offenses, regardless of what condition was violated.

According to Art. 12.5 Part 1 of the Administrative Code, for the absence of a working headlight or its burnout during the daytime, a fine of 500 rubles is imposed or a warning is issued. A similar punishment is imposed in accordance with Article 12.20, in the absence of DRLs on during the day or headlights at night. This type of punishment can be imposed if the lighting devices are in good condition.

Bottom line. If stopped by a traffic police officer during the daytime, imposing a fine for such a violation will be unlawful, since the driver can follow to the place where the problem can be corrected. But at night the inspector will be absolutely right in issuing a fine on legal grounds for moving without external lighting devices. Such circumstances should be treated with increased care, since the issue here is not only the possibility of receiving a fine, but also the personal safety of the driver and his passengers.

Is it possible to drive without headlights at night?

Also no. Let's look at the differences in driving bans during the day and at night:

if during the day you can use DRLs, then in the dark only low or high beams can be turned on, fog lights also cannot be turned on without them,
During the day, if the headlight or bulb in it malfunctions, you can get to the parking lot or repair site, but at night you cannot, and there will be a fine for this.

The second point is regulated by paragraph 2.3.1 of the traffic rules, which states that in the dark, driving is prohibited if the headlight is not working, and it does not matter which headlight you are driving without - both headlights must work and be turned on.

Adjusting the headlights

Is it possible to adjust the headlights without a stand? This is how our screen is laid out. Very simple. The low beam headlights are adjusted. Turn on the low beam and set the tilt angle corrector to the zero position. We determine where the beams of our headlights need to be directed. First we adjust it to the right - left, then up - down. Typically, the right-left adjustment screws are located outside, and the up-down screws are closer to the center of the engine compartment, and the adjustment process itself with working headlights, correctly installed, good quality lamps takes 10 minutes. Usually more time is required for preparation. So that the light of the second headlight does not interfere, it can be covered with a piece of cloth while adjusting the first one.

What's the fine?

Since most of the above standards refer us to the List of Faults, responsibility must be taken precisely for this. And it is provided for by the only punishment in the Code of Administrative Offenses for violation of any of the conditions and malfunctions prohibiting the operation of the vehicle.

Part 1 of Article 12.5 of the Administrative Code provides for a fine of 500 rubles or a warning for this. Penalties are imposed for the following violations of the use of light:

there is no headlight both at night and during the day,
The headlight bulb is burned out or missing.

Art. 12.20 of the Code also prescribes a fine of 500 rubles or a warning for violating the use of lighting devices. It is prescribed for the following violations:

you didn't turn on the DRL during the day,
you are driving without lights at night.

This penalty is imposed if the lighting devices are in working order.

Grounds for prosecution and amounts of fines

In what cases can drivers be subject to a fine? We can talk about the presence of violations in their actions in the following cases:

when the driver starts driving without the lights on. During the day it can be difficult to notice this immediately;
if, when darkness falls, the driver of a car equipped with daytime running lights ignores the requirement to turn on the low beam;
when the driver, approaching an oncoming vehicle, while driving in populated areas on a lighted road, does not change the high beam to low beam;
if the driver turns on the rear fog light, even if this is not necessary. From the meaning of clause 19.7 of the traffic rules, it follows that it is used only in poor visibility.

The guilty person pays a fine for driving without lights in the amount of 500 rubles (Article 12.20 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). Many drivers are not afraid of this amount. They still continue to ignore the requirements for the use of lighting devices. At the same time, they do not think about the fact that the issue is not the amount of payment, but that this violation can provoke emergency situations on the road and endanger oncoming cars and pedestrians. The fact of a violation of the rules affects the amount of insurance compensation received by the participant in the accident.

If the headlight stops working while on the road

As we have already indicated above, traffic rules allow the possibility of driving to a parking lot or repair site if a malfunction occurs along the way. And before driving, the Rules oblige the driver to check the operation of the car for all the conditions of the List of Faults.

Therefore, if, when stopped by a traffic police inspector, you state that a condition entailing a violation arose along the way, and you proceed to the place where you can eliminate the deficiency, then it is unlawful to issue a fine.

But if you are driving without a headlight at night, then in any case the fine is legal, since in the dark it is forbidden to continue driving without low beam working in the established mode. In this case, according to the letter of the law in 2021, you are obliged to call a tow truck or have the car towed.

In addition, this provision with a fine for driving without low beams applies not only to the dark, but also to conditions of insufficient visibility: fog, rain, snow and other conditions with road visibility of less than 300 meters.

Is it possible to drive without dimensions?

Only possible during the day. The rules do not directly prohibit driving without side lights in the daytime, but at night this is prohibited by paragraph 2.3.1 of the traffic rules.

Moreover, at night, traffic regulations require at least low beams to be turned on. And by design, on all cars it turns on only when the dimensions are turned on. Therefore, you won’t be able to travel without them. And if the latter are faulty, then in the dark you will be fined 500 rubles, and movement to the parking lot or repair site is prohibited.

Something else useful for you:

All about the fine for low beam: what size is it if the headlights are not turned on or do not work?
Is there a penalty for driving with a broken, broken or cracked windshield and what is it?
How much are fines for wheels and tires? All possible violations

How to use lighting devices correctly

Since 2010, in accordance with clause 19.5 of the Traffic Regulations, all vehicles must drive during the day with their low beams on .

In some of them, it turns on automatically when you start the engine, but on older models this must be done manually. This innovation was made in order to attract the attention of other drivers and pedestrians to the moving car.

Running lights

Some manufacturers install such lighting devices in the car as standard running lights. They perform the function of low beam during the day, they turn on with the engine, and at night the car owner switches the light to low beam; they continue to work as additional lighting, but with lower power . That is, the use of such devices during the daytime is not a violation.

You can, of course, install them yourself. But remember that they must comply with GOST R 41.48-2004. This document provides criteria for their installation and brightness. According to the rules, they must begin to work when the engine starts.

It is imperative to provide the ability to turn them off without using additional tools , that is, by simply switching a toggle switch or pressing a button.

They
must be located at a distance from the ground of at least 25 cm and no more than 150, and the gap between them must be at least 60 cm . They should shine with a brightness of 400 to 800 candelas. As a rule, this is where problems arise. The fact is that the power that provides such brightness is provided only in super-bright LEDs, and mostly ordinary ones are used for installation.

Using lighting in poor visibility conditions

At night, you must also turn on the low beam, and if you are driving on a dark road or outside the city, you can switch the light to high beam . But it needs to be replaced if there are 150 m left before the oncoming car, or when the driver of such a car, blinking, reports that the light is preventing him from driving.

Drivers moving in the same direction as a car with high beams also have the opportunity to “ask” to switch the lights. Traffic regulations provide for rules of conduct for blinded people: they need to press the emergency lights, gradually stop, without changing lanes.

In addition, the “distant” must be turned off if the car enters an illuminated area or a populated area. Fog lights can only be turned on together with high and low beams in poor visibility conditions, regardless of the time of day, or can be used during the day, instead of low beams.

Rear fog lights, in accordance with clause 19.7 of the traffic rules, can be used only when weather conditions reduce visibility. Connecting them to “stoppers” is strictly prohibited.

Can I install a headlight from another car?

If you don’t have a headlight at all after an accident or it’s faulty, then using another car is possible, but only in 2 cases:

another headlight from the same model as your car, including having the same markings and designed for the same light source (halogen, xenon, for example),
your car is no longer in production, but then the headlight from another car should also match the type of lamps used in your stock one.

If everything is very clear with the first option, then the second is permitted by paragraph 3.1 of the List of Faults as an exception.

If your car model is still in production (namely a model, not a generation or modification), then installing another headlight will be a change in the design, which is prohibited by the Rules. In particular, paragraph 7.18 indicates that operation is prohibited if changes are made to the design. And paragraph 6 of the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union says what changes to the design are.

For this you can receive not only a fine, but also the cancellation of your car registration.