Headlamp Facts for Kids

Headlamps are super important lights on the front of vehicles, usually cars. They shine brightly forward, helping drivers see the road, especially at night or in bad weather. This stops them from hitting things like trees or other cars! Most headlamps use special light bulbs, like incandescent or halogen bulbs.

A motor scooter's front with many headlamps, added for decoration. This was popular in Mod culture.

How Car Headlamps Work
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How Car Headlamps Work

Cars today have electric headlamps. They usually come in pairs, one or two on each side of the car's front. These lights can do two main things: provide a 'low beam' or a 'high beam'. Sometimes one light does both jobs, and sometimes there are separate lights for each.

High Beams: Seeing Far Ahead

Pop-up headlamps on a Mazda 323F.

High beams, also called "main beams" or "full beams," send most of their light straight ahead. This helps drivers see as far as possible down the road. They are super bright! But because they are so bright and shine straight out, they can really dazzle (blind for a moment) other drivers. This is why you should only use high beams when no other cars are around. High beams can also make it harder to see in fog, rain, or snow because the light bounces back from the water droplets.

European high beam.

Top view of the illuminated area of European high beams.

Low Beams: Being Polite on the Road

European low beam.

Top view showing the cutoff in European low beams.

Low beams, also called "dipped beams," are designed to be much more controlled. They direct most of their light downwards and to the side (either right or left, depending on where you drive). This helps the driver see the road without blinding people in oncoming cars. You should always use your low beams when other vehicles are nearby.

Driving on Different Sides of the Road

Most low-beam headlamps are made for driving on only one side of the road.

In countries where people drive on the left side of the road (like the UK or Australia), headlamps "dip to the left." This means the light shines down and a bit to the left. It helps the driver see the road and signs without blinding cars coming the other way.
In countries where people drive on the right side of the road (like the USA or most of Europe), headlamps "dip to the right." The light shines down and a bit to the right.

If you drive a car from a "right-side" country in a "left-side" country (or vice versa) for a short time, like on vacation, you might need to adjust your headlamps. You can put special stickers on them to block the light that would dazzle oncoming drivers. Some newer headlamps can be adjusted with a switch or lever. It's important to do this because wrong-side headlamps can be dangerous for other drivers and don't light your way properly.

Lights for Daytime Driving

Some countries require cars to have special lights that turn on automatically during the day. These are called daytime running lamps (DRL). They make cars easier to see during the day, which helps prevent accidents. DRLs can be your regular low beams at full or lower brightness, or even high beams at a lower brightness. Some cars have special lights just for DRLs.

Countries that require DRLs include Canada, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and many others in Europe like Estonia, Latvia, and Poland.

Images for kids

Ford Model T with gas headlamps
One of the first optical headlamp lenses, the Corning Conaphore. A yellow version is shown.
1929 Cord L-29 with Woodlite headlamps
1917 advertisement for the Corning Conaphore headlamp lens shown above
Two Mercedes-Benz SL cars: the one on the right has US-spec headlamps, the one on the left has normal headlamps for other markets.
European (top) and US (bottom) headlamp designs on a Citroën DS.
Rectangular headlamp with a yellow bulb on a Citroën Ami 6.
A U.S. standard 7-inch headlamp combining low and high beam with turn signal lights below on a 1949 Nash 600.
Glass-covered 5¾" sealed beam headlamps on a 1965 Chrysler 300.
Rectangular sealed-beam headlamps with turn signal light below on a 1979 AMC Concord.
Headlamp sold in Sweden before the country switched from left-hand to right-hand traffic. The sticker warns: "Not to be removed before 3 September 1967".
H4 bulb (in centimeters).
H7 bulb.
HID projector low beam headlamp illuminated on a Lincoln MKS.
2014 Toyota Avalon headlamp with HID low beams, halogen high beams, and LED daytime running lights.
2014 Toyota Corolla headlamp with LED low beams, halogen high beams, and LED daytime running lights.
Inside an LED headlamp.
Digitally controlled adaptive multi-LED headlamp technology on the Audi A4.
Audi Matrix Laser headlamp at the Consumer Electronics Show 2014.
A directional (steering) headlamp (middle) on a 1928 Willys-Knight 70A Touring.
Directional (steering) headlamps on a Citroën DS – they turn with the steering wheel so the driver can see clearly through curves.
Advanced front-lighting system on an Opel Vectra C.
Intelligent Light System on an A-Class Mercedes.