Check your car lights: a light-by-light guide

To check your car lights, turn on the ignition, switch on each light one at a time and look at it directly or in the reflection of a wall, shop window or garage door. Low beam, high beam, position lights, brake lights, indicators, reversing lights, fog lights and licence plate lights: five minutes is all it takes, alone or with someone else. This guide explains each test, the rules and adjustments.

📰 Published on 14 October 2026 🧑🏻‍🔧 by AGM Vision

📝 Modified on 14 October 2026

The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October: check your lights before then. in 10 days

Next clock change: Sunday, 25 October 2026

The change to winter time takes place overnight from Saturday to Sunday, 25 October 2026: at 02:00, the time will be 01:00 (London time). From Sunday evening, night falls an hour earlier on your journey home. It's time to test your lights before you need them every evening.

in 10 days

Clock changes by country

Country	Change to winter time	Change to summer time
UK, Ireland, Portugal, Canary Islands	02:00 → 01:00	01:00 → 02:00
Metropolitan France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, mainland Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Czechia, Denmark, Norway	03:00 → 02:00	02:00 → 03:00
Greece, Finland, Romania, Bulgaria, Baltic countries	04:00 → 03:00	03:00 → 04:00

In Europe, winter time starts on the last Sunday in October and summer time on the last Sunday in March, at the same time (1 a.m. UTC) in EU countries, the UK and Norway. France's overseas departments and regions do not change their clocks.

Why autumn and winter evenings are riskier

In France, pedestrian injury accidents between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. are 34.9% more frequent in November than in October, even though they fall by 3.8% over the month as a whole (ONISR, 2020–2024 average). The clock change does not make roads more dangerous in itself: it shifts the evening rush hour into darkness.

Figure	Scope	Source
+34.9% pedestrian injury accidents between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. in November compared with October	France, 2020–2024 average	ONISR, “Change to winter time”, 22 October 2025
−3.8% pedestrian injury accidents over November as a whole, compared with October	France, 2020–2024 average	ONISR, “Change to winter time”, 22 October 2025
42% of annual pedestrian fatalities occur between October and January	France, 2015–2024	ONISR, “Change to winter time”, 22 October 2025
456 pedestrians killed	Metropolitan France, 2024	ONISR, 2024 road safety report
27.8% of cars presented had a lighting defect	Germany, cars voluntarily presented for the October 2025 Licht-Sicht-Test	ZDK and Deutsche Verkehrswacht, 3 December 2025

These figures describe the number of accidents, not individual risk.

5-minute self-check: test each light on your own

Park facing a wall or shop window, apply the handbrake and turn on the ignition. Switch on the lights one by one and check each reflection: it should come on and match its counterpart in colour and brightness. For brake and reversing lights, ask someone to help or use a reflective surface behind the car.

Light	How to test it alone	Common bulb bases (examples)
Low beam	Facing a wall or shop window: both beams come on, have the same colour and reach the same height.	H7, H4, H1, H11; D1S to D8S xenon; integrated LEDs
High beam	Switch to high beam: both sides get brighter and the blue warning light comes on.	H1, H7, H9, HB3
Front and rear position lights	Walk around the vehicle: the lights are on on both sides, at the front and rear.	W5W, R5W, P21/5W
Brake lights, including the third brake light	With your back to a wall or shop window, press the brake pedal: you should see the reflections in the rear-view mirror. Otherwise, ask someone to check.	P21W, P21/5W, W16W; third brake light often has integrated LEDs
Indicators and hazard lights	Switch on the hazard lights and walk around the car: they should all flash together. An indicator flashing faster than usual often means a bulb has blown.	PY21W, PY24W, WY5W
Reversing lights	With the ignition on, the parking brake applied and your foot on the brake pedal, select reverse: the reversing light comes on.	P21W, W16W, H21W
Rear fog light	Switch it on: the amber warning light appears on the dashboard and the light comes on at the rear.	P21W, H21W
Front fog lights	With low beam on, switch on the fog lights: both should come on.	H11, H8, H16, HB4, H3
Licence plate lights	At night, the rear licence plate should be lit across its full width.	W5W, C5W
Daytime running lights	With the engine running, they switch on automatically at the front, on both sides.	P13W, PSY24W, W21W, LED

The bulb bases listed are common examples. Your car's bulb reference is printed on the old bulb, in the vehicle manual or on your vehicle's page.

Signs that a bulb is nearing the end of its life

An indicator flashing faster than usual.
A bulb warning light on the dashboard.
A broken filament or blackened glass on a halogen bulb.
A different colour or brightness from the bulb on the other side.
A light that flickers, often a sign of a poor connection.

Adjusting your headlight beam height

Headlights aimed too high dazzle other road users; aimed too low, they shorten your field of vision. First adjust the headlight beam dial to match the vehicle's load. A garage or auto centre uses a headlight aimer to adjust the beam direction. Of the cars presented for Germany's 2025 Licht-Sicht-Test, 9.5% had headlights aimed too high and 8.5% too low.

Headlight beam adjuster: Many cars with halogen headlights have a dashboard dial that lowers the beams. Leave it at 0 when the car is empty, and move it up a notch depending on the load, as indicated in the vehicle manual.

Headlight alignment is adjusted with a headlight aimer at a garage or auto centre. Have it checked after replacing a headlight bulb or headlight unit.

4 things to know to properly adjust your headlights

Cleaning or restoring yellowed headlights

A yellowed or cloudy headlight lens scatters light instead of projecting it onto the road. Start by washing it with soapy water; if the plastic remains dull or yellowed, a three-step restoration (sanding, polishing and protective coating) will restore its clarity. A cracked lens or dull reflector, however, means the headlight unit must be replaced.

Replacing a bulb: like for like, and what's permitted

Replace a bulb with one of the same reference and technology. The reference (H7, H4, W5W…) is printed on the old bulb, in the vehicle manual or on your vehicle's page. A halogen bulb must bear an E-mark approval marking. An LED bulb is permitted on public roads only in specific cases, detailed below.

Halogen: check the E-mark

An approved halogen bulb bears the letter E followed by a number inside a circle (E1 for Germany, E2 for France, etc.). Choose the same reference and wattage as the original bulb (55 W for an H7 or H1, 60/55 W for an H4), and replace both sides at the same time to keep the lighting consistent on the left and right.

LEDs: what the rules say

In the UK, the MOT test fails LED or xenon conversions in headlights designed for halogen on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986: this is a major defect.

What's not permitted on public roads

A replacement LED or xenon bulb without approval or authorisation for your vehicle, including products sold for off-road or competition use.
Converting a halogen headlight to xenon.
A bulb with a higher wattage than specified, such as an H7 over 55 W.
A colour other than specified: white at the front (selective yellow is permitted for fog lights), red at the rear, and amber for indicators.

Pedestrians and cyclists: stay visible at dusk

Between October and January, night falls around school and work finishing times. In France, these four months account for 42% of annual pedestrian fatalities (ONISR, 2015–2024). Pedestrians and cyclists can make themselves more visible with light-coloured clothing and reflective details; cyclists should also make sure their front and rear lights work.

Whether walking or cycling, light-coloured clothing and reflective details make you visible from much farther away in headlights.
When driving, slow down between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., near pedestrian crossings, bus stops and schools.

Find bulbs for your car

Enter your registration number (France, Spain, UK) or choose your car's make and model. Its page lists every light and its bulb reference, position by position: front, sides and rear.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if a car bulb has blown?

Switch on the light and look at it directly or in a reflection. An indicator flashing twice as fast usually means a bulb on the same side has blown, and many cars display a warning light. A blown halogen bulb often has a broken filament or blackened glass. An integrated LED often needs to be replaced with the headlight unit.

How do I find out which bulb my car needs?

The bulb reference is printed on the base of the old bulb and in the vehicle manual. On AGM Vision, search by licence plate (France, Spain, UK) or by make and model to find the bulb reference for each light on your car.

Where can I get my headlights checked for free?

Every autumn, road safety campaigns offer free light checks: in France, the Lumière & Vision villages run by the Prévention Routière association and local initiatives; in Germany, the October Licht-Sicht-Test at participating garages. The rest of the year, a garage or auto centre can check and adjust your headlights. The self-check in this guide lets you test that each light works, but does not replace workshop adjustment.

Can I fit LED bulbs in my car?

In the UK, the MOT test fails LED or xenon conversions in headlights designed for halogen on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986: this is a major defect. Products sold for off-road use are not permitted on public roads.

When is the next clock change?

The next clock change is on Sunday, 25 October 2026: at 02:00, the time will be 01:00 (London time). In Europe, winter time starts on the last Sunday in October and summer time on the last Sunday in March, at the same time (1 a.m. UTC) in EU countries, the UK and Norway.