Buying guide
How to choose driving lights and light bars
Extra driving lights are legal in Victoria, within limits on how many you fit, where they go and how they're switched. Here's how to choose a set that's bright where you need it and road legal.
- Four extra, at most
You can fit up to four additional driving lights, and an LED light bar counts as one of them (VSI 8). Pairs must be at the same height and face forward.
- Wired to high beam
Driving lights must only come on with your high beam and go off with it. Dip within 200 m of oncoming traffic or a vehicle you're following.
- Where they go
A single light bar must sit on the centreline. Lights can go above the roof line if they're in the front half of the vehicle, and on a bull bar they must sit behind its front face.
- Spot, flood or combo
A spot beam reaches far down the road, a flood lights a wide area close in, and a combo does some of both. Lux at a distance tells you more about reach than total lumens (Narva).
Choosing camp and work lights
Think about how you camp before you buy. Bar kits with diffusers throw broad, even light over a campsite or work area and hang easily from an awning, while lanterns cover the table, the tent and the walk to the car. Strip lights suit permanent awning or canopy mounting, and multi bar kits light a big site from one 12V source.
Colour modes matter more than people expect. White light is clear and practical for cooking and jobs, while orange modes are popular around camp because they attract fewer insects. HardKorr builds its camp lighting around these dual colour options, with kits that run from your vehicle or battery setup, so check how each kit connects to power before you order.
Related categories
Common questions
Are light bars legal in Victoria?
Yes. A light bar counts as one of up to four additional driving lights. It must be white, face forward, sit on the vehicle's centreline if it's a single bar, and only work with high beam (VSI 8; Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 2021).
How many driving lights can I fit?
Up to four additional lights, light bars included (VSI 8).
Do they have to be wired to high beam?
Yes. In Victoria, driving lights may only switch on when your high beam is on and must turn off with it (VSI 8).
Are amber or coloured covers legal?
Not on the road. Lamp covers must be clear, untinted, uncoloured and clean (VSI 8).
Do I have to cover my lights when I'm not using them?
There's no Victorian rule that says you must cover them. What matters is that they only work with high beam and that you dip them for other road users.
Lux or lumens: which matters?
Lumens measure the total light a lamp puts out. Lux measures how much light lands on the road at a distance, so the distance at which a beam still gives 1 lux tells you more about how far it reaches (Narva).
