Are modern headlights too bright?
Poll: Are modern headlights too bright?
Total Members Polled: 878
Discussion
Ninja59 said:
How is it selfish, I have already dipped (or the beam twisted away from the car in question).
I have had plenty of normal halogen lights blind me as well...
I think the point is that its been going on for years that people think "I wish I could see that squirrel 300m away in the dark" and nobody thinks "I wonder if that guy coming the other way can see ANYTHING AT ALL"I have had plenty of normal halogen lights blind me as well...
Its not anyones fault, but it is annoying.
Clem2k3 said:
I think the point is that its been going on for years that people think "I wish I could see that squirrel 300m away in the dark" and nobody thinks "I wonder if that guy coming the other way can see ANYTHING AT ALL"
Its not anyones fault, but it is annoying.
Not 300m anymore for BMW, the latest laser lights are 600m!Its not anyones fault, but it is annoying.
But I do agree with the height thing, I do find some SUV's mounted so high they are into the cabin of the BMW, nevermind the MX5.
ABC 123 said:
Of course they are. Why are manufacturers making 'bending' lights which reflect around cars and turn off strategically to stop dazzling drivers?
It may feel like backpedalling, but it's trying to get the best of both worlds.
The problem is twofold:It may feel like backpedalling, but it's trying to get the best of both worlds.
1. The dip beams are easily bright enough to dazzle nowadays
2. Technical systems are somewhat prone to failure ...
Clem2k3 said:
In addition to being too bright you get 4x4s with headlights built at around 20ft off the ground with a flat beam pattern.
Anyone with a car less than 20ft tall gets blinded by them constantly ... all the time.
Yes. I've got a ML63, many of the roads close to home are unlit country type roads and whilst the lights are great for me in the car at this time of year at least a couple of times a week someone coming the other way will flash thinking I'm on full beam when I'm not. I've had light alignment checked and it's fine. Anyone with a car less than 20ft tall gets blinded by them constantly ... all the time.
Ninja59 said:
Those that have complained by dazzling me with their high beam, should probably learn that by the time they are drawing level the right hand headlight would be about 45 degrees to them and then turn fully off or turn the main beams fully off (including left hand headlight).
So it's somehow the fault of the (ignorant) person being dazzled. Ye gods, such a sense of entitlement. PositronicRay said:
So it's somehow the fault of the (ignorant) person being dazzled. Ye gods, such a sense of entitlement.
I already said the car had began twisting or turned the beam off though, some people are so overly sensitive to anyone on main beam.I am not being arrogant or selfish at all as the car has already changed!
I think you are the one being selfish by not wanting to read, but simply have a go at someone with the technology. Even humans on main beam make mistakes....
Ninja59 said:
PositronicRay said:
So it's somehow the fault of the (ignorant) person being dazzled. Ye gods, such a sense of entitlement.
I already said the car had began twisting or turned the beam off though, some people are so overly sensitive to anyone on main beam.I am not being arrogant or selfish at all as the car has already changed!
I think you are the one being selfish by not wanting to read, but simply have a go at someone with the technology. Even humans on main beam make mistakes....
Clem2k3 said:
I worry that "aligned correctly" is the problem ... the alignment specifications dont take into account how tall the car is or how high the headlights sit in it.
Yes they do, lamps below a certain height have to be aimed at -1%, that is over 100m the beam drops by 1m. (I can't remember the angle off the top of my head). Taller vehicles with a bulb centre higher than a certain limit have to be set at -1.3% (1.3m drop in 100m).I would check the actual values but somewhat fittingly for this thread, I'm in the middle of writing the automatic leveling software for a new model lamps and can't be bothered to open the ECE reg and check.
PositronicRay said:
So why are you being flashed?
If you actually read my full post it happened even on dipped beam nothing to do with being on adaptive main beam critically.Around the roads i drive on when it has happened there is numerous gradient changes and potholes, i have even had it at the same location on adaptive main beam and dipped...
Finally i have been dazzled by plenty of halogen and xenon headlights oncoming for similar reasons, technology is not the problem poor road surfaces definitely contribute alongside the beam pattern type in certain circumstances.
Clem2k3 said:
I worry that "aligned correctly" is the problem ... the alignment specifications dont take into account how tall the car is or how high the headlights sit in it.
On your second point, other lights feeling like candlepower after using brighter lights, this sadly is what has led us into this arms race for brighter and brighter lights. Nobody seems to stop and say "thats bright enough" and I guess we never will until car headlights are setting fire to the hedges alongside the roads ...
Re alignment, have checked UK Vehicle lighting regs, UNECE regs, and the MOT testers manual and in all cases they are very specific in that where vehicles lave headlights mounted above 0.8m above the road surface then the downward angle on inclination on dipped beam has to be greater than for lamps that are mounted lower. The UNECE regs are more complicated and have a special clause for off road vehicles, but it still follows the general principle.On your second point, other lights feeling like candlepower after using brighter lights, this sadly is what has led us into this arms race for brighter and brighter lights. Nobody seems to stop and say "thats bright enough" and I guess we never will until car headlights are setting fire to the hedges alongside the roads ...
Having said the above I took my FL2 in for the annual test, the headlamps were correctly aligned per the regs, I knew that having set them up and measured them myself on a proper beam tester. When picking it up from the test, it had originally been failed as alignment too low, then passed on retest after adjustment, for which there was n/c for the adjustment or the retest. Now the illumination was superb, but it was clearly causing other folks problems so I wound it back down.
Turning to the second paragraph, re accusation of arms race, this needs qualification. There may be nothing in UK regs or the MOT manual, at least nothing that I can see, but UNECE regs certainly are starting to place limits on the light intensity. Mostly from what I can see it's a limitation on the maximum main beam output, certainly when I checked if I have dip and main beam on, an addition pair of Super Oscars would just about stay within the regs, but any more and wouldn't be compliant. This relates to new vehicle approvals and later installations apparently. Can't see a limit on dipped beam as yet, except by way of the limitation of two max lighting units, but guess it's a matter of time. Of course I may have missed it in the multiple amendments floating about.
Ninja59 said:
Not 300m anymore for BMW, the latest laser lights are 600m!
The problem with these is the intense blue light that is scattered at the edge of the beam pattern. I found it very distracting/annoying when being followed by an i8 through unlit roads and the BMW was pitching over small undulations.More geneally, this lumens arms race seems to be singularly focused on benefit to the individual driver and not the wider road using community.
Ninja59 said:
PositronicRay said:
So why are you being flashed?
If you actually read my full post it happened even on dipped beam nothing to do with being on adaptive main beam critically.Around the roads i drive on when it has happened there is numerous gradient changes and potholes, i have even had it at the same location on adaptive main beam and dipped...
Finally i have been dazzled by plenty of halogen and xenon headlights oncoming for similar reasons, technology is not the problem poor road surfaces definitely contribute alongside the beam pattern type in certain circumstances.
I'm in favour of consideration to other road users.
PositronicRay said:
We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.
I'm in favour of consideration to other road users.
Agree to disagree, but then backstabs, lovely.I'm in favour of consideration to other road users.
I never said I was not considerate to other road users, but as you appear to be on your high horse and not read that it is dipping, and type of roads I drive on alongside the fact it has happened on both dipped and "main" in around the same area, then keep living in a bubble - it is nothing to do with the adaptive main beam which you seem highly against (as opposed to the LED technology itself).
Added to this is in 90% of cases it has never been an issue, as I have said in my other posts poor road surfaces alongside gradients is when problems have occurred. Strangely enough I have had similar problems being "dazzled" and "blinded" at the same points as oncoming car in the MX5...
I admit the LED technology is bright, but BMW now only offer LED or laserlight not even Xenon.
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