The days are getting shorter, the weather is becoming more unstable. This is why the NRW police are carrying out more vehicle checks. The fall and winter months in particular, with rain, fog and snow, make visibility difficult. Seeing and being seen is the be-all and end-all in road traffic. "The aim of our checks is to make drivers more aware of the problem of correct vehicle lighting," explains Rüdiger Wollgramm, traffic officer for the NRW police in the Ministry of the Interior. "Everyone should be aware of their responsibility as well as the consequences that inadequate vehicle lighting can have in unfavorable light, weather and road conditions and have their car checked."

It's time to check your vehicle lighting. For the 62nd time, drivers can have the lighting system of their vehicles checked free of charge by a master car mechanic during the light test. The campaign, which takes place throughout October at the beginning of the dark season, is organized by the motor vehicle trade with the support of the German Road Safety Association.

To ensure that drivers are safe on the road, master car mechanics will check the lighting system free of charge during the 2018 light test in October. By appointment, eight components of the vehicle lighting system are checked for function and correct adjustment. Faults are often quickly rectified and costs are only incurred if replacement parts are installed or extensive adjustment work is required.

The light test sticker documents the proper functioning of the lighting and grants the driver a free ride during a traffic light check by the police. If you are looking for your local vehicle workshop for the light test, you can find it at www.licht-test.de.

In the 2017 light test campaign in North Rhine-Westphalia, the lighting was faulty in every third vehicle checked. One in ten cars dazzled oncoming traffic and almost as many did not illuminate the road with headlights that were set too low (8.7 percent). A high safety risk, especially in the dark season!

These results of the light test prove that many drivers are still driving as "one-eyed or dazzlers", i.e. with only one functioning headlight or two headlights set too high. This is why the traffic wardens are using banners on roads to draw attention to the free check.