LED light bars & LED light bars – 4x4, truck & car 12V/24V

LED lights have many advantages for drivers. In addition to the modern style they give to vehicles equipped with them, they consume less energy and have much higher brightness than other technologies. Their ease of installation and low cost allow them to be installed in almost all vehicles, but there is a legislative framework. The following rules and laws also apply to other types of lighting.

Legislation for LED lighting on front lights

What law applies to rear lights?

At the rear of your vehicle, your reversing lights must be white. The brake warning lights are red, as are the fog lights and reflectors. The latter two are not mandatory unless they are present from the factory. The indicators are orange or yellow, whether placed at the front or rear, as well as on the sides of your vehicle.
Apart from the color of your lights, generally speaking, you must not inconvenience other road users. Excessive power or incorrect adjustment can make you liable for an offense. Failure to comply with the color regulations may result in a fine of 68€, which can be increased to 180€!
Furthermore, the installation of additional lights is only allowed in locations provided by the manufacturer. You risk a fine and, more importantly, may no longer be covered by your car insurance.

What are the rules for interior lighting in your car?

Regarding the interior of your vehicle, the law is much more permissive. Indeed, you are (almost) free to manage your cabin or trunk lighting as you wish by choosing suitable interior car LEDs. The only constraint to respect is not to inconvenience other road users.
From there, you can change the color of your dome light or increase the power of your trunk lighting without risking any problem.
For aesthetics, avoid making too many disparate choices inside the cabin. Prefer one or two colors at most and harmonize the lighting. Another important point: make sure your modifications do not interfere with your driving. A light that is too strong or directed towards you will dazzle you, tire you out, and prevent you from seeing road hazards.

Driving with a broken light

If you have a faulty light, whether the lens is broken or the bulb is no longer working, you risk a third-class fine of 68€, which can go up to 180€. This law applies to all lights: fog lights, indicators, or reverse lights.

A LED light bar, also called a LED bar, is an auxiliary spotlight with an elongated shape that produces powerful lighting over a wide area. It is mounted on the roof, the roof rack, the bull bar or the bumper of a vehicle to complement the standard lights. With luminous fluxes that can reach 44 000 lumens, LED light bars are ideal for off-road driving, forest tracks, night worksites or long journeys on unlit roads. At AGM Vision, LED bars are available from 17 cm to more than 130 cm to fit all vehicles.

In France, most additional LED light bars are not approved for use on public roads. They must be switched off and, ideally, covered with a cover when driving on open roads. Their use is, however, perfectly legal off-road: tracks, private roads, worksites and competitions. Some models bear the ECE R112 or R7 marking, which authorizes road use under certain conditions. It is recommended to check the local regulations and to provide an independent cut-off system to remain compliant during the technical inspection.

The choice depends on the available space on your vehicle and the intended use. For auxiliary lighting on a bumper, a 17 to 40 cm mini light bar (2 200 to 5 000 lumens) is sufficient. For main lighting on a roof rack, choose a 80 to 130 cm light bar offering 15 000 to 44 000 lumens. Check the power in watts (from 10W to 360W) against your alternator’s capacity. The IP67 or IP68 waterproof rating is essential for off-road use, and 12V/24V compatibility is indispensable for heavy goods vehicles.

The spot beam (or long-range) concentrates the light into a narrow cone that illuminates far ahead of the vehicle, ideal for straight lines and speed. The flood beam (or wide) diffuses the light over an angle of 60° to 120°, perfect for lighting up the immediate surroundings and turns. The combo beam combines both: spot LEDs in the center and flood LEDs on the sides, offering the best compromise between range and width. For versatile off-road use, the combo is the most recommended choice.

Installing a LED light bar requires a wiring kit including a relay, a fuse and a switch. First, secure the bar on its mount (roof rack, bull bar or specific mount) using the supplied mounting brackets. Then connect the positive cable to the relay, then to the battery via a fuse of a suitable rating (generally 30A to 80A depending on the power). The switch is placed in the cabin for easy access. Finally, adjust the beam angle so as not to dazzle. AGM Vision offers complete wiring kits and mounts suited to each vehicle.

A quality LED light bar offers an average lifespan of 30,000 to 50,000 hours, compared with only 500 to 1,000 hours for a conventional halogen headlight. LEDs also consume 60 to 80% less energy at equivalent light output, which preserves the battery and the alternator. They withstand vibrations better thanks to the absence of a filament and light up instantly, with no warm-up time. With an aluminum housing and a IP67/IP68 waterproof rating, LED light bars withstand dust, rain, and mud splashes without any loss of performance.