Todmorden News

When the Lights Go Out

Roadside checks in Calderdale this week found seven out of every 100 drivers are breaking the law by not ensuring their car lights are working properly and by using fog lights in clear conditions. Many more, although working, were badly adjusted which can cause serious glare problems for people driving in front of them…

The most common faults found were:

• Headlights out
• Side lights out
• Brake lights out

Driving with a defective light can cause real problems for other road users. And if it’s your headlights that are out then you are putting pedestrians at particular risk – it’s difficult enough to see pedestrians in dark clothing with both headlights working. All car lights should be checked before the start of every journey.

It is an offence to use fog lights except where visibility is seriously reduced, which is generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres. It is often the young drivers who are likely to use them during hours of darkness. Used in the wrong conditions fog lights can and do cause dazzle and reduce the effectiveness of brake lights – this puts other road users at risk.

In icy or snowy weather you must be able to see, so clear all snow, ice and condensation from all your windows, lights and number plates

Sgt Garry Alderson, Calderdale’s Roads Traffic Policing Manager, advices motorists to check their lights this winter:

“Don ’t be one of the hundreds of motorists who will be pulled over for having either defective lights or for the inappropriate use of fog lights. It’s so simple to check and rectify lighting faults on your car, doing so could prevent one of the many collisions caused by poor attention to basic maintenance”.