What are front side marker lights for?
Front side marker lights are an essential safety feature on vehicles, designed to improve visibility and enhance road safety. These lights are typically located on the front fenders or corners of a vehicle, providing a clear indication of the vehicle's presence and dimensions to other drivers on the road.
What Are Front Side Marker Lights?
Front side marker lights are small, usually amber-colored lights that are installed on the front of a vehicle, near the corners or fenders. These lights are required by law in many countries and are intended to make the vehicle more visible, especially in low-light conditions or during inclement weather.
The primary purpose of front side marker lights is to increase the overall visibility of the vehicle, making it easier for other drivers to see and identify the vehicle's size, shape, and position on the road. This is particularly important when driving at night, in heavy fog, or during other low-visibility situations.
Why Are Front Side Marker Lights Important?
Front side marker lights serve several important functions that contribute to overall road safety:
- Increased Visibility: The lights make the vehicle more conspicuous, especially in low-light conditions, helping other drivers to better identify the vehicle's presence and location on the road.
- Improved Depth Perception: The lights help other drivers to better gauge the size and distance of the vehicle, improving their ability to judge the vehicle's position and trajectory.
- Enhanced Peripheral Awareness: The lights provide a visual cue to drivers in the peripheral vision, alerting them to the presence of the vehicle and reducing the risk of collisions.
- Legal Compliance: In many countries, front side marker lights are a legal requirement for all vehicles, ensuring a consistent standard of safety on the roads.
By enhancing the visibility and identification of vehicles, front side marker lights play a crucial role in promoting road safety and reducing the risk of accidents.
What year did side marker lights become mandatory?
1968
For 1968, federal regulators imposed the requirement for side-marker lights—amber colored ones for the front and red ones for the rear. All vehicle manufacturers complied with the rule, but it was Chrysler that created the most liberal—and austere—interpretation of the fledgling side-marker mandate.
What is the purpose of side clearance lights?
Clearance lights: Clearance lights signal the trailer's large width and length. This depends on the trailer width, trailers with an overall width greater than 2100mm require side marker (clearance lights. Trailers with more height than the standard size also need clearance lights.
Do all trailers need side marker lights?
Trailers must have at least one tail lamp, side marker lamp, brake lamp, and reflex reflector in order to be legal. Depending on the size of your trailer and the laws in your state or country, additional lights may also be required for safety.
Do front side marker lights have to be amber?
Forward side marker lights and intermediate side marker lights shall be amber.
Is it illegal to tint side marker lights?
Side marker: Smoked or colored side markers are unlawful.
What is the difference between clearance lights and marker lights?
Side marker lights may be mounted in combination with clearance lights. Clearance lights are also mounted on the front and rear of a vehicle to indicate the overall width and height of the vehicle. These lights are required on all passenger cars, MPV, trucks, buses, and trailers that have a minimal length of 30 feet.
When must you use side lights?
According to the Highway Code, you should use sidelights between sunset and sunrise. It also states that you must display sidelights when parked on a road with a speed limit of over 30mph. They're designed to be left on for long periods of time without draining your battery.
What is the point of a side marker light?
By illuminating the sides of a vehicle, side marker lights help to increase the vehicle's overall visibility, especially in low-light conditions or during inclement weather. This added visibility can help prevent accidents by alerting other drivers to the vehicle's presence and position on the road.
What is the purpose of side lights?
Sidelights/parking lights
Sidelights aren't as bright as headlights, so are used by drivers to make themselves visible to traffic during times when it's not dark enough for main lights. The switch to turn them on is usually found on a dashboard dial or twisted indicator stalk.
Do you need front side marker lights?
Side marker lamps have been required by FMVSS No. 108 since it was promulgated as one of the initial Federal Motor Vehicles Safety Standards in 1967. The main purpose of side marker lamps is to indicate the overall length of the vehicle.
