None of us really have the power to see what’s ahead of us in life, but we do have the power to see what’s ahead of us on the road. Making sure your headlights are working properly is an important safety feature of your vehicle. Here at Good Works Auto Repair, we believe strongly in maintaining your vehicle, rather than having to repair it. To help you do that, we’ve provided you with some helpful tips when it comes to maintaining your headlights all year round. See better, drive better!

We all tend to do some nighttime driving – if not a lot, then at least some. And with the days shorter at this point in the year, now is the best time to have your local repair shop provide you with some important preventative maintenance and check the state of your headlights and other important safety features on your vehicle.

Basic Headlight Maintenance

• Replace your headlights before they burn out. Can’t remember the last time they were changed? It might be time.
• Swap them out in pairs. Uneven brightness is a distraction for other drivers.
• Upgrade to better bulbs which will help you see better. Go for ones with a whiter light and maximum clarity. You’ll notice a difference.
• DIY where you can, but if you don’t feel comfortable changing your headlights which does take some basic knowledge, our repair technicians are ready to help.
• Restore your headlight lenses or replace them if your vehicle is older. Sometimes, older vehicles have lenses that are faded or cloudy which don’t allow the bulbs to do their job. A good restoration kit can enable up to three times more light to shine on the road! Whoa!
• Have your headlights properly aiming at the road and not into the eyes of oncoming drivers. If the aim is off, it can decrease nighttime visibility by quite a bit.

Whether you’re simply cruising around town or you’re heading out for a long road trip, your compromised driver vision at night makes this very important. According to a 2016 survey from SYLVANIA Automotive, 28 percent of motorists have difficulty seeing hazards and 62 percent of drivers try to avoid driving after the sun goes down.

Properly working headlights are an important safety feature of your vehicle and something you use often when driving. Nighttime driving and bad weather driving are dangerous enough – give yourself better visibility and a little bit of attention. We’re ready to help!