Headlight use and abuse

[LVSteve]

With the nights drawing in and commuter times being near dusk and dawn, I am starting to see the weird habits folk have regarding headlights once again. Here are a few examples.

The "I've got cats' eyes" or "running the headlights ups my power bill" club. These folk think it is OK to run around 90 minutes after sundown in a dull gray car with no lights on. Running on just parking lights is only slightly less dodgy. Maybe this problem is self fixing when the offenders are not spotted by 18-wheelers and buses.

Unfortunately, there is a built in problem in many cars that creates the illusion to older drivers that the lights are on. This is the permanently lit instrument panel/computer screen. To older folks lights on the panel means lights outside. Not so much in many newer cars. Had to explain it to a little old lady driving her two-week old Avalon last year.

A slightly less dangerous version (but not much) involves cars with DRLs. The driver sees his DRLs shining on the car in front and thinks all is good, except he/she has no lights showing aft. Beware the 18-wheelers behind, again.

The "I've got all these lights so I'll use them" club. Actually, I have some sympathy for those that run foglights due to the appalling lack of spread in the low beam patterns of many cars. Drive a US built car or truck from the 90s and you will see what I mean.

High beam vs low beam usage. Do many car makers only fit a high/low beam switch as an option these days? Followed several folk into AZ late at night a few months back running 10-15 mph under the limit. Couldn't fathom why until I realised that none of them ever used their high beams. Umm, when there's nothing coming it's OK to light up the road some. Maybe they think high beams use up more gas or something.

Naturally, there are those who work with the reverse thinking. Apparently it's OK to drive with the Eye of Sauron going full chat to within 10 car lengths of an oncoming vehicle.

Got any more?

 

[federali]

Ultra Brights

Even worse, many cars now have those blueish ultra bright and piercing headlights that can completely blind you as the oncoming driver. Why would anyone want to blind the oncoming driver when that oncoming driver and his car can wind up in the thoughtless driver's front grill?

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Eh... just as long as they flash their headlights when there's a cop up the road...

 

[Targets Guy]

My Forester takes care of all of that stuff. Fully automatic once you set the switch. Only need hi beams when looking for deer on the roads.

Just great. One more reason to have a Subaru.

 

[bigwheelzip]

I had a vehicle with HID headlights once, and it made everything else feel obsolete. The color hue added clarity, and the clean cut-off in the beams elevation kept it from annoying other drivers.

 

[PatriotX]

HID lights are awesome.

HID retrofit kits are the work of the debbil.

 

[speedyquad]

I don't like high beams. They always seem to be too far out for my liking. I think this started, for me, when I had my S-10. I ran 4 PIAA 004xt driving lights with my low beams. The low beams, combined with the driving lights was bright, to say the least.

It also had automatic lights. My current vehicle does not have that, and I miss it.

 

[DavidWJ]

In California high beams used to be illegal when oncoming traffic was present. Now it's considered a courtesy to turn high beams off for oncoming traffic. What a stupid place I live in. Is Texas still admitting "fed up" Californians?

 

[zonker5]

My Forester takes care of all of that stuff. Fully automatic once you set the switch. Only need hi beams when looking for deer on the roads.

Just great. One more reason to have a Subaru.

Mercedes is the same way, even an old geezer like me can't screw it up.

 

[Jack Flash]

LVSteve, you left out the "You only need one good headlight" group. Really, how long do you drive around with only one headlight? What does it cost to replace one that your budget just can't swing it?


Once I was listening to a call-in radio show way out in the boondocks in Ohio, and the topic was "We need a law making it mandatory to turn on your headlights when it rains."


Of course you got a lot of "that's such a great idea" type callers.


Then one old farmer called in and said "I can sit on my porch at night and see every third or fourth car doesn't even have both headlights working. Isn't that a violation of the law? Now you're talking about making a new law when you don't even enforce the ones on the books!"


Where have I heard that before?

 

[Rustyt1953]

A few years ago, Ruthie had to go through a DUI checkpoint. It was drizzling and she was introduced to this piece of legislative obscurity:

Little enforcement for Ohio headlight law
Sep 19, 2011 11:12 PM FOX19
The Ohio headlight law has been in effect since January of 2010. The law states that if your windshield wipers are on, you must turn on your headlights.

"I didn't know you could break the law if your lights weren't on and your wipers were," said Lindsey Fiehrer.

The law is a secondary offense, meaning officers can't stop a car for this violation, but can cite the driver if they were stopped for another violation. Many local police departments admit the law is rarely enforced.

"As a secondary law, it's probably not enforced a lot by law enforcement, because when it is raining we are trying to keep an eye on the roadway ourselves," said Lt. Brian Curlis, Monroe Police Dept. "But it is a law and you need to be aware of it because it is to protect citizens."

Lieutenant Curlis says his department hasn't given a citation to someone violating the headlight law.

But violators can face up to a $150 fine if issued a citation.

 

[soFlaNative]

My dad was stopped with a warning for the wipers / light law.
I took it to heart, I flip them on during the drive to work just for the moron factor.
After many occasions of feeling idiotic I've stopped telling people they've left their lights on in the parking lot.

 

[johngalt]

It would be nice if the US would adopt European style headlights. For some reason the US thinks it is good to outlaw lights that DONT blind oncoming traffic.

When I want some excitement, I drive my corvette on a unlit road at night. The lights have the output not much more than a flashlight. The high beams are a necessity.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I was working at 4:30am last month and a headlight low beam went out. I got off at 5:15 and swung buy Meijer and installed a replacement by 6:30am. (I drive around sampling monitoring well for gases, often behind business, so I don't want to rile up the local LEO's)

I replaced almost every light in the truck (2000 Silverado) when I bought it in 2009, and thought that 7 years was a good long life. As I shopped for the bulbs, I saw that the "Blue" shade of low beams has a estimated life of 200 hours, and the "Warmer" standard lights were rated at 3000 hours. All the lights were the same watt usage, so the Amps must be cranked up! and with that, shortens the life. They were also almost 4 times more expensive!

Ivan

 

[Grip_Maker's_Wife]

Or what about the people who think they can fix things themselves and put in the wrong bulbs or wrong color plastic coverings in their lights. I can't tell you how many times I've been blinded driving behind someone with bright white rear lights. Then there are those that wire them incorectly so you only see rear lights when they step on the breaks.

I used to get annoyed driving home from work every night when we lived in the bay area. I usually worked until 9- 10 pm and there were always at least 3 bozos on the freeway during my 10 mile drive home with their high beams on and at least double that driving without any lights on at all. I see it occasionally here but not so much. A couple times I have seen people without any lights on stopped at an intersection so tried to tell them their lights were off and they gave me a look like I was out of my mind. I just have to laugh when things like that happen.

 

[carpriver]

I drive a 2016 F150 and wish the headlight were brighter both low beams and high beams. Even with the driving lights and low beams. My friend me to change the bulbs to the clear blue bulbs. what say you?

 

[vonn]

I adjust my low beams until people start blinking at me to dim them and then turn them down until they don't blink at me. Gives me the best vision my truck can provide ,high and low beam. I also run my high beams through a relay with power directly from the alternator to both high and low bulbs,really lights up the road. Higher voltage will kill the bulbs quicker but I only use the brights when there is no oncoming traffic and I can afford bulbs easier than hitting a deer!

 

[Dave]

I drive a 2016 F150 and wish the headlight were brighter both low beams and high beams. Even with the driving lights and low beams. My friend me to change the bulbs to the clear blue bulbs. what say you?

The blue bulbs actually output FEWER lumens. The color fools your eye into thinking it's brighter, but it's because there is more glare, not more light. Overall you will see less than before.

More info here: Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

For genuinely higher light output, get something like the Philips X-tremeVision. They probably won't last as long as a standard bulb, but they will be brighter and let you see more. I put them in my wife's car and my daughter's car

 

[coltle6920]

The Ohio headlight law has been in effect since January of 2010. The law states that if your windshield wipers are on, you must turn on your headlights.

But Officer,I was just using the windshield washer...

 

[PatriotX]

I drive a 2016 F150 and wish the headlight were brighter both low beams and high beams. Even with the driving lights and low beams. My friend me to change the bulbs to the clear blue bulbs. what say you?

With any higher than stock wattage, one risks damage to both the wiring and sockets/housings.


A better choice, albeit an expensive one, might be to upgrade to a factory HID set. Unfortunately, it looks like those are around $500 per side... Aftermarket kits are half that, but quality (and legality) vary widely with those.