A little-known car switch found in almost all vehicles could save road users from a staggering motoring fine or driving ban, according to experts. Adjusting car headlights may appear like an unimportant task with many road users probably never using the dial before.
However, changing where headlights are pointing could be crucial, especially in heavier cars weighed down with lots of passengers and luggage. Experts at Select Car Leasing stressed that the rear of the vehicle can sit lower to the ground than usual when a car is full. This is likely to cause a car’s dipped headlights to aim upwards and runs the risk of dazzling oncoming road users and breaking driving laws.
Police officers have the authority to issue a £100 on-the-spot fine for using “lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users”.
Meanwhile, more serious cases could see road users prosecuted for inconsiderate driving where they run the risk of higher fines of up to £5,000 or even a temporary ban.
Graham said: “If your car is fully loaded there’s a real risk of your headlights dazzling and blinding other road users. The headlight adjustment switch is a crucial piece of equipment that’s often overlooked.
“As a rough rule of thumb, the more weight in your car, or the more passengers you’re carrying, the higher number you should set the dial to.
“It lowers the beam to compensate for the extra weight you’re carrying in your vehicle.”
The headlight adjusting tool is a small rotary knob with the numbers 1-5 on it. As motorists increase the number, road users will notice that the headlights slowly focus downwards.
The switch is usually located on the right-hand side of the steering column making it easy for drivers to access in the blink of an eye. According to Select Car Leasing, many newer models have auto-levelling headlights.
These automatically adjust how high or low the dipped beam sits depending on the loads put through the vehicle.
However, in older cars, motorists are responsible for making these adjustments themselves or risk being caught out.
The Highway Code has clear rules around headlight glare with all road users told to follow a simple set of rules while behind the wheel.
The Code reads that headlights should remain dipped when overtaking “until you are level with the other vehicle and then change to main beam if necessary”.
