Are modern headlights too bright?
Poll: Are modern headlights too bright?
Total Members Polled: 878
Discussion
I just don't get blinded as a rule, maybe it's my eyes, maybe it's because I have an E Class with LED adaptive high beams so I blind everyone else instead(however have had the car over a year and have been flashed once on dipped beam) .
Saying that, I do occasionally get got by Nissan Qashqais, they're really bright and go funny on poor road surfaces, also 55 plate Fiesta STs with those horrible blue headlights are rather blinding.
The big German saloons don't cause an issue at all for me.
Saying that, I do occasionally get got by Nissan Qashqais, they're really bright and go funny on poor road surfaces, also 55 plate Fiesta STs with those horrible blue headlights are rather blinding.
The big German saloons don't cause an issue at all for me.
I've just added these to my new company car order. Be interesting to see how well they work as the car gets used a lot in the evenings and we live out in the sticks so surrounded by poorly lit country lanes.
Audi LED Matrix Headlighst
Audi LED Matrix Headlighst
kambites said:
ETA: Of course with the appearance of LED headlights it's going to get even worse, because LEDs are massively more efficient than HIDs so they'll be an order of magnitude brighter again, if they actually put them at the legal limit.
Yup, just look at drls; brighter than the f***ing sun!Edited by kambites on Monday 14th November 09:09
Cyder said:
Interesting you say that. The regulation has just changed effective from October to allow all lamps <2000lm to have manual levelers instead of the auto ones as there are many complaints (I think mainly in the german market about drivers of LED lamps being flashed and being unable to adjust the beam downwards).
It must have been around longer than that, as mine has the 25W HID headlamps with no washers and no self levelling and it was new in June this year, with this model available since November 2015 with the option available.I will say however, that they are not as good as full fat 35W.
Alucidnation said:
Cyder said:
Interesting you say that. The regulation has just changed effective from October to allow all lamps <2000lm to have manual levelers instead of the auto ones as there are many complaints (I think mainly in the german market about drivers of LED lamps being flashed and being unable to adjust the beam downwards).
It must have been around longer than that, as mine has the 25W HID headlamps with no washers and no self levelling and it was new in June this year, with this model available since November 2015 with the option available.I will say however, that they are not as good as full fat 35W.
The old wording of the reg was that auto leveller is necessary if the light output is greater than 2000lm and/or LED, the 2000lm bit is still there but they've deleted the need for it on LED's which are almost all under the light output limit.
It was definitely October, I get the ECE ref updates and enforcement dates sent to me for work.
Edited by Cyder on Saturday 5th November 19:38
SWoll said:
I've just added these to my new company car order. Be interesting to see how well they work as the car gets used a lot in the evenings and we live out in the sticks so surrounded by poorly lit country lanes.
Audi LED Matrix Headlighst
You'll love them I think. From my experience seeing the various Audi/VW/Seat cars with LED lights, most folk coming the other way or that you're following (especially low-slung Lotuses) will hate you...Audi LED Matrix Headlighst
The days of the barry boy 8000k blue HIDs in fluted lenses seem to be over now thankfully but many OEM lights these days just seem needlessly bright on dipped beam, especially when you have a low car.
I had to retrofit a autodim mirror to my car as I was being dazzled by drivers behind.
I had to retrofit a autodim mirror to my car as I was being dazzled by drivers behind.
Maybe some would like it if we took a leaf out of China's book?
Dr Doofenshmirtz said:
You know how when you were 4 you were told not to look directly at the sun?
Well the same applies to car headlights. You need to learn to look past the on coming headlights.
Once you have taught yourself to do this, rather than stare directly into the light you won't have any more problems.
Except when you were told o not look at the sun you weren't trying to pick out a road you were driving down, looking right past it. Why would anyone directly look at an hid headlight? Its the fact they are so bright it completely destroys your vision of the road ahead due to the glare and contrast. Also as mentioned when behind you its like having a couple of suns shining in each mirror.Well the same applies to car headlights. You need to learn to look past the on coming headlights.
Once you have taught yourself to do this, rather than stare directly into the light you won't have any more problems.
I said no in the poll, but then I remembered about the people chavs that fit those crappy after market HID/night breakers, they are mostly awful and generally badly aligned.
And often matched up with having front fogs on, cos it look well cool, init.
But in general no, apart from the afore mentioned f
kwits.
And often matched up with having front fogs on, cos it look well cool, init.
But in general no, apart from the afore mentioned f
kwits. Clem2k3 said:
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 ...
The only carmakers I have seen making it somewhat work are BMW and Volvo, but they still certainly aren't 100 percent.
I think there is some merit to what the OP is saying. I've taken to acknowledging people giving way to me by turning off my headlights, then flicking them back on again, rather than flashing with a hi-beam because they are so bright.
fangio said:
Yup, just look at drls; brighter than the f***ing sun!
That's kind of the point Conscript said:
I think there is some merit to what the OP is saying. I've taken to acknowledging people giving way to me by turning off my headlights, then flicking them back on again, rather than flashing with a hi-beam because they are so bright.
Yep, that's exactly what I do. One of my ex Swedish colleagues summed up the thank you flash this, "It's like you holding the door open for someone, and as they sail through they spit in your face."
I've definitely been blinded by the dip beam some modern Audi in recent months and only realised they were on dip once they respond to my flashing them. (my main beam not my genitalia) Certainly appears to be a fair few people about with their uprated, brighter than the sun, type upgrades which they combine with DRL and front fog lights for the full ''look at me and how much white light I can emit'' effect.
Headlights in my old 3 series are still doing the job after a quarter century, although the ones on the 2002 are a bit ''candles in jamjar''. Hardly what I would call dangerous though and still able to find my way in the dark.
Headlights in my old 3 series are still doing the job after a quarter century, although the ones on the 2002 are a bit ''candles in jamjar''. Hardly what I would call dangerous though and still able to find my way in the dark.
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