A boat courtesy light is used to illuminate areas such as passageways, walkways, deck floor, companionway stairs, and low hanging ceilings. Courtesy lighting is intended to make navigating any area of a boat or vessel at night easier and thus reduce or prevent accidents such as slips, trips, and falls. Courtesy lighting is sometimes used to accent the interior and exterior of a boat or vessel and make it more visually appealing.
Courtesy lights should generally have a minimal footprint so they will not obstruct the room/walkway by protruding off the ceiling/wall. The use of directional, compact LEDs allows courtesy lights to deliver precisely controllable beams exactly where they are needed in a slim form factor without taking up much room. LED courtesy lights commonly come in the form of disc, panel, or strip.