Correctly aimed driving lights can dramatically improve your visibility, reaction time, and confidence — whether you’re touring, crossing regional highways, or navigating tight off‑road tracks. But even the best lights won’t perform properly if they’re not aligned correctly. Too high and you waste valuable output into the trees and sky. Too low and your beam collapses into the ground, reducing the distance and clarity you need at speed.

This guide walks you through an easy method for aiming your driving lights at home. It’s simple, fast, and ensures you’re getting the full performance your lights were designed to deliver.

Why Correct Driving Light Alignment Matters

Driving lights are engineered to illuminate the road ahead and the surrounding edges, giving you more time to react to hazards, wildlife, and changing terrain. But even a small aiming error has a huge impact — for example, a beam tilted upward by just 5° will be more than 40 metres above the road by the time it reaches 500m, effectively wasting the entire hotspot into the sky instead of the road ahead.

Here’s why alignment matters:

• Maximum distance — ensures the hotspot carries as far as the optics were engineered for, without premature drop‑off.
• Even distribution — prevents the beams from converging too early, which can create an overly intense hotspot and reduce usable clarity down the road.
• Wider coverage without losing distance — a correctly aligned beam maintains forward punch while improving shoulder‑to‑shoulder visibility, giving you a clearer picture of the entire terrain.
• Reduced road‑sign glare — properly aimed lights project straight down the road, minimising how much of the spot beam hits road signs at closer ranges and helping preserve your night vision.

A properly aimed spotlight allows the optics to do what they were designed to do  push light forward with clarity and control.

What You’ll Need

You only need a few simple items:

• A flat, level surface

• A vertical wall or garage door

• Measuring tape

• Masking tape

• Tools for adjusting driving lights (Torx and Allen  
  
  

• Your vehicle at typical ride height with the usual load you drive with .

For this guide, we’ll be using the ALTIQ Rogue Mk3 Driving Lights mounted to a Jeep, parked 5.5m metres from the wall.

How to Aim Your Driving Lights (Step‑by‑Step)

Follow these steps for a clean, accurate aim every time.

Step 1 — Position the vehicle (approximately 5-6m from a wall)

Park your vehicle on flat, level ground with the suspension settled at normal ride height. Measure 5-6 metres straight out to a wall — this is the minimum ideal distance for a reliable visual reference.

Step 2 — Measure the height of your lights

Measure from the ground to the centre of your driving lights. This height becomes your aiming reference.

Example: If the centre of your Rogue Mk3 sits at 885mm, you’ll mark 885mm on the wall.

Step 3 — Mark that height on the wall

Transfer your measurement to the wall using masking tape. Make one piece of tape for each driving light, aligned straight ahead of the vehicle.

This mark represents the beam height your hotspots should line up with.

Step 4 — Turn on your driving lights

Switch on your driving lights and observe where the beam hotspots land on the wall.

You’ll clearly see if they sit above, below, or directly on your reference marks.

Step 5 — Adjust the vertical aim

Loosen the mounting bolts on each driving light just enough that you can tilt the light housing.

Tilt the light up or down until the centre of each hotspot sits exactly on the reference tape.

Once aligned, tighten the bolts evenly to lock the position.

This ensures your beam exits the vehicle parallel to the road surface — maximising distance, clarity, and edge illumination.

Step 6 — Adjust horizontal aim (done on the road)

Horizontal alignment should always be done last and is best checked in real‑world conditions.

Take your vehicle to a quiet road at night. At long distance, the Rogue Mk3 spot beam hotspots should just touch at around 800 metres. This slight convergence provides the ideal balance of long‑range punch and wide‑area coverage.

If they’re too far apart, bring them inward. If they overlap too heavily, widen them slightly.

Common Aiming Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these mistakes to ensure your driving lights perform at their best:

• Aiming too high — wastes usable light into the sky, reducing road visibility.

• Aiming too low — collapses distance and increases glare close to the vehicle.

• Aiming on uneven ground — even slight slope changes the entire result.

• Aiming with an unusual load — tools, recovery gear, trailers, or extra passengers can change your vehicle’s rake. Always aim your lights with the same weight you typically drive with to avoid incorrect beam angle on the road.

Final Checklist

• Vehicle is parked on level ground

• Your height measurements are correct

• Tape reference marks are clearly placed

• Hotspots sit exactly on the marked height

• Horizontal aim has been confirmed on the road

If everything lines up, your driving lights are properly aimed and ready to light up the road ahead as designed.