Is there a fine for yellowing the daytime running lights of a car? — Explanation

Daytime running lights (DRL), which have become an integral part of safety systems in modern cars, help the vehicle be seen from a greater distance during road traffic. Although proper use of these lights positively affects the prevention of road traffic accidents, some drivers' lack of proper knowledge about their purpose and usage rules causes discussions.

Regarding the issue, lawyer Rashad Aliyev, speaking to Demokrat.az, said that penalties are not always imposed for daytime running lights (DRL) or front headlights being yellow:

“The main criterion here is that these lights are factory-installed and there has been no illegal interference with the vehicle's construction. If the car is equipped by the manufacturer with yellow or warm-toned lights and this complies with technical standards, the driver is not held responsible. However, if non-standard yellow LED or other lighting equipment has been installed later on the vehicle, this can be considered a modification of the vehicle's construction and may be evaluated as a violation of technical requirements. The purpose of legislation is to ensure the safety of the lights, that they do not confuse other traffic participants, and that they comply with technical standards, rather than focusing on the color of the light. Particularly, unauthorized use of light signals belonging to blue, red, and special purpose vehicles creates more serious legal liability.”

He stated that before making any changes to the vehicle's lighting system, they should check whether it complies with technical regulations:

“Because if the road police detect lighting equipment that does not comply with standards during vehicle technical inspection or road traffic control, they can take action in accordance with the legislation. Simply put, there is no fine for a car that left the factory with yellow lights. However, if yellow lights that do not comply with the standards were installed later and this violates technical requirements, administrative liability may arise. The main issue here is not the color of the light, but its compliance with the requirements of legislation and technical standards.”