Is it illegal to drive with one headlight?

With hundreds of road rules in Australia, many of which vary between states and territories, knowing what’s legal (and illegal) when driving can be confusing, to say the least.

At carsales we’re taking the confusion out of the equation and breaking down your frequently asked road rule questions including: is it illegal to drive your car with only one headlight?

And what are the penalties if you do?

Is driving with only one headlight illegal in NSW? It depends.

For a vehicle to be registered it must be suitable for safe use and meet the standards required by law. If a vehicle’s lights are not working, it must not be driven at night.?

Driving at night without working lights can incur a fine of $136 and one demerit under Road Rule 215-1 (1). You may also be given a Defect Notice.?

However, during the day, or when it is not a “period of darkness” there is no specification about driving with one headlight or two, although there is a definition of ‘darkness’: “the duration of the night or a time where there is not enough light to see someone who is wearing dark-coloured clothes from a 100-metre distance.”

Is driving with only one headlight illegal in WA?

As it turns out, only for some vehicles, in certain conditions.

Regulation 182 of the Road Traffic Code 2000 states:

“A person must not drive a motor vehicle or a combination of a motor vehicle and trailer, during the hours of darkness or in hazardous weather conditions restricting visibility, unless it is equipped with such lights and reflectors as are prescribed by the Vehicle Standards as those to be carried by that vehicle or combination, and the lights are lit.”

In layman’s terms, if the vehicle is required by the Vehicle Standards to have more than one headlight (such as a car), it is unlawful to drive the vehicle at night (or in weather conditions that restrict visibility) if it has only one functioning headlight.

The penalties for doing so are 3 demerits and a $100 fine.

What about Tasmania? Yes, it is illegal.

The Vehicle and Traffic Act requires a car to have two working headlights, and there is an associated infringement for failure to have two operational headlights when driving on a public street.

That said, in most cases, this situation is dealt with a defect notice, which has no associated fine, so first time offenders will probably just get a warning.

Is driving with only one headlight illegal in Victoria? Yes.

It's illegal to drive with only one headlight in Victoria and unlike Tasmania, there is a fine, and it’s hefty.

The maximum penalty for driving with a defective headlight in Victoria is $826.10 and?driving without headlights on at night or in hazardous weather conditions can result in a $238 fine and one demerit point.

The Victorian Road Rule that covers driving with faulty headlights is?Rule 215?of the Victorian Road Safety Road Rules 2017, which states, “Drivers must not drive at night or in hazardous weather conditions unless their headlights, tail lights, and number plate lights are working and visible.”

Exceptions to this rule include:

Drivers must also use their headlights between sunset and sunrise, and in hazardous conditions with reduced visibility.?

Is driving with only one headlight illegal in the ACT? It sure is.

The Road Transport (Road Rules) Regulation 2017 (ACT) also prohibits driving your vehicle during the night or in dangerous conditions unless both headlights are in working order and are visible to other drivers.

And if you thought penalties in Victoria were substantial, our nation’s capital takes the cake for the most expensive fine for this offence, a whopping maximum penalty of $3200.

Plan on driving in South Australia with only one working headlight? Think again, because it’s illegal… and it’s complicated.

According to a Department for Infrastructure and Transport spokesperson, “A vehicle with only one headlight can be defected. Essentially, all lights and features of a vehicle must work and be useable on the vehicle.”?

In SA, the Road Traffic (Light Vehicle Standards) Rules 2018 (LVSR), which reference the Australian Design Rules (ADRs), determine the requirements for lights that are fitted to motor vehicles.

Under the LVSR, a motor vehicle must be fitted with a pair of headlights that can work in both low-beam and high-beam positions.

Additionally, under the LVSR, when operating, headlights must be fitted to a vehicle so that the light does not reflect into the driver’s eyes.

Under Australian Road Rule (ARR) 215 (1), a driver must?not drive at night, or in hazardous weather conditions causing reduced visibility unless:

? ? ? ? ? ? (a) ?the headlights, taillights and number plate light fitted to the vehicle are operating effectively and are clearly visible; and

? ? ? ? ? ? (b)? if the vehicle is fitted with clearance lights or side marker lights, those lights must be operating effectively (and be clearly visible)

However, this rule does not apply if the driver's vehicle is stopped or parked at a place, on a length of road, or in an area, to which a parking control sign applies and the driver is permitted to stop or park at that place under the?ARR.

If fog is present during the day, or the driver encounters other hazardous weather conditions (heavy rain, etc) causing reduced visibility, driving with just the fog lights on (and no headlights) is permitted, as long as the fog lights are operating and clearly visible.

Under Schedule 4 Part 3 of the Road Traffic (Miscellaneous) Regulations 2014, the maximum penalty for failing to use headlights when driving at night or in hazardous weather conditions is $291 plus a $102 Victims of Crime levy.

In summary, just have two working headlights when you’re on SA roads.

Is driving with only one headlight illegal in Queensland? Yes.

“All vehicles used on Queensland roads must comply with certain vehicle standard requirements, this includes having two working headlights,” says a Transport and Main Road spokesperson.

A vehicle that is driven with only one functional headlight is considered defective and could attract an on-the-spot fine of $161 and one demerit point.

Yes, driving with one headlight in the Northern Territory is illegal:?

The NT's Traffic Regulations 1999 (NT) prohibit driving with headlights that are not working properly or are out of order.?Under this regulation, driving with out-of-order or not properly lit headlights is a?traffic offence.

The penalty for this offence is a $50 fine and thankfully, no demerits.

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