When purchasing a new headlight for your ride you may run into the option to select what Standard you need. Throughout the world, there are some countries that travel on different sides of the road and governments that adhere to different safety standards. Here we are going to break down what the differences are and what they mean to you.

DOT and ECE

These are driving regulations based on your location. Most countries around the world have adopted one set of standards or the other. For headlights to be street legal they must meet and be marked with the regulations adopted by that country.

DOT – Created by the United States Department of Transportation, for use in the U.S. & Canada. Meeting DOT lighting standards guarantees your lights are federally compliant in the United States for visibility, durability, and reliability to secure the safety of others.

ECE – Created by the  United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. ECE versions feature front position functions. ECE-compliant guarantees your lights are compliant in the European Union and in non-European countries that have adopted ECE Regulations for visibility, durability, and reliability. Since the lights we offer have their compliance permanently marked in a visible location when installed (like your stock light), there is no need for any certificates for inspection.

RHT or LHT

This designation refers to the side of the road you travel on. Most countries in the world travel on the right side of the road, only a select few travel on the left such as Australia, Japan, UK for example. A complete list can be seen here – Left & Right-Driving Countries

If you are in a country that does not have their own standards or adopted one, DOT is ok if you are in an RHT country. Go with ECE LHT if you are in an LHT country no matter what.