Brake lights
Sometimes it's the simplest things that are the most effective: brake lights instantly indicate that the car ahead is slowing down or stopping, giving you a chance to hit your own brakes and avoid rear-ending it. So-called 'third brake lights', high mounted at the base of the rear windscreen, made their debut in the mid-70s and LED brake lights that illuminate with increasing intensity according to the force of deceleration are now appearing.
Sometimes it's the simplest things that are the most effective: brake lights instantly indicate that the car ahead is slowing down or stopping, giving you a chance to hit your own brakes and avoid rear-ending it. So-called 'third brake lights', high mounted at the base of the rear windscreen, made their debut in the mid-70s and LED brake lights that illuminate with increasing intensity according to the force of deceleration are now appearing.
Indicators
Optional in certain German executive cars, say the snide. A simple but effective way of signaling your intentions, if you use them: today's large flashing blinkers have to be a better bet than slightly obscene-looking hand signals or fold-out trafficators.
First seen in Buick models of 1938, now seen with mirror-mounted repeater lights, LEDs in place of bulbs and clear-lensed glass covers.
Optional in certain German executive cars, say the snide. A simple but effective way of signaling your intentions, if you use them: today's large flashing blinkers have to be a better bet than slightly obscene-looking hand signals or fold-out trafficators.
First seen in Buick models of 1938, now seen with mirror-mounted repeater lights, LEDs in place of bulbs and clear-lensed glass covers.
Rear foglight
A high proportion of accidents are rear-enders and many of these happen in poor visibility.
Enter the brightly-glowing rear foglight, designed to cut through the gloom. Hit the brakes on a congested, misty motorway and you can have some confidence the car behind will see you. Just don't leave it on all the time.
A high proportion of accidents are rear-enders and many of these happen in poor visibility.
Enter the brightly-glowing rear foglight, designed to cut through the gloom. Hit the brakes on a congested, misty motorway and you can have some confidence the car behind will see you. Just don't leave it on all the time.
Reversing light
Another one for the so-obvious-it-hurts list: a white light to show other road-users that you have selected reverse gear. And that you might wish to go backwards at some point.
Shame it's almost universally ignored by most rush-hour rat-runners down residential streets, who fail to realise that the locals might actually want to park their cars near their houses, then hit the horn. Grrr.
Another one for the so-obvious-it-hurts list: a white light to show other road-users that you have selected reverse gear. And that you might wish to go backwards at some point.
Shame it's almost universally ignored by most rush-hour rat-runners down residential streets, who fail to realise that the locals might actually want to park their cars near their houses, then hit the horn. Grrr.
Xenon headlamps
High-intensity, or gas-discharge, headlamps create illumination from the vapour produced by pressurizing a volatile gas between electrodes. It's a similar principle to street lamps and floodlights – but in car headlamps, the use of xenon, instead of sodium or mercury, is particularly effective for night-time visibility. Just remember to dip those searing full-beam lights if there's another car coming towards you.
High-intensity, or gas-discharge, headlamps create illumination from the vapour produced by pressurizing a volatile gas between electrodes. It's a similar principle to street lamps and floodlights – but in car headlamps, the use of xenon, instead of sodium or mercury, is particularly effective for night-time visibility. Just remember to dip those searing full-beam lights if there's another car coming towards you.