4501-15-01. Headlights

(A) Aim of headlights - Headlights shall be aimed in accordance with the society of automotive engineers (hereinafter referred to as S.A.E.) lighting specifications code and shall be constructed and installed so as to provide adequate and reliable illumination and shall conform to the appropriate specification set forth in the SA.E. recommended practices or S.A.E. standards for electric headlamps for motor vehicles or sealed-beam headlamp units for motor vehicles and for motorcycles and motor-driven cycles the headlights shall conform to the appropriate specifications set forth in the S.A.E. standards for motorcycle and motor-driven cycle headlamps.

(B) Height - Every headlamp upon every vehicle, including every motorcycle and motor-driven cycle, shall be located at a height measured from the center of the headlamp of not more than fifty-four inches nor less than twenty-four inches to be measured as set forth in section 4513.03 of the Revised Code.

(C) Multiple-beam road-lighting equipment - Except as hereinafter provided, the headlamps or the auxiliary driving lamp or the auxiliary passing lamp or combination thereof on motor vehicles other than motorcycles or motor-driven cycles shall be so arranged that the driver may select at will between distributions of light projected to different elevations and such lamps may, in addition, be so arranged that such selection can be made automatically, subject to the following limitations:

(1) There shall be an uppermost distribution of light, or composite beam, so aimed and of such intensity as to reveal persons and vehicles at a distance of at least three hundred fifty feet ahead for all conditions of loading.

(2) There shall be a lowermost distribution of light, or composite beam, so aimed and of sufficient intensity to reveal persons and vehicles at a distance of at least one hundred feet ahead; and on a straight level road under any condition of loading none of the high-intensity portion of the beam shall be directed to strike the eyes of an approaching driver.

(D) Single-beam road-lighting equipment - Headlamp systems which provide only a single distribution of light shall be permitted on motor vehicles manufactured and sold prior to 1960 in lieu of multiple-beam road-lighting equipment herein specified if the single distribution of light complies with the following requirements and limitations:

(1) The headlamps shall be so aimed that when the vehicle is not loaded none of the high-intensity portion of the light shall at a distance of twenty-five feet ahead project higher than a level of five inches below the level of the center of the lamp from which it comes, and in no case higher than forty-two inches above the level on which the vehicle stands at a distance of seventy-five feet ahead.

(2) The intensity shall be sufficient to reveal persons and vehicles at a distance of at least two hundred feet.

(E) Lighting equipment on motor-driven cycles - The headlamp or headlamps upon every motor-driven cycle may be of the single-beam or multiple-beam type but in either event shall comply with the requirements and limitations as follows:

(1) Every said headlamp or headlamps on a motor-driven cycle shall be of sufficient intensity to reveal a person or a vehicle at a distance of not less than one hundred feet when the motor-driven cycle is operated at any speed less than twenty-five miles per hour and at a distance of not less than two hundred feet when the motor-driven cycle is operated at a speed of twenty-five or more miles per hour, and at a distance of not less than three hundred feet when the motor-driven cycle is operated at a speed of thirty-five or more miles per hour.

(2) In the event the motor-driven cycle is equipped with a multiple-beam headlamp or headlamps, the upper beam shall meet the minimum requirements set forth above and shall not exceed the limitations set forth in paragraph (C)(1) of this rule and the lowermost beam shall meet the requirements applicable to a lowermost distribution of light as set forth in paragraph (C)(2) of this rule.

(3) In the event the motor-driven cycle is equipped with a single-beam lamp or lamps, said lamp or lamps shall be so aimed that when the vehicle is loaded none of the high-intensity portion of light, at a distance of twenty-five feet ahead, shall project higher than the level of the center of the lamp from which it comes.

(F) The headlamps required by the motor vehicle laws of Ohio and this chapter shall be electrically lighted and display a white light.

(1) The light from a spot lamp shall be white.

(2) The light from a supplementary driving or passing lamp shall be white.

(3) The light from an adverse weather lamp shall be white, yellow, or light amber.

(4) Adverse weather lamps shall be so wired that, whenever they are turned on, the tail lamp will also be lighted.

Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 3/9/2020 and 03/01/2025
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 4513.19
Rule Amplifies: 4513.19
Prior Effective Dates: 11/17/1966, 10/16/1982, 06/01/2000, 07/23/2001, 07/25/2004

Prior History: (Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 03/10/2015 and 03/10/2020
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 4513.19
Rule Amplifies: 4513.19
Prior Effective Dates: 11/17/66, 10/16/82, 6/1/00, 7/23/01, 7/25/2004)