LED rear lights in winter weather. What should you pay attention to?

Snow or ice on your LED rear lights?

If you go on the road and your vehicle's LED rear lights are still packed with ice or snow, you risk accidents or a fine. Especially if your vehicle is equipped with LED lighting, it is extra important to de-ice the lights before you drive. This is because the glass of the LED rear lights remains cold while driving, so snow and ice will not melt on their own due to the heat (or rather, cold...) of the lights. Vehicles with halogen lighting do not suffer from this besides extreme weather conditions because heat is released with this type of lighting. However, we at TRALERT® would like to recommend that you handle this wisely and at least check the lights before driving and, regardless of the type of lighting, always de-ice and snow.

Is it raining or snowing? Then make sure your LED lighting is on!

Is it raining or snowing? Is it grey or grey outside and does this make visibility poor? Then make sure your LED rear lights are on. Do not run low or high beams when visibility is poor to avoid a €160 fine in the worst case scenario. Rear lights that are not on properly in poor visibility will result in a €140 euro fine. If you forget to light your lights in poor visibility, you could receive a €160 fine just like that. Never pleasant for you, and perhaps for your employer. These amounts are better invested in a good set of LED rear lights, to avoid this problem. Right?

Switch off the LED rear lights in the following situations.....

In bad weather, you would argue that it is important to turn on your vehicle's lighting. However, this is not always the case. Pay attention to the following when using LED rear lights:

When unnecessarily running the rear fog light, you risk a €140 fine. Running a fog light can cost you €95 euros. Thus, the front fog light may only be used when visibility is seriously impaired due to fog, snowfall or rain. You may only use the rear fog light in fog or snowfall that makes visibility less than 50 metres. If you forget to switch off the high beam and thereby obstruct oncoming traffic, this could cost you €140.

A visible number plate starts with good lighting

When you’re out and about on winter days, it’s particularly important to ensure your vehicle’s number plate remains clearly legible. It’s also wise to check your windows and mirrors. These must be clearly visible and must not be covered by a layer of snow. The fine for this is €45 if they are too difficult to read or use. If a number plate is missing or completely illegible, the fine can rise to €140. Another way to make the number plate more visible is to fit LED licence plate lights to the vehicle. With the help of this lighting, the number plate is much more visible, whatever the weather conditions.

Don't risk fines, prepare well for winter weather

Good preparation is half the battle. If you read the above article carefully, you can avoid several fines and save a lot of money. Indeed, the sum total of the offences mentioned comes to: €1260 euros. So make sure your vehicle has the right LED lighting.

Do you have questions about how best to equip your vehicle for winter weather? Our specialists are ready to get you through the cold winter months. Work with them to select the right LED rear lights and/or licence plate lights for your vehicle.

Source: Algemeen Dagblad, 2021.