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Car Bulb Buyers Guide

Car bulbs are essential pieces of safety equipment for you and other road users. The allow you to see and be seen in poor driving conditions like heavy rain, fog and of course, the dark. If that isn’t reason enough to make sure they’re working properly, you can be stopped by the police or fail your MOT if one of your lights is out.

Can I drive without a headlight?

Halfords estimate that 4.6 million cars in the UK have faulty or broken headlights. The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, however, makes it clear that you must ensure that all lights on your vehicle are clean and working efficiently. If you have a faulty light and are pulled over by the police, the penalty is likely to be a £100 fine and 3 points on your licence. If it reaches court, the fine could be up to £1,000.

Can I drive without a brake light?

Similarly to headlights, the law states that they must be in full working order and clean. If there is a problem and you get pulled over, you may get:

·         A verbal warning

·         A fixed penalty notice - a £60 fine and three points on your licence

·         A Vehicle Defect Rectification Notice - 14 days to fix the fault and provide proof of the fix

·         Your car taken off the road immediately

How do I check my headlights are working?

It might be easier to see if you wait until it is dark. Ask someone to stand near your car and check your lights while you try each in turn. If you are alone and in a pinch, parking near a wall or a reflective surface will be able to give you an idea of which ones are working.  If one of your bulbs is dim or broken, you may need to replace both bulbs in the pair as the other is likely to follow shortly. If you have replaced the broken bulb and it is still not working, it is likely to be a connection fault which will need to be repaired by a professional.

Which headlight bulb do I need?

Mark on our trade counter will be able to find the right bulb for your vehicle. If you know your reg, we’ll be able to find the details from that. If not, just give us some details about the make and model of your car or van and we’ll find one from that.

Halogen vs. LED bulbs Similar to your light bulbs at home, halogen bulbs work by heating up the filament within to produce light. These are the standard bulbs you will find on most cars. They are reliable, easy to replace and are good value for money. LED bulbs work differently. The light is emitted when electricity passes through a semiconductor. Filaments in halogen bulbs can last a long time, but they will eventually burn out. LED lights don’t have this problem, so they shouldn’t ever need to be replaced. However, it’s currently illegal to change factory standard halogen bulbs to LED lights. They must be installed by the manufacturer.

What about off-road lights?

Here at UK Automotive Products we love a custom car. We've partnered with J.W. Speaker, an American company known worldwide for their stunning, high quality lights for 4x4s, motorbikes, quad bikes and other off-road vehicles, to bring American style modifications to the UK market. Let us know if you are looking for headlights, stop and tail lights, fog lights, light bars, trail lights, licence plate lights, indicators or interior lights and we'd be happy to recommend some products.