4. CHECK YOUR BRAKES
Checking your cars lights all round is essential in ensuring good visibility for both yourself and other road users.
Headlights/Sidelights
Headlights and sidelights are more than essential for night driving and lowered visibility on the roads. Having a bulb out can easily occur a fine by a passing police vehicle if spotted. Ensuring not only all bulbs are functioning, but also ensuring your lenses are clear from any damage or dirt, can help with visibility. Upgrading to brighter bulbs or LED upgrade kits can further expand visibility at night and during harsh weather conditions where visibility may be lowered.
Indicators
Indicators are another essential. Simply applying the hazard warning lights and having a walk around of the vehicle can help you determine if all indicator bulbs are working. If fitted on some classics, side markers are commonly overlooked bulbs that are still essential and can alert pedestrians of your intentions from the side.
Brake & Tail Lights
Brake & Tail Lights are the difference between a vehicle behind seeing you stop and a rear end collision. Most cars have the brake and tail lights together in one bulb, others can be separate. Some original classic car brake and tail lights can be dimmer and less effective than most and in direct sunlight can be difficult to see. Checking that all brake bulbs are working is essential. Making sure your lenses are clean, upgrading to brighter bulbs or even LED upgrade kits can help to ensure other road users can see you are stopping. Night driving is also a key player in the tail lights working so other road users can spot you from behind.
Reverse Lights
Reverse lights (if fitted) can help other road users see your intention! Although not fitted to all classics, reverse lights still play an important role especially in built up areas to let other road users and pedestrians know that you’re reversing.
Number Plate Lights
Number plate lights are another commonly overlooked light on a vehicle. However many bulbs are required to light up your number plate, it is essential that all work and all characters can be easily seen on the number plate. This is most essential for night driving.
Full Beam
Full beam (If fitted) can play a key role in night driving on unlit roads. Although not a necessity, full beam can dramatically improve forward visibility in unlit areas as long as no traffic is approaching in the opposite direction.
Fog Lights
Fog lights (If fitted) are less commonly used and therefore need to be checked regularly in case the weather unexpectedly makes a turn! Although highly unlikely to be used in summer, it is still worth the check whilst ensuring all other lights are
effectively operating whilst checking the rest.