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Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

caranddriver.com

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Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#221

Post by kube-system »

jdietrich wrote: post #175
sandworm101 wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lake country + Sunday night = high beams. When people improperly load vehicles, especially when towing things like boats, the headlights tip upwards. You were probably seeing overloaded vehicles, trailers with high tongue weights because they pushed everything to the front rather than center the cargo over the axle. That pushes the back of the truck down and the headlights up.

Most of the European Audi and BMW range is equipped with adaptive LED or laser headlights that selectively dip for oncoming traffic; self-levelling headlights are mandatory on new cars in the EU.

Nobody tows with an Audi or BMW in the US. People here tow with an F150, which is equipped with an incandescent bulb in front of a chrome-plated plastic reflector.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#222

Post by TomMarius »

jdietrich wrote: post #175
sandworm101 wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lake country + Sunday night = high beams. When people improperly load vehicles, especially when towing things like boats, the headlights tip upwards. You were probably seeing overloaded vehicles, trailers with high tongue weights because they pushed everything to the front rather than center the cargo over the axle. That pushes the back of the truck down and the headlights up.

Most of the European Audi and BMW range is equipped with adaptive LED or laser headlights that selectively dip for oncoming traffic; self-levelling headlights are mandatory on new cars in the EU.

Not just "new cars" - a 2001 car that I drove had xeons with the leveling already mandatory. And it's checked at the bi-yearly technical inspection, and the police can forbid you to drive the car further if it's not working and they catch you (not sure if all around EU, definitely in Czechia and Germany).

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#223

Post by ReptileMan »

justin66 wrote: post #68

I am grimly curious how many Americans would view a primitive combination of high beam/low beam/fog lamps/accent lights as being preferable to a sophisticated headlight that can do it all, simply because they get off on dazzling people with their absurd headlights.

I am european and still prefer the simple system. As a software developer - knowing what kind of bunch we are - the less software for critical systems the better.

Clicking a button or switching a lever with tactile feedback, immediate response that does exactly what is expected is vastly preferable to any smart system.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#225

Post by ReptileMan »

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…

I just put yellow tinted glasses. No problem at all. Also modern cars have a lot of light inside the cabin so it is harder to get blinded.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#226

Post by boring_twenties »

ficklepickle wrote: post #129
boring_twenties wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There doesn't appear to be any dearth of traffic enforcement in general in the United States. They carry special devices with them just to measure your window tint, FFS. Is there some reason they can't be incentivized to enforce actual safety laws like this one, too (or instead)?

Oh, I know this one. Racism! Tint rules give plausible deniability for pulling someone over for driving while black. It's not about safety at all.

You know, I think you might be onto something.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#227

Post by pacaro »

a2tech wrote: post #72
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…

My parents live near Lake Michigan (although decidedly NOT on the lake) and I made the mistake of visiting them last weekend and driving home on Sunday night when everyone was migrating from their lake house back to the city. I think I spent roughly half the drive back with stars in my eyes from people in Audis and BMWs blowing by me with their ridiculously bright headlights. If I made the mistake of checking my blin…

The pirate eye patch is a legitimate solution for this.

I used to drive a Fiat X1/9, which is a very low car by modern standards, putting me on eyelevel with SUV/truck headlights. Preserving night vision can be more important than stereoscopy

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#228

Post by Dylan16807 »

jacquesm wrote: post #198
Dylan16807 wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

That sounds like a bigger punishment!

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#229

Post by dogecoinbase »

jacquesm wrote: post #193
narag wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Smart cars aren't smart. I've had a few rental cars over the last couple years that did autobreaking/speed control, and without exception it was unexpected in a way that made the situation less safe. It might be fine for someone who had only ever driven with those features, but adding them as new defaults is irresponsible at best.

Re: Why is America stuck with bad headlights?

#230

Post by pfranz »

beenBoutIT wrote: post #150
serf wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume they're aftermarket when they're on an early 90s economy cars, they're two different colors, and the refractor is scattering the light up past street signs -- not when they're just bright. brightness isn't the issue, precision is.

Part of the problem stems from the fact that as cars age the headlight lenses oxidize and the original bulb's light becomes insufficient to light up the road ahead of the car. Some drivers are fixing the problem by swapping in much brighter aftermarket bulbs as opposed to replacing or resurfacing the lenses. It's easy to verify this by looking at the headlights of the offending cars after they've parked.

There are a few products that clear that up. I remember my mechanic doing it for me and it does make a noticeable difference. I would think any auto parts store would offer it to anyone buying bulbs as an up-sell.
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