Lighting and lights

The lights that make you visible

Some lights do not really illuminate the road: they signal your presence to other road users. They are not very powerful but are essential as soon as the light fades.

• Position lights (formerly called "sidelights"): small white lights at the front and red lights at the rear. They make your vehicle visible but do not light up the carriageway. On their own, they are never sufficient for driving at night.
• Number-plate lights: they illuminate the rear number plate and come on at the same time as the position lights.

The lights that illuminate the road

Dipped headlights ("dipped beam")

Dipped headlights, often called dipped beam, are your basic lights for driving at night or in poor visibility. Their beam is angled downwards to light the road ahead of you without dazzling other drivers. This is the lighting you use most often.

Main-beam headlights ("full beam")

Main-beam headlights, or full beam, project a long, powerful beam. They light up the road far ahead of you but dazzle anyone facing them. You only use them on an unlit road, when no other road users would be bothered by their light.

Fog lights

Fog lights are reserved for conditions of severely reduced visibility. Their use is strictly regulated, because used incorrectly they hinder other drivers.

• Front fog lights: permitted in fog, snowfall or heavy rain. They may replace or supplement the dipped headlights when visibility is poor.
• Rear fog light: very powerful and bright red, it is only permitted in fog or snowfall reducing visibility to less than 100 m, or in heavy rain.

The lights that signal manoeuvres

• Indicators (direction indicators): they announce in advance any change of direction or lane, as well as moving off from the side of the road. Use them in good time, then switch them off once the manoeuvre is complete.
• Hazard lights (hazard warning lights): all four indicators together. They signal a stationary vehicle that constitutes a hazard, a sudden slowdown on a motorway, or a vehicle being towed.
• Brake lights: red, they come on automatically when you brake to warn the road user behind you.

When must you switch on your lights?

You must use dipped headlights (or, depending on the conditions, fog lights):

• At night, that is, between nightfall and daybreak.
• During the day, as soon as visibility is insufficient: fog, heavy rain, snowfall, a very dark sky.
• In a tunnel, even in broad daylight and even if it is lit.

The horn and headlight flashes

The horn is not a tool for venting your frustration: it is a danger warning device. Its use is strictly limited, and it varies depending on whether you are inside or outside a built-up area.

• In a built-up area: the horn is permitted only to avoid an accident. Outside that case, sounding your horn is prohibited.
• Outside built-up areas: the horn may also be used to announce overtaking to the road user you are about to overtake, in addition to its role as a danger warning.
• At night, replace the horn with brief headlight flashes (momentary switches to main beam) to signal your presence or announce overtaking without waking the neighbourhood.