Work lights
Worklights are used to illuminate work surfaces on vehicles during intended use (standstill or slow travel).
Work lights are available as portable hand lights for spot lighting. Mounted on vehicles, there are built-in spotlights (integrated in the body) or surface-mounted spotlights, depending on the type of attachment. Add-on headlights are attached to the body using a bracket . There is a special application for illuminating the side surfaces next to and behind the vehicle. For this purpose, the work lights are mounted as rear-view mirror lights shining to the rear. It is mounted directly on the rearview mirror or on the rearview mirror frame. The headlights mounted in this way are also referred to as maneuvering headlights or blind spot headlights .
The headlights are very often used to illuminate the loading area or the loading space. Furthermore, vehicles used in road construction and road maintenance are thus illuminated. Practically every fire service vehicle is equipped with work lights, and many ambulances and ambulances have work lights at the rear so that they have an illuminated field when stretchers are pushed in and out.
Agricultural machines such as tractors and combine harvesters now have a large number of work lights so that seasonal and weather-related work can be carried out independently of daylight. Today (as of 2015) LED lights with halogen or xenon technology have largely replaced them, since LED lights are only slightly higher in price than those with halogen technology, with approximately the same light output as xenon technology, which is many times more expensive. Furthermore, the LED technology offers a high light output and efficiency, further advantages lie in the shape and service life.
Legal regulation in Germany
According to Section 52 (7) Road Traffic Licensing Regulations, sentence 1, multi-lane vehicles may be equipped with one or more lights to illuminate work equipment and workplaces:
"Multi-lane vehicles may be equipped with one or more lights to illuminate work equipment and workplaces (work lights). Work lights must not be used while driving. On vehicles that are used for the construction, maintenance or cleaning of streets or systems in the street or for garbage collection, work lights may, in deviation from sentence 2, also be switched on while driving if the journey is part of the work process. Work lights may only be switched on if they do not dazzle other road users . "
Liability of the vehicle driver: According to § 52 (7) StVO sentence 4, work lights may only be switched on if they do not dazzle other road users. The driver of the vehicle is responsible for compliance with these regulations. If another road user claims to have been blinded by the work lights after an accident, this can result in civil and criminal penalties for the driver of the vehicle. In order to avoid these legal consequences, the use of glare-free work lights is recommended . Such headlights are usually asymmetrical and also have a front grille. This prevents the uncontrolled scattering of the light and thus also the glare effect.
Others
Cranes and work machines are also equipped with work lights. Similar, mostly mobile, headlights are searchlights and headlamps .
