Appendix 2: A Guide for Aiming Head Lamps

Proper aiming and alignment of head lamps on tractors and other self-propelled equipment reduces the risk of blinding oncoming traffic when travelling at night. Adjust your head lamps according to the following procedure to help reduce this risk of blinding oncoming traffic. Aim flood lamps or lights used for field work downward and to the right to provide illumination close to the ground, and ensure they do not shine rearward when you travel on roads.

Perform the aiming procedure in the dark. Mount head lamps so they are centred laterally. Refer to Figure 12 as you work through the four steps:

Park your unit on a flat surface so that its head lamps are 7.5 metres (25 feet) away from a vertical wall that is perpendicular to the ground.
Measure the distance between the centre of your head lamps and the ground. Use this measurement (distance “H”) to mark a horizontal line (up from ground level) along the wall.
Turn on your head lamps (or low beams, if your unit is so equipped) and observe where the light beams fall on the wall. Beyond the outer edge of the lighted area is a less bright zone where the intensity of the light drops to 10 percent or less of the peak intensity (brightest area).
Adjust your head lamps so that the distance between the upper edge of the lighted area is at least one-tenth of distance “H” below the horizontal line on the wall indicating the centre of your head lamps (0.1 X H).

Example: If distance “H” is 1,200 millimetres (48 inches), then the distance between the upper edge of the lighted area and the line on the wall indicating the centre of your headlamp [0.1 X 1,200 (48) = 120 millimetres (4.8 inches)] should be not less than 120 millimetres (4.8 inches).

Figure 12: Setup for Aiming Head Lamps

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Appendix 2: A Guide for Aiming Head Lamps

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