As we turn back the clocks, the sun goes down sooner and people spend more time driving in the dark
Using the right lights is essential when driving at night, when 30% of accidents take place in Europe
The inclusion of LEDs and assistants such as high beam assist make driving safer and more comfortable
With the arrival of daylight savings, the days get shorter, the sun goes down earlier and more people drive in the dark. In this situation you must take greater precaution, as 30% of all accidents in Europe take place at night.
The front light system on cars help us drive safely in low visibility conditions, especially the LED headlamps, as their light characteristics are very similar to natural sunlight. The following examples are indications of how to correctly use the light System on your car.
No reason not to turn on the high beams: they are only allowed on intercity roads with little visibility, but “many drivers do not use them for fear of dazzling oncoming traffic. That’s where the high beam assist comes in handy”, explains Maite París, who is in charge of Headlamps at SEAT. This system detects the presence of vehicles in both directions and automatically switches back to main beams accordingly, providing extra comfort and safety.
6 months of darkness: this is how people live in the town of Rjukan, Norway, as they get no sunlight from September to March. In places like these, dipped beams are mandatory 24 hours a day. On the other hand, in countries such as Spain, dipped beams are only used at night or during the day when there is poor visibility, for example in a tunnel or under heavy rain. They must also be used when driving in a reversible lane. In these situations, the ‘Auto’ option “makes driving more comfortable, as it automatically activates the dipped beams”, assures this engineer.
LEDs, faster and safer: with the addition of LED bulbs, “not only do we save on consumption and gain in comfort, but we also improve safety”, says Maite. This kind of lighting is more similar to daylight than a halogen bulb. It also responds 150 milliseconds faster than an incandescent bulb, meaning that the LED of a brake light activates 5 metres sooner when driving at 120 km/h. Furthermore, they are designed to last throughout the service life of the vehicle and do not have to be changed.
The most subtle light of all: although there is no prohibition on the interior courtesy light, “it’s best not to use it for long periods so you can pay full attention to the road”, says Maite, who compares it to “going to the cinema: in order to concentrate on the film we need our surroundings to be as dark as possible.”
SEAT Communications
Vanessa Petit Content Generation
T / +34 680 153 938
vanessa.petit@seat.es
Laura Bertran Content Generation
M/ +34 669 839 706
laura.bertran@seat.es
