Light Up The Night: Benefits of LED Light Bars
When upgrading your off-road vehicle with lighting stay on the brighter side of the law with compliant and road-legal lights. Here at Hamsar, we want to help you invest in the right lighting. Start with longer-lasting, light-emitting diodes (LED) light bars to improve the safety and visibility of your off-road vehicle after dusk. Discover the benefits of LED light bars along with how to determine if your lighting is road safe and Department of Transportation compliant. That way you can make sure you are investing in the best LED light bars for your fleet’s needs.
Benefits of LED Lighting
One of the reasons why customers go with LED lighting is to minimize the risk of noncompliance. You do not want to get a ticket by the local police or a driving inspector for the Department of Transportation due to a lack of proper lighting. More so, you want to avoid any accidents and risks to your safety and the safety of others due to improper lighting. The use of LED light bars is beneficial for seeing more clearly at dusk and when you are doing night driving.
LED light bars are lightweight and durable as well, making for the ideal option for off-road vehicles where balance is even more important. The Home Energy Pros points out that LED light bars are especially useful for off-road vehicles. LED lights are also energy-efficient, which means you save money by replacing your light bulbs and fixtures less often over the lifespan of your vehicle.
DOT Compliant Versus DOT Approved
The first step is to make sure you choose a DOT compliant light. The wording here is tricky because the Department of Transportation is a federal agency. The DOT does not approve equipment for certifications or recommendations. You cannot find a list of approved LED light bars for off-road vehicles. Instead, you have lighting regulations to guide your selection.
Check the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment. These lighting requirements are for all types of vehicles including commercial vehicles and tractor-trailers. However, there is not a specific set of rules for off-road vehicles. What the NHTSA provides are lighting requirements for the type of lighting equipment, number of fixtures, and headlighting applications for motorcycles. You can apply these rules to help you determine how to affix your LED light bars to an off-road vehicle.
SAE Standards for LED Lighting
Another source of information to utilize when researching the benefits of LED light bars is SAE International. The SAE Standards for lighting are recommended industry practices for the US and Canada. Here you have LED Signal and Marking Lighting Devices. These standards cover the actual lighting mechanics of LED lighting devices in terms of their application on off-road vehicles.
DOT Versus SAE Standards for Lighting
So which standard should you start with? Whenever the DOT has a regulation involving the use of lighting for motorcycles or vehicles applicable to off-road vehicles, you follow that federal ruling first and foremost. Next, the state-level department of transportation will provide you with the regulation to follow. And remember, SAE standards are not regulations that require you to comply or get certified. These are there for customers and manufacturers alike. Use the information to make sure the lighting choice you go with will be safe for your vehicle size and use.
Issues With Finding the Right Lighting
As you can see, there is a great deal of fog in the air in regard to choosing the right lighting for off-road vehicles. You want to be safe, and so does the federal government’s many agencies involved with recommended practices and compliance for lighting. By working with a company like Hamsar you get a head start on choosing the right lighting.
We begin by evaluating your off-road vehicle lighting needs. From there, we provide you with a personalized recommendation for the best LED light bars for your specific use, budget, and vehicle. This way you are investing in equipment you truly can benefit from—not just some fancy lighting bars tossed up on the top of your ATV.
Find LED Light Bars Now
Give yourself the safe driving experience you demand with the best lighting sources for off-road vehicles. Contact Hamsar at 1-800-567-5483 or email hamsar.sales@grakon.com to request a product catalog or to learn where to buy LED light bars for your vehicles.
