Headlights vs Parking Lights: What Is The Difference

If you are a regular driver who is quite conscious about his or her safety while driving, then this is for you. For every driver, their very first consideration would be their safety only. Their safety can be taken care of to a certain extent by using the right lighting system in their car. A standard safety lighting system consists of headlights and taillights which are located at the front and the rear side of the car, respectively. It also involves a special lighting feature known as the parking lights.

Headlights and taillights are an important part of any car because they throw heavy lights on the road so as to increase the visibility on the road. It is not just beneficial to you but to others as well, as your car’s lighting system also acts as a medium to give different signals regarding your position on the road to other vehicles nearby. This is a necessity while driving because it helps you and others in avoiding any mishap on the road. It also enhances your safety on the road.

Just like the headlights of a car, the parking lights are an important element of the lighting system too. They also act as an indicator for the other vehicles to know that the car is in a parked position. This improves the overall safety of the car as it will avoid any mishaps.

What is the difference between Headlights and Parking Lights?

Headlights

Talking about Headlights, they are primarily put in front of the car in order to throw a heavy light on the road so as to increase visibility while driving during night time. This provides the driver with a better driving experience. Mainly, there has always been just two kinds of headlight construction.

Earlier, the lighting system of a headlight and the inner light behind it was combined into a single piece; so, failure of one resulted in the replacement of the entire headlight. While in newer models of cars, the headlights lighting system and the inner bulbs are constructed separately.

This gives the owner of the car the freedom to replace only the damaged part instead of the entire headlight. Nowadays, halogen headlights and halogen light bulbs are constructed too. These are used to produce a forward illumination to the headlight.

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Parking Lights

Other than Headlights, the lighting system of the car also has another important part in it. That part is known as a car’s parking lights system. These lights are put in the car for a very specific purpose. They are utilized to make other drivers aware that the car at rest.

It means that the car will not be moving until the car’s parking lights are not put off. Parking lights of a car are located both, at the front and at the back of the car. They are usually in-built in the indicators of the car and when to put on, they look as if all the indicators have started blinking at the same time. Since they are all yellow in color, it makes them more visible and easy to notice for others.

This enhances the safety of a parked car too as it will avoid any mishaps. It is also illegal to drive with your parking lights on as they are meant to be used only during parking.

Conclusion

It is highly suggested to all car owners and drivers that they properly check their car’s lighting system before using it. It is said so because a car’s lighting system is one of its most important parts related to its safety. Any broken or damaged parts of the car should be immediately replaced with new ones as this can lead to a severe mishap while driving the car.

Special attention should be paid to the bulbs as they could be broken or have been dimmed by continuous usage. Even the law requires all car owners to keep their car’s lighting system maintained at all times. One should not just do it for the sake of law, but for his/her own safety too. A driver’s topmost priority should always be the safety of both, his own and of other drivers on the road.