How to avoid a fine for driving with your headlights off or not on?

Fine for driving without headlights at night

At night, drivers must turn on low or high beams in their cars.

High beams can be used on the highway to see the road in front of you, but you cannot:

• in populated areas with lighting lamps along the road;
• in front of another car that is moving in the opposite direction. According to the rules, high beams are turned off 150 meters before approaching, or earlier if the driver of an oncoming car blinks his headlights;
• when driving behind another car, so as not to blind the driver through the rear view mirror.

If your car is equipped with spotlights or searchlights, they can also be used only outside the city, when there are no oncoming cars.

If the car is parked on the side of the road at night, the driver must turn on the headlights and may additionally use other headlights.

Fine for low beam in 2021

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The exception is when repairs can be made on site. But even here it will not happen without punishment. For example, if a light bulb burns out, they will be allowed to replace it on the spot, but they will issue a fine under Art. 12.5 Code of Administrative Offences. Its size is 500 rubles.

But even if the color does not match, then in 99% of cases the operating mode of the headlights will not fail. The beam of light is continuous, constant. A violation is the blinking mode of operation of the headlights. However, the requirements apply to different types of lighting devices depending on the time of day and road visibility conditions. And there may be as many as 2 punishments for non-lit headlights.

How to avoid a fine for driving without headlights

Turn on the light immediately. The easiest way to avoid paying a fine for headlights is to get into the habit of turning on the low beam automatically as soon as you start the engine. With your headlights on, the inspector will have no reason to fine you.

The headlights do not work - turn on the fog lights. Daytime running lights or front fog lights can be used instead of low beams. This is also legal.

If caught, fix the problem immediately. If the inspector stopped you for unlit or dirty headlights, try to agree that you will correct the violation on the spot - turn on the lights or wipe the headlights. According to the law, a traffic police officer has the right to limit himself to a warning and not issue a fine.

What is the penalty for leaving lights on in 2021?

Penalties for these offenses are regulated by the Code of Administrative Offences.

If they don't work for technical reasons

This violation is discussed in Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. It states that driving a car with technical defects or in conditions where the operation of the vehicle is prohibited (in accordance with the Basic Provisions allowing the vehicle to be used) entails a warning or an administrative fine of 500 rubles.

Part 1 of this article does not provide for the detention of the car; you may be given a warning or issued a fine, but traffic police officers do not have the right to take the car, citing Article 27.13 of the Administrative Code.

The driver of a vehicle with a malfunction will have the opportunity to continue driving to eliminate the detected breakdown or do everything on the spot.

But if he is detained again and the fault is not corrected, he may be fined again, although not earlier than after 24 hours.

This violation should not be confused with a violation of the rules for using headlights. Violations of the rules of use imply that the headlights are in working condition, and the situation with a breakdown is considered a violation of the rules for operating the vehicle - driving with a malfunction. Therefore, you need to understand that in this case a fine under Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation is almost inevitable. And it doesn’t even matter whether your high or low beam bulb has burned out, or whether you have a broken headlight (one or both), or even a brake light.

If the driver forgot to turn them on

Since 2010, in Russia, all drivers are required to drive with the lights on during the daytime, these can be daytime running lights or low beams; if necessary, fog lights are connected.

If you are stopped with no headlights on, be prepared to respond under Article 12.20 of the Code of Administrative Offenses; traffic police officers may issue a warning or issue a fine of 500 rubles.

If there is dirt on the light fixtures

It is also worth noting that you can even be fined for dirty lighting fixtures . The degree of contamination will be checked electronically, so it will be difficult to challenge the fact of violation. This is especially true for dirty room lighting, when they become invisible at night (visibility range is 20 meters).

If there is one burnt out low beam bulb

Even if one low beam light is not on, this is considered a violation and a fine is imposed for this, because in this case the likelihood of creating an emergency situation when the car is moving increases. Therefore, everything again comes down to Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, and the possible fine is five hundred rubles.

Remember

1. During the day, use low beams, running lights or front fog lights. At night - low or high beam.
2. The high beam must be turned off on illuminated roads and when approaching other cars.
3. The front fog lights can always be used, the rear ones can only be used when visibility is poor.
4. The fine for not turning on headlights or incorrect use of lights on the road is 500 rubles.
5. This fine can be paid at a discount in the first 20 days.

All articles by the author: Ilya Novikov

Fine for high beam headlights in the city

Keeping the headlights on ensures that the car will be noticed in a timely manner by other road users. This traffic regulation requirement is designed to ensure the safety of drivers on the road, which is especially important at night.

Deterioration in the brightness of lighting devices must be corrected, regardless of what caused it. Driving with dimly lit headlights is also punishable by a warning or a fine of 500 rubles.

If the option corresponds to when the headlight does not work at all, that is, it does not shine or does not shine as it should, then there is a clear violation of the “Basic provisions for the approval of vehicles...”. That is, the car should not have been on the road with such defects.

In other words, if a police officer says (and writes it down in the report) that a brightly shining electric light bulb is not on, then it really is.

Most modern cars already have the function of automatically turning on the light mechanisms when the power unit starts operating. This feature not only virtually eliminates the possibility of receiving a fine, but also increases the level of traffic safety.

First of all, you need to communicate politely and not argue with the obvious fact of the defect. If you have any acting skills, try to act as if you are extremely surprised, because at the beginning of the trip everything worked perfectly. If you have not been charged with traffic violations in the last six months, be sure to inform the traffic inspector about this.

The Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation also provides for either a warning or a monetary sanction for driving a car if there are conditions under which this is prohibited. The law provides for a maximum fine for a driver who dares to drive a car with a non-working headlight - it is 500 rubles. This sanction is provided for by the administrative code of the Russian Federation and also applies to cars with dirty optics.

If you don’t manage to meet this deadline, you’ll have to say goodbye to your car registration certificate (VRC), and you can’t drive without this document. For driving a car without registration documents, under Article 12.3 of the Administrative Code, a fine of 500 rubles is imposed and the vehicle is sent to the impound lot.

If the initiative passes, inspectors will have the right to identify faults right on the road and suspend the operation of the car.

Let's consider another situation that occurs quite often on domestic roads. One of the car's low beam headlights or one side light is not on, i.e. The lamp just burned out. Such a violation may not be noticed immediately if the car is not equipped with a system for automatically checking the performance of lighting devices.

Basic information

In accordance with the Rules of the Road, any vehicle moving in traffic must have lights on.

The list of them depends on the time period and the existing visibility conditions on the road.

During the daytime, when the weather is clear, vehicles should move with the lights connected, and the driver's choice of headlights is turned on:

• low beam;
• front fog lights;
• daytime running.

At night or when moving through a tunnel, you must connect:

• low or high beam;
• dimensions lighting;
• registration plate (number) lights.

In situations of poor visibility, it is mandatory to connect side lights and room lighting.

Additionally, low or high beam devices or front fog lights are lit at your choice.

That is, it is clear from the Rules that it is practically impossible to do without low beams. An exception is allowed during the day, when other possible types of lighting are working.

The traffic rules also define cases when the high beam used must be switched to low beam. This is movement in a populated area with good and uniform street lighting.

The driver is obliged to switch to low beams and in front of oncoming traffic at a distance of one hundred and fifty meters.

But if the oncoming car is blinding at a greater distance or its driver switched gears early, then you need to turn on the low beam immediately.

Another reason for connecting low beams is the blinding of other car drivers through rearview mirrors or driving along intersecting roads.

It is strictly prohibited to drive a vehicle when both low beam headlights are turned off:

• at night;
• under circumstances of poor visibility.

What it is

Low beam headlights are automobile lighting devices that illuminate the road in front of vehicles at a distance of fifty to sixty meters.

In this case, the light should be configured so as to partially cover the side of the road and not blind oncoming drivers.

The dipped beam is the main one when moving at night. It is characterized by asymmetrical lighting, that is, the light is not distributed evenly, but illuminates more on the right side.

In this case, the cut-off line is clearly visible when the shadow area is higher and the bright area is above a certain boundary.

Low beam headlights implement a compromise between sufficient illumination and dazzling other drivers.

Modern types of low beam headlights are made of transparent glass.

The formation of an asymmetric beam is achieved through the use of a reflector. This design allows you to achieve the ultimate reflective effect.

What functions do they perform?

Speaking about the functions of the low beam, it is worth touching on the purpose of the headlights in general. In an automobile lighting system, headlights play a major role.

With their help, the road in front of the car is illuminated, they help other road users to detect the car and indicate the driver’s intentions.

All this together allows us to ensure the appropriate level of comfort and safety.

The headlights include several different lighting fixtures - low beam and high beam, headlights and direction indicators, daytime running lights.

In this case, low and high beam headlights are considered the most important. Separately located fog lights are also included in the headlights. Low beam headlights allow the car to navigate in the dark.

The road in front of the car is illuminated within a radius sufficient for timely response to road signs, traffic conditions and the road situation in general.

At the same time, low beam does not blind drivers of other cars, that is, it does not create emergency situations on the road.

In addition, turning on the headlights allows you to notice a moving car in time and avoid a collision, even in poor visibility conditions.

We can conclude that the main function of low beam is to ensure comfortable movement, as well as the safety of the driver and other road users.

Mention in traffic rules

Amendments were recently made to the current traffic rules, which have been in effect since November 20, 2010. They partially concern the low beam.

Regardless of the circumstances of visibility and the period of day, the low beam must be constantly on. The need to make such adjustments has led to an increase in emergency situations on the roads.

The current traffic rules in Russia are approved by Resolution of the Council of Ministers and the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1090 of October 23, 1993.

The version valid for 2021 contains all changes in accordance with government regulations.

Mention of low beams is contained in clause 19 of the traffic rules, namely in the following subclauses (as amended by Decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 67 of January 24, 2001 and No. 316 of May 10, 2010):

It is also worth mentioning clause 19.11, according to which a light signal, which is a short-term switching of low beam to high beam, can be used as a signal warning of overtaking.

Failure to comply with traffic regulations regarding lighting devices incurs liability under the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. Moreover, the violator can be punished regardless of the reason for the violation.

When to turn on low beam

The low beam should be on at any time of the day, regardless of the quality of lighting on the highway. This is provided for by the introduced amendments to the traffic rules. The need is due to poor visibility of oncoming traffic on the horizon due to the colors of the car, which often coincide with the shade of the road surface or the surrounding landscape. In this case, the headlights are on, allowing the driver to notice oncoming traffic in time, refuse to overtake, or think through a maneuver taking into account the situation.

Drivers who forget to activate it when driving on a federal highway or city roads receive a fine for not turning on their low beams. A protocol is drawn up by traffic police inspectors when stopped or comes at the end of the month if the car came into view of a traffic camera.

Punishment will also be imposed for failure to comply with the lighting operation requirements provided for by the provisions of the traffic rules. During the day, if visibility is difficult, the person driving the car is required to activate the daytime running lights (DRL), low beam headlights or fog lights. It is prohibited to use fog lights located at the rear and high beams.

In the evening hours of the day, a fine is expected for completely unlit headlights. In this case, you must turn on the high beams or low beams when an oncoming car approaches, as well as the side lights when stopping or parking on the side of the road. Fog lights are used only on unlit sections of the highway in combination with low or high beams. You can also receive a fine for incorrectly used light in the following cases:

• High beams in cities or towns on the road with sufficient consultation.
• The oncoming traffic was closer than 150 m, but the far one was not switched to the near one.
• The driver, with his lighting (headlights or spotlight), blinds passing cars or oncoming vehicles.
• Fog lights were used on illuminated sections of the road.
• During the day, the rear fog lights were turned on.

Before starting to operate the vehicle, you should carefully study its design and operating features of the lighting fixtures. Many drivers receive a fine for lights due to their incorrect use or ignorance of the rules for switching in a given situation.

Under what circumstances will a driver be fined?

You can consider several situations to understand what punishment may follow. For example, if you didn’t bother to turn on the daylight, that means one amount of punishment, but if the headlights on your car stopped shining while you were moving, then the charge may be different, in this case a lot depends on some factors and the mood of the inspector. The driver has no right to drive a faulty car. According to the “Basic provisions for the approval of vehicles...” operation of the vehicle in this case is strictly prohibited.

Important! If the lights do not work properly or have a dirty surface, you must not leave the parking lot.

In this case, the fine will be qualified as an intentional violation.

Proof of offense

According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, any traffic police officer must prove that he is right before issuing a fine, because any citizen of our state has the right to the presumption of innocence in accordance with the first article of the Code of Administrative Offenses. What does it mean?

This means that traffic police officers are required to provide you with visual evidence of the offense, in the form of a photograph or video, or testimony of witnesses. If there are no materials in this format, then the traffic police inspector will violate the law if he draws up a report on you.

Please note that the video cameras equipped with modern roads film you and if you do not turn on the low beams, then most likely a fine for driving without lights in the amount of 500 rubles will come to your mailbox.

Don't forget this when you move out of your garage. Operate the car correctly, then you will avoid problems with the law.

Life safety is a very important aspect of our lives. Therefore, when driving a vehicle, do not forget to follow safety rules to preserve your life and health, as well as the lives of pedestrians and your passengers.

Why may the headlights on a car not light up?

It all depends on the nature of the malfunction, sometimes only by this sign you can quickly find a breakdown. It’s worth noting right away that the problems for low beam, high beam and headlights are approximately the same, so there is no point in considering each option separately. It is much easier to summarize all possible problems to simplify the work and only check what may be causing the lights to malfunction.

A non-working headlight is punishable by a fine.

The options are listed from most common to least common:

1. Burnt out light bulb low beam or a spiral in a combined light bulb, responsible for both lighting options. In this case, the easiest way is to remove the element and check it by eye. In some models, access is difficult and you will have to remove additional components, for example, the air filter housing or the battery. An inspection allows you to quickly identify the problem, but to fix it you will need a lamp; it is best to carry a spare element just in case.

   
   Most often, light bulbs burn out.

2. Fuse failure is another common problem. In most modern cars, each headlight has a separate fuse, so if it fails, only one lighting element stops working. But in older cars there may be an option with one unit for both headlights. If access to the fuse box is difficult, you can determine its serviceability if you know what else the required element is responsible for. Usually it performs more than one function, which allows diagnostics even without removal.

   
   A blown fuse is easy to identify.

3. The relay for turning on the low or high beam is another link that often fails. Here it is important to know which relay is responsible for the lighting in order to check it visually (after removal you can often see soot or carbon deposits on the legs), and also listen to whether a click is heard when the lights are turned on with the steering column switch. If there are no sounds, then most likely the relay has failed. This is a common reason why the low beam and high beam headlights stop lighting at the same time.
4. The connectors on the headlights may become loose due to vibration or become detached if they are not fully latched during installation. In this case, the lamp may work for some time, but after that the contacts slowly move away and the light stops working. The wiring may also be damaged, which is more difficult to check. Another reason that occurs is that the ground wire is broken, usually it goes to the body, over time the contact deteriorates or the terminal comes off and the light stops working.
5. The steering column switch is a weak link in some car models. This is a kind of disease, due to which the light and other functions that are turned on by the “dragonfly” periodically stop working. Here the reasons may be wear of the tracks, design flaws, or burning of contacts due to high load when turning on the light.
6. Problems with the relay box can also cause a malfunction. Often, over time, the negative or positive track in the relay block burns out, which disrupts the power supply. The cause of malfunctions may be dampness if the module is not well protected from moisture.

To relieve the load on the steering column switch and ensure stable operation of the headlights, additional relays can be added to the system.

Questions and answers on the topic “Fine for non-working headlight(s)”

Question: Can they issue a fine for the fact that 1 headlight on a car does not work? Answer: Yes, they can. This is a warning or a fine of 500 rubles.

Question: Can a car be detained for a parking fine if the headlight is not working? Answer: No, Article 27.13 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation does not provide for this, but they may force you to repair the headlight right on the spot or prohibit further movement.

Video about a fine for a non-working headlight

For those who do not like to read, we have prepared a video that fully reflects the essence of the article and talks about a possible fine for a non-working headlight.

For what reasons can they be fined?

Previously, it was mandatory to illuminate your path only in the evening and at night. But at the end of 2010, the government of the Russian Federation introduced an innovation to the traffic rules, according to which at any time of the day or night, that is, around the clock, the driver is obliged to keep the low beam headlights of his vehicle on, regardless of what the visibility conditions are and where the traffic is taking place car. Statistics showed that the introduced innovation led to a decrease in the total number of accidents, both at night and during daylight hours.

But many motorists refuse to comply with these requirements, or forget to turn on their headlights on time due to their carelessness. There are also cases of technical malfunctions of lighting devices. But regardless of the reasons, a vehicle with low beams not turned on will be stopped and its owner will be fined. This is stated in paragraph 12 of the Administrative Code.

If the headlights are turned off and the parking lights are not working, the driver of the car will incur administrative penalties and pay a fine. Moreover, if it causes an emergency or an accident, the driver, as the culprit, will have to pay an even larger amount of money in the form of a fine.

If you are stopped by a traffic police representative, then on his part the reasons for imposing sanctions in the form of a fine may be different. Most often, a fine for improper use of lighting fixtures is imposed in the following cases:

1. Improper use of high beams, for example, within a populated area.
2. Incorrect operation of rear fog lights;
3. Operating running headlights in the evening or at night - you need to drive with headlights or low beam lamps on;
4. Low beams turned off - at any time of the day.

It should be understood that all lighting fixtures on the vehicle must comply with government standards and function, and there should not be a single headlight that is not lit.

Burnt out light bulb: What can traffic police do to us?

At the same time, the law does not prohibit retrofitting a car with additional lighting devices. But, firstly, extremely useful, and secondly, subject to established rules.

We are talking about fog lights, daytime running lights and an additional brake light, if the car was not equipped with them at the manufacturer. The rules for their installation are in the technical regulations of the Customs Union “On the safety of wheeled vehicles”. It allows the installation of two fog lights and two running lights.

The first ones should be installed no further than 40 cm from the side of the car at a height of no more than 25 cm from the road surface, but not higher than the low beam headlights. The color of their radiation is exclusively white or yellow. The use of gas-discharge lamps (“xenon”) and LEDs is not allowed.

The requirements for daytime running lights are even more modest: the visible surface area of ​​the illuminated light must be in the range from 25 to 200 square centimeters, the color of the light must be white. In this case, the choice of installation location is left to the car owner. There can be only one additional brake signal and be located at least 60 cm above the main brake lights. Do not forget that any lighting equipment must be certified, for which there is a special marking on it. The best option is to buy products from well-known manufacturers, who solve these issues independently.

In what cases can drivers be subject to a fine? We can talk about the presence of violations in their actions in the following cases:

• when the driver starts driving without the lights on. During the day it can be difficult to notice this immediately;
• if, when darkness falls, the driver of a car equipped with daytime running lights ignores the requirement to turn on the low beam;
• when the driver, approaching an oncoming vehicle, while driving in populated areas on a lighted road, does not change the high beam to low beam;
• if the driver turns on the rear fog light, even if this is not necessary. From the meaning of clause 19.7 of the traffic rules, it follows that it is used only in poor visibility.

Often the driver is unable to adhere to the established rules due to a broken headlight. Under such circumstances, he will not be held responsible for his failure to comply with the rules for the use of external lighting devices. The violation committed by him will consist of driving a vehicle with defects, the presence of which directly prohibits its operation (these include unlit or missing headlights).

When executing a decision to impose a fine, within 20 days from the date of its imposition, the guilty person can only pay half of it - 250 rubles. Often, drivers turn on one working headlight and continue to drive this car, believing that by doing so they are acting according to the rules. In fact, this entails punishment for driving a faulty car (Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

Considering that the driver is given the right to use other light signals instead of any faulty headlight (Section 19.4. Traffic Regulations), he always has the opportunity to drive the car without committing any violations. If the low beam headlights malfunction during the daytime, you can use fog lights and thereby avoid a fine for a non-working headlight.

Before imposing a fine on a road user, the traffic police inspector must draw up documents regarding the violation. Evidence may include video camera data, photographs, and witness statements.

It is worth recalling that innovations regarding the inclusion of light lights, low beam or running lights, during daylight hours were approved by the Government of the Russian Federation on November 20, 2010. From now on, drivers must drive with their cars' low beams on at all times, both day and night. There were rumors that from April 1, 2021, this rule has changed and now you can not turn on your headlights during the day, but this is not true, there are no amendments to the law about this.

The main reason for the adoption of the innovation is that cars with their headlights on are more visible and attract more attention from both pedestrians and motorists themselves. The result was not long in coming - the number of road accidents in some cases has decreased significantly. This adopted law in the traffic rules has proven to be effective and therefore requires compliance.