Switch on for darkness and poor visibility
On a public road, a car's headlights, rear lights and number plate lights must be on between sunset and sunrise. They must also be on when poor light or bad weather makes people and vehicles hard to see clearly at 150 metres. Streetlights do not remove that driving rule.
Think of two prompts: the time of day and the view ahead. The 150-metre rule is about visibility; it is not a following distance. Learn the number for your questions, then make checking the light and weather an early part of each supervised drive.
Dip your brights for other road users
Main beam is often called brights; dipped beam is the lower setting. The NaTIS learner manual tells drivers to dip for oncoming traffic and when following another vehicle. The regulations also prohibit a main beam that could cause dangerous glare to oncoming traffic.
Poor visibility is not a reason to choose the brightest setting. Western Cape Mobility advises using headlights in dark weather and avoiding high beams in wet or foggy conditions, where reflected light can make seeing harder. Slow down and leave more space rather than relying on extra brightness.
Keep the fog-lamp rule separate
Fog lamps have their own limit. Regulation 163(6) permits them while driving only when visibility is poor because of snow, fog, mist, dust or smoke. They are not an everyday extra set of lights.
A question about rain is not automatically a fog-lamp question. Read what is causing the poor visibility before choosing an answer. When the listed poor-visibility conditions have cleared, switch the fog lamps off. Keep applying the separate headlight rule.
Find the controls before you need them
Sit with your licensed supervisor in a safely parked car and find the headlight switch, the main-beam and dipped-beam control, and any fog-lamp switches. Use the vehicle's handbook to match each setting to its dashboard symbol. A familiar switch is easier to use calmly when conditions change.
With the vehicle safely secured, check that the lights work and the lenses are clean. Include the rear lights and number plate lights in the check. Parking lights alone are not a driving setting: regulation 165(2) prohibits driving with only the parking lights on.
Try three short situations
While safely parked, talk through these situations with your supervisor. Say the reason as well as the switch you would use:
- The sun has set on a well-lit street. The headlights, rear lights and number plate lights still need to be on while you drive.
- You are using brights and another vehicle approaches. Dip the main beam so it does not dazzle the other driver.
- Mist is reducing visibility. Use dipped headlights, check whether the fog-lamp rule applies, and choose a slower speed with more space ahead.
Then try a few K53 Ready rules and vehicle-controls questions. If you get one wrong, explain whether you mixed up the time, the visibility or the type of lamp. Keep the phone-based study for when you are parked, and put the app away before the vehicle moves.
