Extreme bright headlights

[Whatswrong]

I expect a few opinions on this topic .Seems every time I'm on the road in the dark I always meet a few vehicles with the very bright bluish color lights .These are so bright they are dangerous to meet ,seem worst on 3/4 tons with a dab of weight in the back ,we live in an area where almost 1/2 the trucks are work trucks .My question is are they that exceptionally better for night vision or is it just cool to have them .Seems to me if they are that much better they should be a running light that is put off in dim mode.

 

[bcp]

Found this:

Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

Bruce

 

[murphy1244]

I know what you mean, flash them yours and you get Blinded.

 

[adventure bob]

While I really hate the Gov intervening in our lives in any way, theres a reason and a lot of testing that goes into certifying road worthy things for use in Amerca. Lighting is one of them. The problem is that really good lights, that do an amazing job for night visibility, are really **** expensive. Look at the HID or LED bulbs used in Porsches or Infinities, or Lexus for that matter and go to AZ or Advanced and price the things. All these guys with trucks are getting the $40 "off road only" lights that have had no testing, arent certified and use a color temp that will burn the retinas out of an oncoming drivers eyes.
If your gonna do it, do it right. If your gona red neck it, just buy some Hella driving lights an dbolt them on so you can turn em offf and not blind the other drivers.

 

[Topkicker]

I don't mind the bright white factory headlamps or even the newer LED's aren't too bad from the manufactures. The ones I have a problem with are the aftermarket, bright blue light kits that are usually on a 10 year old rice rocket. I feel like I'm staring at some one welding when I meet a car with these. I have flipped on my KC's at a few of these to give them the same feel.

 

[Scooby074]

As mentioned.

How many of these "blue" lights are factory HID's and how many of them are guys who bought chinacrap HID kits off ebay?

One of the reasons factory HID is so expensive is because they contain actuators to adjust the bulb so it maintains proper focus and aim as vehicle weights change. When started, you can see the actuators adjust the beam to the correct aim. Those cheap kits just stick the bulb in there with none of the aiming and adjustment which leads to glare.

While expensive there is NOTHING like the light that you get from a properly aimed HID system. Dad has them in his Lexus, and the difference in both brightness, beam width and length is absolutely amazing. They are MUCH safer in a rural environment, particularly one polluted with deer like his.

I guess I should not have said "nothing". Audi is offering a truly revolutionary LED system on their flagship models, but only in Europe due to the US's (dumb) rules. The best way to describe it is to watch the video below. It continuously adapts to the road and cars ahead and allows you to "see" around corners, all electronically with no moving parts so that distracting glare is a thing of the past.

 

[JerryK]

On a simular topic, people seem not to dim their lights anymore. I was taught that you dim yours when you can see tail lights ahead, or headlights coming your way. Lots of people drive almost up to your rear bumper before they get around to diming their lights... by then, what little night vision you have to see deer on the edge of the road is gone... I feel like an idiot driving around with my dash lights dim'd, straining to see deer, and trying to keep some sort of night vision to see with.... [ well, more of an idiot ]

 

[QRTRHRS]

Once upon a time in states that had annual or semi-annual vehicle inspections, the headlights would be checked for proper alignment. Not sure but I do not think this happens anymore.

Someone mentioned adding driving lights. I love it when the lights are mounted up above the bumper about even with the headlights instead of way down low where they actually work best.

Having a good many nightime miles under my belt, I tend to use my low beams rather than my highs. When someone comes at me, I don't have to worry about dimming my lights and I can see them coming. I can focus on finding the edge of the road as they often as not do not dim in a timely manner and/or blind me with their driving lights.

In my opinion, there is a time and place for driving/fog lights. The drivers that use them all of the time get used to them to the point where they do not see any better than those of us that do not.

Lastly, fine, so you can see idiot! Do you not worry about blinding me and that I just may hit you?

 

[Bob77064]

When I lived in TX we had annual vehicle safety inspections.

 

[SPYDERLK]

When blinded by others lights I find I can see better by using my brights.