What is the purpose of the "bright" lights on a car?

Question

Aside from flashing your "brights" on other drivers that upset you, what purpose do they serve?

Alright smartasses, I live in SUNNY california and I've never needed to use the bright lights, so I wasnt sure what purpose they served!

Yawn, I know they are called "High beams" but I think BRIGHT LIGHTS sounds way cuter!!!

Answer 1

there for better vision at night time driving,,out there you probably don't have to use them that much but in most places there a must have on a car,like here in Tennessee,we need them and more some times, but that's the purpose of them so the driver can have better site of whats in front of them,,good luck hope this help,s.happy new years.

Answer 2

There is a better way forward. People should start reading the Highway Code again. I don't know what other people think but the majority of people don't know how to negotiate a roundabout. Many of them forget they have a right hand indicator, just keep the left one on, and keep travelling so that nobody actually knows when they are going to turn off. Others drive in the wrong lane and expect everybody else to be mind readers. Over the past two weeks, I have nearly been hit by cars on three occasions coming off a roundabout near where I live. I also ride a bike and where a prang between cars would normally only damage the vehicles, I dread to think what might happen if these idiots hadn't eventually managed to stop. All it needs is for all drivers to think a little more carefully whenever they take to the road.

Answer 3

there are many good answers here. But, PLEASE DO NOT use you bright lights to signal a truck driver that he is passed you and it is safe to come back into the right lane. This is very blinding, as most drivers are looking in the mirror about the the time you are blinding them with your "BRIGHT" lights. I understand that your just trying to help, and that is great, but if you going to use high beams, this driver would prefer if you didn't flash anything at all.

Answer 4

Silly Californian!

There are, in fact, parts of the country that haven't been completely destroyed by concrete and neon. Places where trees aren't planted in perfect little arrangements and waterfalls aren't choreographed, and life is not one big audition for the next reality TV show. Shocking, isn't it?

If you ever actually find yourself driving at night in one of these locales you would be wise to use your high beams to see what's going on, because the ground effects and 20" rims on your primer-colored Civic won't do you a lick of good.

Besides, it's a natural occurrence for blondes to be stunned for up to three minutes by anything shiny!

Answer 5

well they light up the road to a further distance, this make driving at highway speeds safer due to you can see farther ahead.
Example is stand outside at night (after dark) with a candle in your hand, then shine a flashlight ahead of you... you see more right?

Answer 6

They are for low visibility driving. I live on the west coast and it gets pretty soupy. Flashing other drivers is illegal by the way, you could cause an accident.

Answer 7

i also live in sunny CA put the sun isnt out at at night smart asss! i use them when racing or driving on a mountain anywhere i cant se, when speeding home, driving through alleys so people dont jump out of kno where cuz they think its the cops=) racing is fun

Answer 8

They help you see farther on very dark country roads in the dead of night when there are no oncoming drivers (or not many). They've saved me from hitting deer many times!

Answer 9

i live in the country and they are to light up the road ahead a good distance, so you don't hit deers and critters. and they are called high beams by the way, not bright lights... and duh, couldn't tell you were from california.

Answer 10

High speed open road {interstate} driving, to warn others that a cop is ahead of them and to tell a trucker it is safe for him to lane change in front of you.