It might seem strange to talk about lights when thinking about summer travel, naturally associated with sunshine and long days. However, checking your car’slighting system remains essential even during the warm weather, for several reasons that we often underestimate. Lights are not only for seeing in the dark, but also and especially for being seen by other road users in all visibility conditions.
The importance of lights even in summer
During summer travel, situations in which lights become indispensable are more frequent than one might imagine. Summer thunderstorms, often sudden and violent, can drastically reduce visibility in a matter of minutes.
Tunnels, particularly numerous on our highways and mountain roads, require lights to be turned on even in broad daylight. In addition, many motorists choose to travel in the evening or nighttime hours to avoid the more intense heat and traffic of the middle hours of the day.
The Italian Highway Code makes it mandatory to keep dipped headlights on even during the day on highways and main roads, making checking the efficiency of the lighting system not only a matter of safety, but also of compliance. A burned-out bulb can cost a fine of up to 335 euros, as well as pose a serious safety risk.
A quick and easy check
Checking the operation of lights is one of the simplest inspection tasks you can perform on your automobile.
It requires no special tools or technical skills, just a few minutes of time and possibly the help of another person or a reflective surface such as a store window or garage wall.
Start with the front headlights: turn on the sidelights and check that both headlights light up.
Then switch to low beams and then to high beams, checking that all bulbs are working properly.
Don’t forget fog lights, if your car is equipped with them: even if you hope not to have to use them during the vacations, they could prove invaluable in case of sudden bad weather.
All lights to be verified
The check should extend to the entire lighting system of the vehicle. In addition to the front headlights, check the rear lights: sidelights, stop lights, turn signals and reversing lights.
To check the stop lights, you can ask someone to look at the rear of the car while you press the brake pedal, or use the reflection in a window or wall located behind the vehicle.
The turn signals deserve special attention: check both the front and rear ones, making sure the flashing rate is regular. Faster-than-normal flashing often indicates that one of the bulbs is burned out.
Don’t forget to also check license plate lights, which are often overlooked but required by law, and hazard lights (four turn signals).
If your car is equipped with LED daytime running lights, check that they are working properly. Although these systems are generally very reliable, a preventive check is always advisable.
What to do if a light bulb is burned out
If you discover during the inspection that one or more bulbs are not working, the first thing to do is to check whether it is indeed a burned-out bulb or a more complex electrical problem. If only one bulb is not working while the others of the same type are regular, it is probably a simple replacement.
Bulb replacement is an operation that varies greatly from car to car. On some models it is relatively simple and can be done independently, while on others it requires disassembly of body parts or special skills. Consult the owner’s manual for instructions specific to your model.
The importance of spare bulbs
A valuable tip for summer travel is to carry a spare bulb kit with you at all times. They take up little space in the trunk but can prove to be lifesavers should the need arise.
Choose good quality bulbs of the correct type for your car-the necessary information can be found in the owner’s manual or directly on the bulb to be replaced.
Many drivers underestimate this aspect, but a light bulb can burn out at any time, even while traveling.
Having the ability to replace it immediately will save you from having to search for an open workshop, especially if you are traveling in tourist areas where services may be limited.
Tips for overnight travel
If you have planned to travel during evening or nighttime hours to avoid the heat, pay special attention to cleaning your headlights. Dirty or dulled windows significantly reduce the effectiveness of lighting, increasing the risk of accidents.
Use specific headlight cleaning products and, if necessary, have dulled headlights polished at a specialty shop.
Also remember to properly adjust the height of the headlights according to the car’s load: a car loaded with luggage and passengers will have a different setup, and the headlights may dazzle other motorists if not properly oriented. Many modern cars have automatic self-levelling systems, but on older ones manual intervention may be necessary.
