Driving Lights

The main benefit is simple: you see further and wider at night. Good LED driving lights can throw usable light well beyond your standard high beam, giving you more warning of hazards on unlit roads — wildlife, stock, cyclists, debris or a sharp corner. Modern LED units also draw less current than old halogen lights and stand up better to corrugations and vibration, so they're well suited to New Zealand touring and back-country conditions.

For most drivers, LED. LEDs give more light for less power draw, last far longer (often rated well beyond 30,000 hours), and cope better with the shock and vibration of rough roads. Halogen driving lights still work and cost less up front, which can suit an older vehicle or a light-duty setup, but if you regularly drive rural roads at night or head off-road, LED is the better long-term choice.

A spot (pencil) beam is narrow and concentrated for maximum distance straight ahead — ideal for open highways. A flood (spread) beam is wider and shorter, lighting up the sides of the road and the edges of tracks — better for slower, twistier or off-road driving. A combo beam blends both. If you're fitting a pair, many people run one of each or choose combo units to get distance and spread together.

Think about where you drive, then match the beam and output to it. Long, straight rural roads reward a spot/distance beam and higher output; tracks and winding roads reward spread. Beyond beam pattern, compare light output (lux at distance is more meaningful than raw lumens), build quality (die-cast housing, sealed IP rating, decent brackets) and size versus the space you have to mount them. If you're unsure, tell us your vehicle and typical driving and we'll point you to a sensible option.

They're a manageable job with the right kit. A proper install uses a wiring harness with a relay and inline fuse, a dash switch, and a wire into the high-beam circuit, with the lights mounted squarely to a bull bar, nudge bar or bracket and aimed to complement your high beam. If you're confident with basic auto wiring, earthing and fusing, it's a satisfying weekend job — if not, it's worth having an auto electrician do it so it's safe, reliable and passes its next WoF.

Yes, when they're fitted and wired correctly — but there are rules, and this is a guide rather than the final word (always confirm with your WoF inspector or Waka Kotahi). In general, additional driving lamps must be fitted in symmetrical pairs that look the same and shine at the same brightness, must emit white light (no blue or red showing to the front), and must be wired so they only work with high beam and go out when you dip to low beam. You can have a switch to turn them off while high beam is on, but they must not operate on low beam. If they're on an "anytime" switch instead, they're treated as work lamps — which are for off-road use only. Waka Kotahi's "Get Your Lights Right" guide and the Vehicle Inspection Requirements Manual set out the details.

Light bars sit in a greyer area. Many on the market don't meet the approved standards to be used as headlamps, so they're generally treated as work lamps or cosmetic lighting and are intended for off-road use rather than the open road. If you want a light bar that's legal on-road, it needs to meet the relevant rules — check compliance before you fit one, and ask us or your WoF inspector if you're unsure.

Usually a wiring harness with a relay and fuse, and a switch — many kits include these, but it's worth checking. Depending on your setup you might also look at upgraded high-beam globes and, if you're adding a big accessory load, an auxiliary or dual-battery system to keep everything running reliably. We stock the harnesses, switches, cable and battery gear to go with your lights, so you can sort the whole job in one place.