Are modern headlights too bright?

[HellDiver]

badger_royale said:

there's a lot of horsest here: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/...

Edited for accuracy.

[kambites]

300bhp/ton said:

I agree. Although by the shear number of halogen equipped cars causing more glare under my observations then it does make me wonder.

I think there are two completely independent problems though - badly aligned headlights and excessively bright headlights. On a flat road, you'll only ever get glare from the badly aligned ones, and that's much less likely on HID equipped cars because most of them have auto-levelling features. On an undulating road, you're always going to have headlights pointing into your eyes, the question is just how much they dazzle you when they do.

I don't think anyone would deny that HIDs are less likely to be misaligned. To address the question of this thread, I suppose you need to consider only those cars that did dazzle you and consider how much they affected your vision and how long it took your eyes to recover afterwards. If none of the HID cars did, then your sample wasn't big enough.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 15th November 09:20

[300bhp/ton]

kambites said:

I think there are two completely independent problems though - badly aligned headlights and excessively bright headlights. On a flat road, you'll only ever get glare from the badly aligned ones, and that's much less likely on HID equipped cars because most of them have auto-levelling features. On an undulating road, you're always going to have headlights pointing into your eyes, the question is just how much they dazzle you when they do.

I don't think anyone would deny that HIDs are less likely to be misaligned. To address the question of this thread, I suppose you need to consider only those cars that did dazzle you and consider how bad they were.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 15th November 09:19

All valid points.

Although even standard 55w halogens are quite bright when aimed at you. These modern 90% brighter variants and other fancy halogen bulbs are easily more than enough capable of dazzling you as HIDs are - IMO.

In fact I think the most annoying thing about HIDs is when you have someone behind you with them, esp if they are driving like an Audi or a Passat and sat on your rear bumper. I tend to find their lights override my own halogens and the shadow of my car in there lights reduces my visibility.

If they don't tailgate, it's far less of an issue.

[kambites]

The worst I find is SUVs and vans following six inches behind with their dipped beams shining straight onto my wing mirrors.

[300bhp/ton]

fangio said:

300bhp/ton said:

fangio said:

I just don't understand why anyone needs such wer lights. Do people actually need to drive that fast? Even with them, a deer can still get you!

The advantage of sensitive eyes is that you can see perfectly well with halogens, if it wasn't for the HID tossers coming the other way!

As has been pointed out, the maximum wattage law in this country was to create an even playing field. Now the eu's fed it up!

The thing is, you are being highly biased. A good set of halogens are far more powerful than older sealed beam units, so as you moan about people with HIDs, you are doing exactly the same to those with sealed beam lights.

And how many cars are built with sealed beam units today?
Also, as far as I can remember, the wattages are the same, which was the main point of my post!

Edited by fangio on Tuesday 15th November 11:36

Two points.

1. Using your logic then, give it 'x' number of years when most/all new cars are HID, then there'll be no problem? That's what you've just said about halogen vs sealed beam.

2. What has wattage got to do with it? A 55w halogen is a lot brighter than an older sealed beam unit. And for the record, most HIDs are only 35w, doesn't mean they emit less light though.

Edited by 300bhp/ton on Tuesday 15th November 12:58

[Colonial]

No.

Decent headlights are a blessing in rural areas.

[Jayho]

Not until I realized recently that some of the newer cars can actually illuminate the road ahead of me more so than my headlights can. And before anyone says, all mu bulbs are working, they were changed recently so shouldn't be on their last legs, and I clean my headlight covers (outside) every time I fill Up.

[mrloudly]

My R8 uses full LED headlights and they are even brighter than HID at 140 leptons you need them to be

[qube_TA]

They're much brighter now, I'm a bit light-sensitive (I think I'm from K-Pax, I annoy the Missus as I like to sit at home in the dark with no lights on at all, can always still see enough not to trip into anything, she can't and has to turn lights on) as I increasingly get dazzled by on-coming cars.

Can't say I've ever been in a car where I thought the headlights were too dim and I've not been able to see the road, not sure what the motivation to ramp them up so much.

[Kickstart68]

Hi

Cars which have lights that dazzle from behind and in the next lane on a motorway seem to be getting more common. Porsche Boxsters are one of the most obvious for this. The beam is allowed to kick up to the left under the regulations, but with modern headlights they seem to manage this with a far greater level of brightness in the area they kick up.

There also seem to be quite a lot more people driving around with headlights on full beam when there are others around. Quite often see a car on the motorway in traffic going the other way with headlights massively brighter and dazzling than any other round them

All the best

Keith

[anonymous-user]

Kickstart68 said:

Hi



There also seem to be quite a lot more people driving around with headlights on full beam when there are others around. Quite often see a car on the motorway in traffic going the other way with headlights massively brighter and dazzling than any other round them

All the best

Keith

I've noticed this main beam 'craze' thing lately. Even in town with lights on there is usually someone with main beam on.

[Twincam16]

PSBuckshot said:

Kickstart68 said:

Hi



There also seem to be quite a lot more people driving around with headlights on full beam when there are others around. Quite often see a car on the motorway in traffic going the other way with headlights massively brighter and dazzling than any other round them

All the best

Keith

I've noticed this main beam 'craze' thing lately. Even in town with lights on there is usually someone with main beam on.

I think it's at least in part because some people think computers must be doing everything for them, and the thought of having to use their brain for anything other than 'connectivity'-related faffing represents sheer effrontery. Same reason why you get people driving around at night in base-model hire cars with no lights on.

[anonymous-user]

Twincam16 said:

Same reason why you get people driving around at night in base-model hire cars with no lights on.

Never seen that myself but I can only imagine it too well with what people are like now.

[barky]

I frequently get dazzled by these brighter modern HID lights, many times I've just had to hope for the best .... not too old yet so my eyes do re-adjust quickly afterwards ... dipped hid's seem as bright as full beam halogens some of the time. No street lights to soften the blow here ... just a split second of blindness. Think the problem is really the pattern of light projected rather than the actual brightness though .... notice some hid equipped cars come with some kind of dim dip now which might help a bit.

[80sboy]

This feature may have been mentioned already...

My Brother drives a 535d with which has the auto dip/full beam feature. Basically the car detects both oncoming headlights (up to 1km away) and tail lights (up to 500m ahead). The car then automatically dips the headlights from full beam.

Once the road is clear the it switches to full beams. Surprisingly it works really well; its instantaneous and gets it right every time.

Benefits are:

1. Prevents other drivers from being dazzled by full beams.

2. Maximises the use of full beams, ensuring that the road ahead is always well lit. A safety factor.

3. The driver no longer has to endure the tiresome task of moving his finger from the comfort of the steering wheel to the indicator stalk.

[Baryonyx]

80sboy said:

2. Maximises the use of full beams, ensuring that the road ahead is always well lit. A safety factor.

Again, I suspect this is just something that further appeals to the legions of brain-dead drivers on the roads today. Another function taken care of by the car, meaning these same feckless oafs have no discipline when using high beam.

I always switch over as soon as I'm past the driver of the oncoming car (provided the road behind them is clear). I sometimes look in my rear view mirror and watch them slowly realise I've passed and they can switch their high beam on again, several seconds later. These are the sorts who would probably love a car that took care of this aspect of driving which they clearly find so difficult.

[80sboy]

Baryonyx said:

Again, I suspect this is just something that further appeals to the legions of brain-dead drivers on the roads today. Another function taken care of by the car, meaning these same feckless oafs have no discipline when using high beam.

I always switch over as soon as I'm past the driver of the oncoming car (provided the road behind them is clear). I sometimes look in my rear view mirror and watch them slowly realise I've passed and they can switch their high beam on again, several seconds later. These are the sorts who would probably love a car that took care of this aspect of driving which they clearly find so difficult.

Why would this mean you're a "brain dead" or a "feckless oaf"? It's just a convenience - like any auto/electric feature on a car. It has nothing to do with how disciplined you are.

It probably just comes with an upgrade package on the car. A great feature.

Saying that there are many "brain dead, feckless oafs" out there.

Why do you get people who insist on putting the full beams back on JUST before they pass you?! Just bloody wait 0.01s and you won't blind me every person you pass!!

[Jayho]

Baryonyx said:

80sboy said:

2. Maximises the use of full beams, ensuring that the road ahead is always well lit. A safety factor.

Again, I suspect this is just something that further appeals to the legions of brain-dead drivers on the roads today. Another function taken care of by the car, meaning these same feckless oafs have no discipline when using high beam.

I always switch over as soon as I'm past the driver of the oncoming car (provided the road behind them is clear). I sometimes look in my rear view mirror and watch them slowly realise I've passed and they can switch their high beam on again, several seconds later. These are the sorts who would probably love a car that took care of this aspect of driving which they clearly find so difficult.

It also creates the problem of people jumping in from their usual car with the feature, to maybe a rental car without such feature and probably leaving their full beams on constantly as they are no longer used to using full beams properly?

and as for point 3 - I must have some exceptional power of managing to flick my finger a little without creating any discomfort...

IIRC correct usage of the lights werent actually in my practical test or was particularly taught by the instructor when I was learning. :S

[F i F]

80sboy said:

This feature may have been mentioned already...

My Brother drives a 535d with which has the auto dip/full beam feature. Basically the car detects both oncoming headlights (up to 1km away) and tail lights (up to 500m ahead). The car then automatically dips the headlights from full beam.

Once the road is clear the it switches to full beams. Surprisingly it works really well; its instantaneous and gets it right every time.

Benefits are:

1. Prevents other drivers from being dazzled by full beams.

2. Maximises the use of full beams, ensuring that the road ahead is always well lit. A safety factor.

3. The driver no longer has to endure the tiresome task of moving his finger from the comfort of the steering wheel to the indicator stalk.

Does it detect cyclists, even ones with working lighting?
What about pedestrians walking back from the pub with just a hand torch?
Does it dip if somebody is coming the other way on a rural dual carriageway, because this latter is an increasing problem.

Technology for technology sake, and if I had my bigoted way, any driver who said this facility was a must have would have their licence removed, their arms ripped off and be beaten unconcious with the stumps.

Not totally serious, obviously.

[mrloudly]

Wife's RRS has the auto dip fitted and to be frank it's useless. It never dips quick enough and only detects cars whilst straight in front of you.
(no good on twisty B road)

Never use it, waste of time! Adaptive cruise, much better idea ;-)