Rally Lights for Cars - Is it legal?

[icecoldsipra]

Hello Gearheads!

I travel a lot on highways at very high speeds which also involves a fair amount of night driving. I have always wanted to fix rally lights to my Hyundai Grand i10. My questions are below.

1) Is fitting rally lights for cars legal across the country? How about cops treating rally lights in Karnataka, especially Bangalore?
2) Which brands are the best?
3) Where can i get it installed in Bangalore?

I request anyone with any experience or knowledge about this to share your suggestions and inputs.

[hawx]

Hello Gearheads!

I travel a lot on highways at very high speeds which also involves a fair amount of night driving. I have always wanted to fix rally lights to my Hyundai Grand i10. My questions are below.

1) Is fitting rally lights for cars legal across the country? How about cops treating rally lights in Karnataka, especially Bangalore?
2) Which brands are the best?
3) Where can i get it installed in Bangalore?

I request anyone with any experience or knowledge about this to share your suggestions and inputs.

From what I know rally lights are illegal though some folks go ahead and fix it. I read somewhere that if you fix the rally lights below the main headlight level in such a way that the focus of rally light is not blinding the oncoming drivers then you might get away from authorities citing that they dont cause issue with the oncoming traffic. Though I am not 100% sure on how the authorities would react.

Regards,
hawx

[bhpistorqintorpm]

1) Is fitting rally lights for cars legal across the country? How about cops treating rally lights in Karnataka, especially Bangalore?
2) Which brands are the best?
3) Where can i get it installed in Bangalore?

speaking of legality, any lighting mod [including 100/90 upgrade] is illegal. but usually you do not land in trouble if you have aux lights. almost all highway taxis/buses have aux driving lights. make sure you use them judiciously.
there are many options based on your budget, Hella seem to be VFM [can be had for as low as INR 2.6K for a pair] . there are many places across Bangalore - any car accessories shop should be able do it for you. or you can visit JC road and look around for good pair and get it fitted from any shop.

[icecoldsipra]

From what I know rally lights are illegal though some folks go ahead and fix it. I read somewhere that if you fix the rally lights below the main headlight level in such a way that the focus of rally light is not blinding the oncoming drivers then you might get away from authorities citing that they dont cause issue with the oncoming traffic. Though I am not 100% sure on how the authorities would react.

speaking of legality, any lighting mod [including 100/90 upgrade] is illegal. but usually you do not land in trouble if you have aux lights. almost all highway taxis/buses have aux driving lights. make sure you use them judiciously. there are many options based on your budget, Hella seem to be VFM [can be had for as low as INR 2.6K for a pair] . there are many places across Bangalore - any car accessories shop should be able do it for you. or you can visit JC road and look around for good pair and get it fitted from any shop.

Thanks guys! I understand fitting additional rally lights may catch the attention of the cops. But I am just wondering how I can fix the problem of poor headlights in my car. Clearly, the stock lights are not sufficient for night driving.

By the way, what are aux lights? I am a noob when it comes to all these automotive teams. It would be great if you could explain to me how it differs from the regular headlights and what are its benefits and drawbacks?

[jaguar]

But I am just wondering how I can fix the problem of poor headlights in my car. Clearly, the stock lights are not sufficient for night driving.

By the way, what are aux lights? I am a noob when it comes to all these automotive teams. It would be great if you could explain to me how it differs from the regular headlights and what are its benefits and drawbacks?

The easiest option would be to change the stock bulbs with something like Osram Night breakers. This is legal and will give you a slight improvement.

If you are not satisfied, you can upgrade to higher watt bulbs. You would need a wiring harness with ceramic holders if you go for this option. From a legal standpoint, this is not allowed but you get significant improvement.

Aux lights mean auxillary lights. The rally lights you are talking about will be considered as aux lights. The performance will depend on the quality of the lights and how much you can spend. Even these will not be legal within city use but you might get away if not used within the city limits. I think the law states that any aux lights should be installed below the existing headlights.

[icecoldsipra]

I am sure there are a lot of people like me who come to the Gearheads forum with similar questions as I have and I hope this thread helps them all. Clearly, I have a lot to learn about cars and I am super excited that the various experts have been coming forward with suggestions and inputs. I hope some day I return the same favour for someone having questions like I have today!

If you are not satisfied, you can upgrade to higher watt bulbs. You would need a wiring harness with ceramic holders if you go for this option. From a legal standpoint, this is not allowed but you get significant improvement.

Well, I am type of guy who does not even jump traffic signals. So yes, I am looking for a legal solution.

Aux lights mean auxillary lights. The rally lights you are talking about will be considered as aux lights. The performance will depend on the quality of the lights and how much you can spend. Even these will not be legal within city use but you might get away if not used within the city limits. I think the law states that any aux lights should be installed below the existing headlights.

How effective are LED strips? When it comes to the costs, I can see they are a LOT cheaper. But are they effective? Do they help light up the roads in any way?