Driving Lights and Kangaroo Season Around Canberra

This guide is for Canberra and Queanbeyan drivers who travel at dusk, dawn or after dark, especially on the city's edges and the roads out of town. It covers when and where kangaroos are most likely to be on the road, how good lighting helps, and what the ACT rules say about extra driving lights and LED light bars.

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Kangaroos are part of driving in Canberra

Canberra is ringed by nature reserves and grassland, and eastern grey kangaroos graze right up to the edges of suburbs and arterial roads. The ACT Government's page on living with kangaroos says rangers record more than 1,000 kangaroos beside the territory's roads each year, and estimate that collisions happen at about twice that rate.

The same page names Fairbairn Avenue, Majura Road and the Monaro Highway among the hot spots. Plenty of other roads that pass reserves or open grassland carry the same risk, including the parkways and the roads out to Queanbeyan and beyond.

When the risk is highest

According to the ACT Government, kangaroos are most likely to cross roads in the early morning, at dusk and at night, and collisions peak between 5 pm and 10 pm. That window lines up with the evening commute for much of the year, and in winter it falls entirely in the dark.

Collisions are also more common in winter and after long dry spells, when kangaroos graze along road verges where runoff keeps the grass green. The ACT Government also notes that collisions rise around the full moon compared with the new moon.

• Slow down when you see one kangaroo. Others are often close by.
• Watch the verges as well as the road ahead.
• Ask a passenger to help spot animals at dusk.
• Brake firmly in a straight line. Swerving to miss an animal can put you into a tree or oncoming traffic.

Start with the lights you already have

Before you spend money on extra lights, make sure your headlights are doing their job. Dim, yellowed or cloudy lenses scatter light and cut how far you can see. Old halogen globes lose output over time, so replace them in pairs. Our guide on changing a headlight globe shows how.

Headlight aim matters too. Lights that point too low shorten your view of the road edge, and lights that point too high dazzle oncoming drivers. Aim often drifts after suspension work, a lift kit or carrying a heavy load. Be careful with plug-in LED or HID globes in halogen headlights. Access Canberra warns that retrofit HID conversions in low beam may not meet the Australian Design Rules, and these conversions can scatter light badly.

ACT rules for driving lights and light bars

Access Canberra's page on motor vehicle headlights and lamps sets out the ACT requirements. In summary, as published at the time of writing:

• You can fit no more than four driving lamps. Any fixed, forward-facing extra light counts as a driving lamp.
• An LED light bar counts as one lamp if all its LEDs switch on together. If sections switch separately, each section counts as a lamp.
• Driving lamps and light bars must be fitted to the front of the vehicle, symmetrically about the centre. They may also be mounted on the roof, roll bar or another elevated part of the vehicle.
• They must only switch on with the high beam, and must switch off when you stop using high beam.
• They must not interfere with the driver's view or cause discomfort through glare or reflections off the bonnet, bull bar or other parts of the vehicle.

Using high beam and driving lights legally

Because driving lamps must work with your high beam, the high beam rules apply to them too. Under the Australian Road Rules, which the ACT and NSW both use, you must dip your high beam when you are within 200 metres of a vehicle ahead of you travelling in the same direction or an oncoming vehicle. Light bars are bright enough to dazzle a driver well beyond that distance, so dip early.

Remember that Queanbeyan and everything past the border is in NSW, and NSW has its own vehicle standards for extra lights. If you regularly drive across the border, check both Access Canberra and Transport for NSW so your set-up suits both. Rules can change, so check the current requirements before you buy or fit anything.

Wiring extra lights properly

Extra lights draw a fair amount of current, so they need their own circuit rather than being spliced into the headlight wiring. A typical set-up uses a relay triggered by the high beam circuit, a fuse close to the battery, cable sized for the current and length, and a dash switch so you can turn the extra lights off while still using high beam. That arrangement meets the ACT requirement that driving lamps only work with high beam.

Our guides on wiring a 12V relay and where to put the fuse when wiring an accessory cover the basics. Many newer vehicles use low-current or computer-controlled headlight circuits, so check that the trigger method suits your vehicle before you tap into anything.

Mount lights solidly, so they don't vibrate out of aim on rough roads, and aim them so the beams sit on the road well ahead rather than up in the trees.

After a kangaroo strike

If you hit a kangaroo, stop only when it is safe, turn on your hazard lights and check yourself and your passengers first. The ACT Government says to report injured wildlife to Access Canberra on 13 22 81, giving the exact location and whether the animal is alive. Call police on 131 444 for a vehicle accident.

Even a low-speed hit can damage electrical parts behind the bumper. Check that headlights, indicators and fog lights still work, look for coolant under the car, and watch for warning lights from parking sensors or front radar. A damaged radiator fan or its wiring can lead to overheating later. Have the front of the car checked before your next long drive.

Local help with lights

Fitting driving lights or a light bar is a common job for auto electricians across the city. Find local help on our pages for Gungahlin, Tuggeranong and Queanbeyan, all close to the kind of semi-rural roads where kangaroos are often seen.

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Questions Canberra drivers ask

How many driving lights can I fit in the ACT?

Access Canberra says no more than four driving lamps. A light bar counts as one lamp if all its LEDs switch together, but each separately switchable section counts as a lamp. The lights must be fitted symmetrically at the front or on an elevated part of the vehicle and only work with high beam. Check Access Canberra's current rules before you fit them.

When are kangaroos most active on Canberra roads?

The ACT Government says kangaroos are most likely to cross roads in the early morning, at dusk and at night, with collisions peaking between 5 pm and 10 pm. Risk rises in winter, after dry spells and around the full moon. Fairbairn Avenue, Majura Road and the Monaro Highway are named as hot spots.

Can I run my light bar on its own switch without high beam?

Not on a public road in the ACT. Access Canberra requires driving lamps and light bars to switch on only with high beam and off when high beam is turned off. A separate dash switch is fine as long as the lights can only receive power while high beam is on. Wiring the relay trigger from the high beam circuit achieves this.

What should I do if I hit a kangaroo in the ACT?

Pull over only where it is safe, switch on your hazard lights and check everyone in the car. Report injured wildlife to Access Canberra on 13 22 81 with the exact location, and call police on 131 444 for a vehicle accident. Then check your lights, cooling system and any front sensors before driving far.

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