Why is America stuck with bad headlights? • Hacker News Board

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#191

Post by jacquesm » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 4:12 AM UTC

byw wrote: post #182

CivBase wrote: post #174

> Each of the 911's lighting units includes 84 individually controlled LEDs that allow the car to continuously morph the pattern of its beams. When a car approaches in the oncoming lane, the 911's headlights dim around it while leaving the rest of the pattern bright. [...] Porsche would also dim the right side if road signs on the shoulder were overly reflective. The article never mentions, but how does the Porsche d…

I'm guessing it's only available if you already have the package with distronic/lane-keep/autobrakes, which has the computing hardware.

Distronic: MB; these headlights: Porsche.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#192

Post by kube-system » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 4:12 AM UTC

mcv wrote: post #102

bstar77 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I lived in Canada we had to turn on the honk mode because there were too many people using devices that block remote vehicle locking. The honk is an obvious indicator that the car did, indeed, lock.

Aren't the flashing indicator lights also an obvious indicator that the car did indeed lock? Or even just the sound of the locks locking. It gives an audible click in all cars I know.

Yes, if you have line of sight. If you don't, sound has the advantage of going around corners.

I have encountered situations where I might need to operate the locks without being immediately in line-of-sight, like when I leave the vehicle before other passengers, someone else needs to get something out of the vehicle, etc.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#193

Post by jacquesm » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 4:14 AM UTC

narag wrote: post #189

efficax wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

my 2020 honda civic has lane detection and cruise control that keeps pace with the car in front of you... this isn't much different

Last car I owned detected lanes and cars approaching from behind. I had to disable the sound alerts. If someone had told me how many exceptions make the alerts bogus, I wouldn't have believed it. Not a single time the alerts responded to a real danger. On the contrary, I was alarmed for nothing, creating danger as I nervously looked around trying to understand what was wrong. Sensor that switched lights on or off was…

I got rid of a Mercedes C class that autobraked twice at random causing near accidents each time. The area where I live has a lot of narrow bridges and the autobrake would get triggered by the bridge posts. Traction on those bridges can be pretty uneven, especially when moist. First time came pretty close, second time I was prepared. There never was a third time. Stuff like that should work or be fitted to some test vehicle. That's not exactly an edge case.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#194

Post by jabroni_salad » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 4:14 AM UTC

heipei wrote: post #28

Even more importantly: Why is America still stuck with cars that honk when they're locked and that have indicator lights flashing in the same color as the tail-lights? One is a nuisance, the other one a straight-up safety issue.

Those things are annoying but what's really bad is GM's insistence on a 'feature' where the white reverse lights are turned on after you exit the vehicle for illumination purposes. In the parking lot, it looks like it's about to move.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#195

Post by kube-system » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 4:15 AM UTC

detaro wrote: post #62

bstar77 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I lived in Canada we had to turn on the honk mode because there were too many people using devices that block remote vehicle locking. The honk is an obvious indicator that the car did, indeed, lock.

Too annoying to look at the car for the 2 seconds it takes to see the indicators flash, which seems to be the common alternative?

I can't tell you how many times I'm halfway across the parking lot when I question whether or not I've locked the car.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#196

Post by adrr » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 4:15 AM UTC

CivBase wrote: post #174

> Each of the 911's lighting units includes 84 individually controlled LEDs that allow the car to continuously morph the pattern of its beams. When a car approaches in the oncoming lane, the 911's headlights dim around it while leaving the rest of the pattern bright. [...] Porsche would also dim the right side if road signs on the shoulder were overly reflective. The article never mentions, but how does the Porsche d…

Cars have been doing this for a while with auto high beams which is standard in a lot of new cars. It’s quite good on my car and i use it all the time on road trips.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#197

Post by beenBoutIT » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 4:16 AM UTC

daseiner1 wrote: post #186

beenBoutIT wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Fast and Furious franchise is, not unlike the late 2pac, a reflection of the community. A percentage of America has always been modding their cars and an even larger percentage enjoys dreaming about modding cars - the films draw from that, not the other way around.

How is Tupac relevant?

Artists being blamed for causing preexistent negative phenomena that served as the inspiration for their art. Tupac's lyrics were blamed for being a cause of violence while in reality they were a reflection of the violence that was already there.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#198

Post by jacquesm » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 4:17 AM UTC

Dylan16807 wrote: post #167

aaomidi wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Jail should be only reserved for a time when a person is refusing to change their behavior to stop being a risk to themselves or society. It is not and should not be used as a punishment. This is ridiculous.

So write a ticket the first time, and if they don't change then jail for endangering others, right? I don't think people are especially concerned about the exact punishment schedule here, they just want consequences that result in safe cars, much like with drunk driving laws. Someone mentioning jail doesn't mean they want it as an immediate first-line consequence. It's a simplification, so please recognize that befor…

No, then you confiscate the car. Walk home and you will be a lot smarter by the time you get there.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#199

Post by totetsu » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 4:17 AM UTC

serf wrote: post #14

groups like Audi/Porsche/BMW have trouble bringing their fancy LED setups to America due to laws pertaining to high / low beams -- meanwhile every Jack and Jill on the road has glaringly illegal aftermarket Xenon bulb setups in refractor headlight housings rather than proper projectors, blinding the hell out of everyone on the road, and the police seem to do nothing about it. I mean, hey -- i'm usually happy about au…

When I am cycling at night, I sometimes carry a flashlight to shine at the windscreen of people who can't not blind me.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#200

Post by numlock86 » Tue, Aug 04, 2020, 4:17 AM UTC

CivBase wrote: post #174

> Each of the 911's lighting units includes 84 individually controlled LEDs that allow the car to continuously morph the pattern of its beams. When a car approaches in the oncoming lane, the 911's headlights dim around it while leaving the rest of the pattern bright. [...] Porsche would also dim the right side if road signs on the shoulder were overly reflective. The article never mentions, but how does the Porsche d…

> Is this just a luxury feature or are matrix lights actually common in European cars?

My previous car in the sub €60k (2017) and my current in the sub €40k (2019) price category have automatic matrix headlights as well. Besides the usual detection of cars it will also turn off specific areas when signs are reflecting too strong or even completely turn off the upper headlights when you are on a road with continuous lighting, drive through a tunnel, drive through a city or town (GNSS and/or sign detection assisted I guess), it's really foggy and so on. While I had to manually activate automatic upper headlights on the previous car, my current car basically turns it on at start, no matter what time of the day, even when turned off previously. When it's bright it will basically turn off the headlights all together by itself and just kick in as needed. Really convenient.

Driving a lot at night I'd roughly guess from experience that about one out of twenty cars have automatic matrix headlights, maybe less. Anyway, I'd say it's common, but far from the norm.

Edit: As I drove to work today, one of the things that's not so convenient is that you have to keep your car clean or at least the smudge off the cameras. :^)