by Recently, a post about fines for xenon in Ukraine has been actively shared on social media. The essence is simple – if it is not provided by the manufacturer, the car owner faces a fine of 425 hryvnias. This is a payment for the so-called independent change of the type of lamps.
According to the law, only those lamps that are provided by the manufacturer can be installed. In addition, xenon is prohibited without an automatic headlamp leveling device and a headlamp cleaning device.
The police qualify such actions under part 2 of art. 122 of the Code of Administrative Offenses for using headlights in violation of the requirements of the relevant standards (fine – 425 UAH) or under part 1 of art.
121 of the Code of Administrative Offenses for driving a vehicle that has been modified in violation of relevant rules, norms, and standards (fine – 340 UAH, for repeat offenses within 1 year – the possibility of license suspension from 3 to 6 months).
Is it possible to avoid a fine for xenon in Ukraine? In fact, the Code of Administrative Offenses does not specify any concrete information about whether xenon is allowed in Ukraine. And let’s be honest – how can the police prove that these or other lamps are not provided by the manufacturer? After all, there are different configurations, modifications…
If you suddenly get stopped for incorrect headlight lighting and/or lamps that are deemed not to be provided by the manufacturer by the police officer, you can insist on conducting tests on a special stand, which must be conducted with the engine off and include the following procedures:
- The size of the area must ensure a distance of at least 5 meters from the optical screen to the headlamp diffuser
- The optical screen must be positioned at an angle of 90° to the base
- The photoreceptor is located 3 meters from the headlamp diffuser
- The light intensity measurement is performed using a photoreceptor, which is adjusted to the average spectral sensitivity of the eye
As it’s easy to guess, it’s unlikely that you will be given so much time and attention, although, of course, it all depends on how stubborn and principled the police officer you encounter is. But in any case, you have the right to insist on confirming the facts of the violation and drafting an official protocol with the mandatory participation of witnesses.
If we abstract from the possible fines and the risks of incurring them for installing xenon (especially without lenses), it makes sense to think about LED lamps in standard places.
In this case, law enforcement officers will have almost no “hooks” to accuse you of using headlights in violation of the requirements of the relevant standards. But! When installing LED lamps, they must be adjusted, preferably not “by eye,” but by professionals. For example, the Vapila auto lighting store offers not only light improvement through the use of xenon or LED lamps but also installation and light adjustment in its own lighting laboratory.
We emphasize – only a professional installation center allows for adjusting the headlights so that they are effective for the car owner without dazzling oncoming drivers!
In continuing the topic, we recommend watching educational videos about installing BI-LED lenses instead of standard halogen lenses and 5 mistaken myths about LED lamps for cars:
Replacing Halogen Lenses with Bi-Xenon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_vbcW4i3Eg&feature=youtu.be
Replacing Halogen Lamps with LED in Cars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERFVTH98P6E&t=3s
