Which light is the clearance light?
3 Answers
Clearance lights are the outermost lights located at the front and rear of a vehicle. Large trucks also have clearance lights on the roof and sides. These lights serve as warning signals to alert other vehicles, installed along the edges of the vehicle's top to indicate both its height and width. The clearance light is designed based on existing Steyr vehicle products in compliance with regulations. According to the technical requirements for safe operation of motor vehicles, any vehicle with an unladen height exceeding 3.0m or a width exceeding 2.1m must be equipped with clearance lights. The installation regulations for external lighting and signaling devices of automobiles and trailers specify the quantity, configuration, layout, color, installation position, and circuit connection requirements for clearance lights.
We car enthusiasts often refer to the position lights as those small lights on the vehicle that indicate its outline, visible on the outer edges of the headlight cluster at the front and on both sides at the rear. When it's just getting dark or visibility is low, I turn on these lights—white at the front and red at the back—so other drivers can clearly see how wide and long my car is, avoiding any scrapes. I remember once driving on a mountain road in heavy fog, and the truck behind me slowed down from a distance after I turned on the position lights. Nowadays, new cars come with automatic switches, but I prefer to turn them on manually—it feels more reassuring. The little green light icon on the dashboard lights up to show it's working, which is a thoughtful design.
Having driven for over twenty years, I'm particularly familiar with position lights. They're located on the outermost sides of the front and rear light clusters, dimmer than headlights but equally important. At dusk or when entering tunnels, I always turn the first position of the light knob on the left side of the steering wheel, which activates the small lights at all four corners. When helping my son choose a used car, I specifically checked - sedans usually integrate them with headlights, while trucks have additional high-mounted position lights on top. Once during heavy rain, a van without position lights almost caused a rear-end collision - such safety details really can't be neglected. I recommend all new car owners locate their vehicle's position light switch.
