Traffic beam

nounStandard termAutomotive

An older term for a vehicle's low-beam headlights.

An older, historic designation for the dipped or low-beam headlight setting. It refers to the beam pattern designed to illuminate the road ahead without blinding oncoming traffic. The term was common before lighting regulations adopted the low-beam and high-beam nomenclature.

Heard on the job

Check the relay, the driver's side traffic beam is out but the main beam still works.

Also heard as

  • low beam
  • dipped beam