Kangaroos, Fog and Driving Lights in the South East

This guide is for anyone who drives the South East's country roads early in the morning or after dark, whether that's a commute from Penola, a run to Millicent or a long trip on the Riddoch Highway. It covers getting the most from your headlights, using fog lights correctly, and fitting driving lights that are legal in South Australia and actually help you spot wildlife.

How can we help?

Need it fixed?

Get a quote from a local Kangaroos, Fog and Driving Lights in the South East auto electrician, for anything from a flat battery to a full fit-out.

Get a quote

Buying parts?

Quality auto electrical parts from Ozautoelectrics, an established Australian supplier since 2010, dispatched through a nationwide network. For retail and trade buyers.

Shop parts

Doing it yourself?

Free step-by-step guides written for South Australia conditions, with the parts you’ll need listed for each job.

Browse DIY guides

Auto electrician in Kangaroos, Fog and Driving Lights in the South East?

Are you an auto electrical business? List your business on this site.

List your business on this site

Dark roads, wildlife and winter fog

Once you leave the towns, most South East highways are unlit. The Riddoch Highway between Mount Gambier and Penola, the Princes Highway towards Millicent and the Southern Ports Highway to the coast all pass through farmland and pine plantations, where kangaroos and other wildlife move about in the low light around dawn and dusk. In winter, the commute to and from work often falls in exactly those hours.

Fog adds to the challenge. On still, cold mornings, fog can settle thickly over Mount Gambier and the surrounding countryside, sometimes leaving only high points like the crater rims and Mount Schank showing above it. Visibility can drop quickly, and then lift again just as quickly once the sun gets to work.

Start with the headlights you have

Before thinking about extra lights, make sure the standard headlights are doing their job. Many older cars around the district have lenses that have gone yellow and cloudy, which scatters the light and cuts down how far you can see. Restoring or replacing the lenses can make a bigger difference than any accessory.

Globes dim with age long before they fail, so replace them in pairs to keep both sides even. Use the correct type for your vehicle. In South Australia, aftermarket LED replacement globes and headlamp assemblies need evidence of ADR approval for vehicles built after 1 October 1991, so a cheap LED swap may not be legal. Our guide how do I change my headlight globe covers the job.

Headlight aim matters too. A heavy load in the tray or a towbar with a trailer attached can tip the beam up into oncoming drivers' eyes or down onto the road just ahead. If the car sits differently after a suspension change or a new bull bar, have the aim checked.

Fog lights and the road rules

In fog, high beam usually makes things worse, because the light reflects back off the water droplets. Low beam, with fog lights if your car has them, generally gives a better view of the road edge and the lines.

South Australia's Driver's Handbook section on driving at night sets out the key rules. Your headlights, rear lights and number plate light must be on between sunset and sunrise, and also when fog, rain or dust reduces visibility. Parking lights alone are not enough. Front and rear fog lights may be used in fog or other hazardous weather that reduces visibility, and you must switch them off once visibility improves. A rear fog light left on in clear weather dazzles the driver behind you, so check your dash for the fog light symbol once the fog lifts. Always check the current rules.

What the rules say about driving lights

Driving lights help most on open roads at night, where they let you see further down the road and pick up the eyes of an animal on the verge sooner. In South Australia, the SA Government's driving light rules say, in summary:

• You may fit up to four additional driving lights, including LED light bars.
• They must be white and face forward, ideally fitted in symmetrical pairs, or centred at the front if not paired.
• They must be wired to work only with the high beam headlights, so they switch off when you dip.
• They must not be mounted on top of a bull bar or above the bonnet line, or stick out in front of the bumper or bull bar.
• They must meet the ADRs. Products marked for off-road use only are usually not compliant.

Dip your lights, every time

The handbook also says you must dip your high beam within 200 metres of an oncoming vehicle, and within 200 metres when you're coming up behind another vehicle. Because driving lights switch off with the high beam, this rule covers them too.

On a long straight like parts of the Riddoch Highway, an oncoming truck's lights can appear well before it's close. Dip in good time. Dazzling another driver is an offence, and a log truck driver blinded by your light bar is a danger to both of you.

Wiring driving lights properly

Driving lights draw more current than a headlight switch is designed to carry. They should run through a relay, triggered by the high beam circuit, with a fuse close to the battery and cable thick enough for the load. A switch on the dash lets you turn them off when you don't need them. Our guide how to wire a 12V relay explains the basic circuit.

Mount the lights solidly, because a light that vibrates throws a shaky beam. Aim them so the main beam lands well down the road, slightly to the left. Use sealed connectors, since the wiring at the front of the vehicle sits in the spray from wet winter roads. Many vehicles have computer-controlled lighting, so tapping into the wrong wire can trigger warning lights or damage a module. If in doubt, have an auto electrician do the install.

If a kangaroo appears

No light will stop every collision, but seeing an animal earlier gives you more time to react. Slow down in areas where wildlife is common, especially around dawn and dusk. Watch the verges, not just the road ahead. If an animal does appear, brake firmly in a straight line rather than swerving, because swerving at speed can lead to a rollover or a head-on crash.

After any strike, check your lights and wiring as well as the bodywork. A bull bar can take the impact while the driving light wiring behind it is pulled loose or crushed.

Getting lights checked or fitted

Auto electricians around Mount Gambier and Penola fit driving lights and sort out headlight problems regularly. Have your lights checked before winter, when the mornings get darker and the fog more frequent.

Parts for this job

Order quality parts online from Ozautoelectrics, dispatched Australia-wide.

Get it done: get a quoteDo it yourself: shop driving lights

Get it done: get a quoteDo it yourself: shop driving light wiring harnesses

Get it done: get a quoteDo it yourself: shop headlight globes

Questions Mount Gambier drivers ask

Can I use my LED light bar on low beam in South Australia?

No. South Australian rules require additional driving lights, including LED light bars, to work only with your high beam headlights, so they switch off when you dip. They also count towards the limit of four additional driving lights. Check the SA Government's current driving light rules before fitting or rewiring a light bar.

When can I use my fog lights?

The SA Driver's Handbook says front and rear fog lights may be used in fog or other hazardous weather that reduces visibility, and must be switched off when visibility improves. Using them on a clear night can dazzle other drivers. Your headlights must also be on when fog reduces visibility. Check the current rules with the SA Government.

Are brighter headlight globes legal?

Globes of the correct type that meet the Australian Design Rules are generally fine. Be careful with aftermarket LED replacement globes and HID kits. South Australia requires evidence of ADR approval for aftermarket LED globes and headlamp assemblies on vehicles built after 1 October 1991. Ask the seller for proof of compliance, or check with the SA Government.

Need an auto electrician in Mount Gambier?

Find local auto electricians and mobile services in the Mount Gambier directory, or start with your area: Mount Gambier.

Run an auto electrical business in Kangaroos, Fog and Driving Lights in the South East?

• New to Ozautoelectrics? Apply for trade pricing on quality auto electrical parts.
• Already a trade customer? Log in and order parts at your trade price.
• Want more local customers? List your business on this site so drivers in Kangaroos, Fog and Driving Lights in the South East can find you.

Not confident doing this yourself?

There’s no shame in handing it over. A local auto electrician can diagnose the fault properly and get it done safely, especially for anything involving brakes, airbags, hybrid systems or air-con gas.

Get a quote from a local auto electrician Or shop the parts and do it yourself