Potholes are a huge annoyance for drivers, and can cause serious and expensive damage to vehicles. We tend to think of pothole damage in terms of tyres and suspension, however, as lighting specialist Ring Automotive points out, bulb damage can also be a major issue.  

Halogen bulbs and sealed beam headlights have very fine tungsten wire filaments inside that glow and produce light when heated. This filament is likely to break at some point in the bulb’s lifespan. However, as can be appreciated, this can be exacerbated if the vehicle is continually driving through potholes because a bulb experiences a large vibration shock every time the vehicle goes down one, and this may impact the filament inside and cause it to break.

Ring says, if a customer comes into the workshop and mentions or complains about potholes in the road, a technician can take this opening to look at their bulbs and check if they need replacing. If they find that any have failed, this then provides the extra opportunity to offer them an upgraded bulb such as Ring’s Long Life bulb. 

Ring’s range of Long Life bulbs contains molybdenum structures to support the filament minimising vibration impacts from potholes. These bulbs can also operate at higher voltages above the standard 12V operating current, as more and more vehicles are operating at 13-14V due to the increase in electrics, this shortens the life of bulbs.

These Long Life bulbs last up to 3 times longer than a standard bulb, making them ideal for higher mileage drivers and for vehicles with daytime running lights. They also offer improved shock resistance and improved resistance to overvoltage. 

Ring Long Life bulbs are available from stockists nationwide.