Terri Clark, lighting marketing manager at OSRAM, points to the importance of checking, changing and upgrading lights, and urges CV technicians to opt for high-end innovations in lighting technology to benefit from quality and support.
Darker nights and shorter days can take their toll on driving, with one in five motorists reportedly avoiding driving all together throughout the colder months due to poor visibility and slippery roads. And with research finding that out of 2,000 motorists, almost two-thirds (62 percent) would not like to be a delivery driver during the winter and Christmas period, it’s clear that good quality lighting is not only essential, but that it plays a key role in assisting fleets and their drivers during the colder months.
High-end vehicle lighting is crucial throughout the darker months to ensure optimum visibility, no matter the driving conditions. It’s important that technicians embrace the latest lighting technology in this safety-critical area to ensure trucks and commercial vehicles are fully prepared when driving for long stretches of time on darker roads.
Not only is upgrading important for the obvious safety reasons, but it also offers cost-saving benefits to drivers and fleets.
Check, change and upgrade
As many technicians are aware, bulbs should always be changed in pairs, even if only one has blown. Look out for upgrade bulbs that are sold in twin duo packs, as it naturally makes it easier to upgrade and upsell.
Both headlights are subject to the same stresses, so they will both be deteriorating together. Replacing just one failed bulb can result in an unbalanced or unpredictable headlight beam that can cause serious hazards for the driver and other road users.
Quite often, opting for upgraded bulbs can work out cheaper for fleet operators. They can even access handy calculator tools to work out their individual annual requirement for replacement bulbs, showing them how much money can be saved by installing an upgraded range.
Brighten up
There are many high-end products now available on the market, and it is recommended to opt for specially developed, powerful commercial vehicle bulbs with specialist innovations that will help to handle heavy duty applications such as vibration resistant technology.
Halogen bulbs are still the most common option, as compared to other alternatives, they are easy to manufacture and therefore less expensive. They consist of a tungsten filament sealed in a compact, transparent envelope that is filled with a mixture of inert and halogen gas. The combination of the tungsten filament and halogen gas produces a halogen chemical reaction, which redeposits evaporated tungsten on the filament, increasing its life and maintaining the clarity of the envelope.
Opting for brighter halogen truck bulbs with uniform light distribution will provide a clear view across the entire width of the road. Far-reaching beams of up to 150 metres will not only help commercial vehicle drivers to focus on longer drives, but the brighter light also helps them to see further and react quicker and can therefore be used to keep fleets safe and moving on the road at night.
LED lighting
There are also low and high beam, highly efficient bright LED lights available on the market for 24v applications. Cutting-edge lighting technology like LED solutions are brighter than any halogen bulb. A cool white LED light has a colour temperature close to daylight, supplying a superior brightness of 6000 K for enhanced visibility.
What’s more, they offer reduced glare thanks to optimised light distribution, can easily be installed by technicians and have a longer service life.
An LED bulb contains different LED chips, which is a semi-conductor device that emits light when an electric current flows through it. For correct light distribution on the road, the dimension and position of all LED chips must be equal to the filament of the halogen bulb. Some of the electricity turns into heat and this heat must be removed properly, so a good and reliable cooling system is crucial, as it defines the quality of the LED bulb.
Cabinet job
All LED lights need a driver, which is an electrical device that regulates power and stabilises the electric current to avoid system failures. A driver can either be built into the bulb housing or it can be external. Its quality is essential for overall efficiency and durability.
Replacement LED bulbs are not currently approved for use on public roads. It’s important that if fitted they are used for off-road use only. When choosing any bulbs, fleet operators and technicians should always look at the guarantee, which is an indication of the product’s high standards and offers a promise of durability.
Investing in a wall-mounted bulb cabinet can help workshop engineers keep control of their bulb stock, providing a quick visual of what needs to be replenished, and having the right bulbs for every job to hand.
