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Brighter headlights; More show than practical

Yes, we all love the pretty bluish headlights that used to adorn only BMWs. They do look nice and they are brighter. But they are not very practical, from most aspects. They shine brighter, right into driver's eyes at night, especially if they are misadjusted. They can look like high beams sometimes, especially when attached to trucks. This problem is worse in the rain. For years, people have suggested shielding old fashion street lights to direct their light downward so they don't shine into driver's eyes at night; Why make the problem worse with brighter car headlights? The average person can see standard car headlights from miles away. The only purpose served by using brighter headlights is if you are in the countryside at night and for that we have highbeams. They cost more, they add little advantage, but they look good so of course, they sell.

-Rich

Reply to
Richard
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That is not necessarily true. On the little acuras and hondas you see buzzing around with purple add-on lights, you're absolutely right.

However, factory xenon headlights on such cars as BMW, MBZ, Infinity, Cadillac, Lexus, etc. all must have auto-levellers in them. Their advantage is that they actually are *less* intrusive to oncoming drivers as you only see purple dots. If you actually see the pattern that they throw, there is quite a bit of illumination--just directed where you need to see it.

I can see more on a car with proper auto-levelled xenon lights than I can with high beams on standard D.O.T. lights.

Reply to
Victor DiMichina

The USA does not require the automatic leveling systems that are required of true xenon headlamps in europe and other nations. Combine this with the already glare allowing US DOT beam pattern requirements and the result is blinding. With auto leveling and ECE compliant beam pattern I doubt there would be any problem at all.

Reply to
Brent P

You said what I was thinking, I totally agree. BUT... ( :-P big ugly butt) they do not apparently have to be AUTO leveled. My new Nissan has the HID xenon lights and they are not auto leveled, however; they do use the xenon projectors as high and low beams. There is an actual mechanical "flap" inside the lamp that shades down for low beam and is even visably lower off to the left (from my view) to shade on coming drivers. When you hit the high beam the shade flips up making traffic signs light up like neon for a 1/2 mile down the road. I have a knob on the lower dash to manually lower the shade in low beam mode for if you are towing or are loaded.

Reply to
WindsorFox[SS]

Actually, we ALL don't like the "pretty(NOT) bluish headlights". I find this trend to blue lights uninformed and unattractive.. especially the ricer want-to-bes that are blue blue.

Our eyes are designed to work best in sunlight. For best VISION the light should be as close to sunlight as possible.. that means WHITE light not blue. Even if its not one bit brighter, your vision will be bettter in white light.

LJH

95GT

Reply to
Larry Hepinstall

Actually, our vision is optimized for green-yellow light. Red and blue light do not focus completely, blue having a shorter wavelength focuses just ahead of the retina. But you are right that objects appear sharper when viewed in white instead of blue light.

-Rich

Reply to
Richard

Guess I am forever SOL then.

Reply to
Brent P

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