Bulbs: Driving you spare

This time of year is tough on halogen bulbs. After enjoying a relatively easy time throughout the summer months, the sudden stress that they encounter after the clocks go back can be too much. This explains the proliferation of cars on our roads with blown bulbs in their brake, side and even headlamps.

Apart from being illegal and unsafe, bulbs blow suddenly and failure tends to be very hard to predict. This is one reason why some countries insist that a spare bulb kit is carried in the car. In our view, this is not an unreasonable demand. As soon as a blown bulb is noticed, it can be exchanged at a garage, or a domestic driveway with minimal delay.

Alternatively, it is worth researching which bulbs are fitted to your car’s exterior lamps and purchase a spare set. Even if you do not wish to carry a kit with you, making space for spare car bulbs at home is a wise move. After all, you may never know when you may need to call upon them.

It is worth noting that this advice applies mainly to halogen (filament) bulbs. Road legal LED modules in motor cars are sealed within the lamp unit and cannot be replaced. Gas Discharge HID (‘Xenon’) headlight bulbs tend not to fail completely, unless there is a problem with the control gear, but they are relatively costly.

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