Lighting problems in the dark are a real challenge for any driver. Just imagine: you’re driving along the Meaux Road and suddenly realise that one of your headlights has simply stopped working. The visibility has dropped to less than 30 metres and you are almost groping your way along the road. With this kind of visibility, any obstacle on the road will come as a surprise.
What is the way out of this situation? In the moment, there are no options. But, in fact, all you need to do is check the condition of your headlights before setting off on a journey and update them if necessary. With this simple action, you can double your field of vision and, according to DfT statistics and independent MOT tests, reduce the risk of an accident by almost a third. In this way, you neutralise unnecessary risk on the road.
Are you afraid of the dark? Is it really that dangerous to drive at night?
In fact, driving at night is difficult. There are many reasons for this: our eyes do not see well in the dark, which increases the risk of not responding to an emergency in time. In addition, oncoming traffic can often blind you with their headlights, add to that fatigue and the monotony of the view outside, and you have poor visibility and reduced concentration. And, of course, as we mentioned earlier, lighting problems in the vehicle itself add to the difficulties.
So, in reality, do drivers in the UK really choose to drive at night? DfT statistics show that although only 25% of road traffic occurs at night, 37% of all fatal road accidents occur in the dark. What does this mean? Only that night accidents have more serious consequences.
There is another problem on the stretch of road we mentioned earlier. Don’t forget that on narrow roads such as the A164, B1248 and Meaux Road in East Riding. There is no fixed lighting. Thus, you can rely solely on your headlights. In such cases, it is simply unacceptable for them to be faulty or shine dimly. After all, worn-out lamps or tarnished diffusers can reduce the lighting range by 20-40%, which significantly reduces the driver’s reaction time and increases the risk of a collision.
Three ‘hidden’ headlight problems that occur most often.
There are problems that are not immediately apparent and, if you check them carefully enough, you may think that everything is fine with the lighting. One of these problems is microcracks in the lenses that appear on the surface of the headlights over time. How do they affect the lighting? In fact, these damages cause the light beam to be scattered instead of forming a clear and focused spot. This creates a glare in the grooves that prevents you from seeing properly, especially during periods of bad weather. Another problem that may not be noticed in time is the yellowing of polycarbonate, which is used to make most modern headlights. Yellowing leads to the loss of a significant portion of the light output, and headlights can lose up to 30% of their light output. And the last problem is the unadjusted headlight angle. This is especially true for newly purchased headlights. It’s quite simple: an unadjusted lighting angle makes the headlights ineffective, because they simply shine in the wrong place. In addition, such headlights often blind the oncoming traffic instead of illuminating the road in front of your car.
5 steps to perfect lighting.
| Step | Time | What to do | Effect |
| 1 | 3 min | Check focus on garage wall (horizon line) | Plus 10m range |
| 2 | 5 min | Clean lenses with polishing kit | Restores up to 70% of lumens |
| 3 | 4 min | Replace bulbs in pairs (H7 LongLife) | Consistent temperature & colour |
| 4 | 6 min | Tighten headlight earth connections, check wiring for oxidation | Avoid flickering |
| 5 | 2 min | Check rear lights + number plate light | Full 360° “visibility” |
The table describes the following steps for improving lighting:
- Check focus on garage wall (horizon line) – Plus 10m range
- Clean lenses with polishing kit – Restores up to 70% of lumens
- Replace bulbs in pairs (H7 LongLife) – Consistent temperature & colour
- Tighten headlight earth connections, check wiring for oxidation – Avoid flickering
- Check rear lights + number plate light – Full 360° “visibility”
Models such as the Ford Focus Mk2, VW Golf V, or Audi A3 8P are distinguished by their compact dimensions and active use even at night, so the quality of headlights is critically important for them. Drivers of such cars often notice that after upgrading the optics, the clarity of the light beam improves significantly, and night driving becomes less stressful and safer.
Once you have completed all the steps described above, you can perform a little life hack to check the effectiveness of your headlights. You can do it right in your garage. We are talking about the DIY test ‘Coke can’. What do you need to do? In the dark, place a cola can in front of your car at a distance of plus or minus 25 metres. Then switch on your headlights. If the emblem on the can shines barely noticeably, it’s time to polish the lenses or replace them. For comparison, after upgrade the A3 8P headlights, the can should be clearly visible at 35 metres, which demonstrates a significant improvement in lighting.
Thus, in order to avoid visibility problems when travelling at night, you simply need to always keep your headlights in good working order. This will help you feel more confident while driving and avoid dangerous situations on the road.
More about Audi A3 8P headlights – onlinecarparts.co.uk
Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report: 2023
