A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, headlamp is the term for the device itself and headlight is the term for the beam of light produced and distributed by the device.
Headlamp performance has steadily improved throughout the automobile age, spurred by the great disparity between daytime and nighttime traffic fatalities
The primary task of headlights on cars is to illuminate the roadway and facilitate fatigue-free and safe driving. Headlights and their light sources are thus vehicle components that are relevant to safety.
They require official approval and must not be tampered with. The nature and location of light functions on a vehicle and their design, light sources, colours and photometric values are regulated by law.
At dark and cold times of the year when bad weather (rain, fog, storms) is commonplace, it is important to be able to see and be seen. For drivers, this means being well lit! Good light is essential to be able to see hazards in traffic in good time and thus react appropriately to aquaplaning, skid hazards or obstructions on the road. It is equally important in order to be able to detect pedestrians, cyclists and other road users in good time.
Unfortunately, good light and therefore safety cannot always be taken for granted. The latest studies show that an average of 35% of drivers on the road do not have sufficient lighting, thereby creating safety risks for themselves and others. “See and be seen” is the mantra of every foresighted, responsible driver.
