What does the parking light of a car mean?
2 Answers
Parking lights are warning lights that serve as a safety reminder for the vehicle, pedestrians, and the surrounding environment when the car is temporarily parked and turned off, provided that the car is equipped with parking lights. They are used to indicate the position of the car. When the parking lights are turned on, the headlights will illuminate with a relatively low intensity, and the taillights will also light up, serving as a safety warning. Parking lights are applicable in the following situations: 1. When temporarily parked in dark environments, to prevent passing pedestrians, bicycles, and other traffic participants from colliding with the car. Turning on the parking lights can effectively provide safety warnings and outline the vehicle. 2. When temporarily parked and leaving on narrow provincial, county, or rural roads at night, the parking lights have a significant effect.
I found this feature particularly useful during a self-drive trip in Europe. When parking on narrow streets at night, you must turn on the parking lights because local regulations require the vehicle's outline to be visible when parked. Simply put, it's a small light on one side—for example, if you're parked on the right side, you turn on the left parking light so that oncoming cars can see there's a vehicle from afar. Nowadays, for cars in China with automatic light switches, you can activate it by flicking the turn signal lever toward the parking direction after turning off the engine. These lights consume much less power than headlights, protecting the battery and avoiding the embarrassment of finding your car dead in the morning.
