Headlamps bulbs....

I've not had any issues with cataracts but everyone I know who has says the change is dramatic. I hope it goes well.

I mentioned it to my optician at my last check up. She said that, with people living longer, virtually everyone would end up needing cataract surgery eventually. In the past, those who had escaped it were simply those who died before the cataracts became enough of a problem to need treatment. I was curious as a friend, several years younger than me, is borderline for needing treatment. (I'm 62)

Reply to
Brian Reay
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UPDATE:

Tonight I had occasion to drive in the dark again.

my headlamps were seemingly dim compared to other cars on the road.

so I pulled over and as luck would have it, I had a pack of water based wet wipes in the boot. I was able to clean the headlamps and fog/cornering lam p units.

Then back on the road. an improvement but still not enough.

my car has combination lights in the bumper which are cornering light AND f oglights.

when below a certain speed and you are cornering, one of them lights up aut omatically and turns off automatically when you are back to travelling stra ight.

Equally when foggy, the fog switch can be turned on and what was the pair o f cornering lights then become a pair of foglights.

On a hunch, I turned my front foglights on tonight. they make a massive dif ference as I can now pick out both sides of the road and they do not appear to dazzle other drivers.

whats the law regarding having a pair of cornering lights permanently on as opposed to having a pair of foglights on when it is not foggy?

as for cataracts, I am only 47, I am a bit young to have cataracts and my l ast eye sight test did not reveal any cataracts. I must admit that when loo king at light directly i can see scattered light around the light source it self almost like a light haze....

Reply to
stephenten

While that is true, you can get legal, higher performance, bulbs which fit existing headlights. I fitted some to my wife's Picanto- I forget the exact type, sold in Halfords, about twice the price of normal bulbs. There was a very noticeable difference, so much so I wasn't comfortable relying on only carrying the old bulbs as spares. With the new bulb, there was never an issue at MOT time so, I assume, the beam was OK.

Reply to
Brian Reay

Brian Reay submitted this idea :

You cannot assume that a pass means all OK. The poor MOT guy has a lot of fine detail to check and not much time to be that thorough.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

or wear a plain pair over your glasses, or even a clip on pair.

Reply to
MrCheerful

Foglights on when there is not seriously reduced visibility is an offence (a MET policeman I know loves nicking people for it, there is a type number on the lamp to show that they are fog lamps) However it seems that 50 percent of people do not know that and drive with them on.

Reply to
MrCheerful

OK, the problem I have is the casual setting by just picking a parked car some distance away, not considering weather or light or even accurate distance, or the quality of the numberplate chosen.

Secondly, how important is that exactly; it doesn't distinguish a good driver with no accident record from a bad driver.

And why selecting elderly drivers in particular for this exercise; shouldn't they pick on any driver e.g. wearing glasses?

Reply to
johannes

An 87-year-old driver from Woking failed an eye test after narrowly missing a police car when he turned the wrong way onto a main road. The man voluntarily surrendered his driving licence after failing a roadside eye test.

Police said he could only read a number plate from just 7.3m (24ft) away. Drivers are legally required to be able to read a registration plate from a distance of 20.5m (around 67ft).

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Reply to
MrCheerful

It's hard to be sure about an unspecified TV programme but:

a. such programmes may well omit boring bits such as the police assessing the quality of the plate, light etc. And they've been doing roadside eye tests for decades so it's a well-worn process

b. if you think someone who fails the 20m test is fit to drive then lobby for a change in the law. But the evidence is against you. Much as it was against those who argued drink-driving laws were unfair as "I'm a better driver even after a few drinks than the average..."

c. who said they were testing only elderly drivers? That's not true of forces generally. And 3 are piloting tests for _all_ drivers they stop

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Reply to
Robin

Yeah, the media, and bbc in particular, love to pick on the elderly. They always emphasize the age of an erratic the driver if over say 70. But not interested in this one:

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it doesn't suit their agenda. Anyway, there are good comments both ways below the story. The attitude of the driver is No. 1 importance IMO. Comment Quote:

"Ok sure but ... What's more dangerous, a slightly visually impaired in an ordinary car not showing off doing 40 mph who can read a number plate at 10 m max or a pretend racing driver with 20:20 vision in a 300 HP turbo sports 4x4 showing off overtaking 4 cars and a bus at a road junction doing 85 mph + on the wrong side of the road on double white lines?"

Reply to
johannes

Based on review websites, I bought some Philips X-Treme Vision H1 & H7 bulbs some years ago, and they do make a difference. Driving with main beams on when possible is excellent, although reflective road signs can stand out a bit too much.

Reply to
Ramsman

May be, although did have a minor issue with my CRV once when a replacement bulb wasn't correctly 'seated'. The tester spotted the pattern was off and fixed it on the spot. (My dexterity problem got in the way.) Having said that, I'd not noticed it when driving.

Reply to
Brian Reay

Are the outer surfaces of the headlights clear, ie assuming they are plastic, they haven't become 'cloudly' due to weathering? I noticed the top of the headlights on one of our cars had gone bit cloudy, not in an area the beam shines through, more cosmetic. I was able to restore it with some toothpaste- the white kind, followed by some Duraglit (the metal polish- like cotton wool impregnated with Brasso).

Reply to
Brian Reay

There are genetic differences between people, of course.

In daylight, I can see better if I have the visor down to hide the light from the sky. The cataracts scatter the extra light.

Reply to
John Henderson

wet wipes in the boot. I was able to clean the headlamps and fog/cornering lamp units.

ND foglights.

automatically and turns off automatically when you are back to travelling straight.

ir of cornering lights then become a pair of foglights.

difference as I can now pick out both sides of the road and they do not ap pear to dazzle other drivers.

n as opposed to having a pair of foglights on when it is not foggy?

my last eye sight test did not reveal any cataracts. I must admit that when looking at light directly i can see scattered light around the light sourc e itself almost like a light haze....

The car in question is not even 2 years old and the outer surfaces are haze and scratch free..... Thank you for the suggestion though.

Reply to
stephenten

And do you really think most will know if the car was fitted with HID originally or not? On my particular car there is no external difference to the headlight units.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Interesting. Unless regs have changed, UK cars had dip which moved the beam to the left as well as down, relative to main beam. In France, is was just a plain centre dip.

Easiest way is to view on a wall.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

While the other 50% think it is ok to have rear high-intensity lights on when it is raining.

Reply to
Andrew

My neighbour, ex MOT tester and retired mechanic uses cutting compound to remove traffic film on the plastic lens of those cars that seem to be prone to yellowing.

I always thought you should not do this, as it removes the UV protection coating, or is this an old wives tale ?.

Reply to
Andrew

Dave Plowman (News) formulated on Monday :

The presence of ballasts and the colour of the light output may be a clue.

Reply to
Pete Zahut

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