What does the vehicle's width light mean?
2 Answers
Vehicle width lights refer to the lamps installed at the highest points of the front and rear of the vehicle, similar to the anti-collision lights mounted on the wingtips of aircraft. They are primarily used during driving in conditions such as dusk, overcast days, rain, or fog to indicate the vehicle's width and height. This helps other vehicles determine their relative positions and sizes during encounters or overtaking. Typically, width lights are white at the front and red at the rear. Literally, width lights serve as a warning, functioning as cautionary signal lights to alert other vehicles. They indicate both the height and width of the vehicle. Safety regulations require vehicles taller than three meters to be equipped with width lights.
Having driven for over a decade, I've noticed many beginners don't understand the purpose of parking lights. Actually called position lights, they're primarily used during dusk, rain, or fog when visibility is poor. These small lights are positioned at both front and rear of the vehicle - when illuminated, they help others clearly see your car's full silhouette. They're particularly useful when locating your car in parking lots or during highway traffic jams. During long drives with reduced visibility, I usually activate the parking lights early - they don't conflict with headlight usage. I remember last winter encountering patchy fog: a vehicle ahead had only its parking lights on, allowing me to identify it as a large truck from afar and change lanes promptly to avoid it.
