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posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday March 17 2020, @03:34PM   Printer-friendly
from the shine-a-bright-light-on-the-subject dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

It might be stating the obvious, but your car's headlights are a safety device, and not all headlights are created equal. For a while, carmakers have been fitting powerful LED headlights to their high-end offerings, but more often than not, their cheaper cars—and particularly cheaper trim levels—get saddled with much-weaker illumination. But sometimes a commuter wants to see more of where they're going when the sun goes down. Eventually, they go looking for a solution, starting with their local automotive parts store. But stuffing aftermarket LED headlight bulbs into OEM housings designed for conventional halogen units results in dangerous glare for oncoming drivers. While LEDs can deliver more intense light at a higher end of the spectrum, most aftermarket units also create a hazardous condition.

The major brick-and-mortar auto parts stores know this, which is why they tend to shy away from aftermarket H11 LED bulbs, other than ones clearly marked for use in fog lamps or "for off-road use only." It's a different world online, with off-brand H11 LED bulb listings on Amazon, eBay, and Walmart websites failing to carry the same prominent warnings.

You can get pulled over for non-spec headlamps, and for a good reason. In addition to issuing a citation, the law enforcement officer may have the legal right to force you to remove the bulbs. More ominously, once the officer has pulled you over, you risk a vehicle search. With all that in mind, it would be wise to keep a set of securely packaged OEM bulbs in the glovebox or trunk if you are running aftermarket LEDs.

Although Consumer Reports tests new vehicle headlamps, it hasn't tackled the topic of LED replacement bulbs, despite Consumer Reports' extensive resources. A comprehensive Consumer Reports aftermarket LED replacement bulb test would go a long way to bring clarity to the market. Consumer Reports' testing of conventional replacement bulbs found that while aftermarket units can improve headlight brightness, there's much more to it than that. "Distance and how far a headlight illuminates is governed more by the reflector (behind the bulb) or the lens (ahead of the bulbs). While you can change the bulb, you are not changing the distance, i.e., not necessarily improving safety."

-- submitted from IRC


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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by black6host on Tuesday March 17 2020, @03:45PM (18 children)

    by black6host (3827) on Tuesday March 17 2020, @03:45PM (#972276) Journal

    With all that in mind, it would be wise to keep a set of securely packaged OEM bulbs in the glovebox or trunk if you are running aftermarket LEDs.

    How about folks just use the right bulbs instead. If you have to worry that you might get pulled over, and are packing OEM bulbs in case you are, then you know what you're doing ain't cool.

    My cars OEM headlights are awful, many are I would say. But blinding other drivers is not the answer.

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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by DannyB on Tuesday March 17 2020, @04:09PM (17 children)

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday March 17 2020, @04:09PM (#972299) Journal

    Don't let them get away with having the right bulbs packed in the glovebox. They will simply go back to the illegal lights at the first opportunity. Because the world revolves around them.

    For drivers who surpass a certain level of being a prick: impound the vehicle. Can't get vehicle back until it has compliant lights. Can't have access to vehicle to fix lights until it is released from impound.

    --
    What doesn't kill me makes me weaker for next time.
    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by TheRaven on Tuesday March 17 2020, @04:19PM (13 children)

      by TheRaven (270) on Tuesday March 17 2020, @04:19PM (#972308) Journal
      This is increasingly a problem with bicycles as well. LEDs are replacing halogen bulbs, giving a much bluer light, and they're brighter. Because LEDs can be quickly toggled, they're made to flash, to increase battery life. Combine that with a bunch of numpties who aim their lights straight forwards or even up, and you get bike lights that destroy your night vision and then go dark. Then they come back and dazzle you again. Cycling towards anyone with those lights is quite scary.
      --
      sudo mod me up
      • (Score: 3, Interesting) by PiMuNu on Tuesday March 17 2020, @04:51PM (4 children)

        by PiMuNu (3823) on Tuesday March 17 2020, @04:51PM (#972321)

        > numpties who aim their lights straight forwards or even up

        Unfortunately even reasonably decent bike lights don't offer very good positioning, owing to the wide variety of handlebar diameters and shapes. I often find myself stopping to wiggle my bike lights when they slip around the handlebars. It isn't always obvious that I am blinding other road users...

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @05:02PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @05:02PM (#972331)

          Go back to High School shop class and learn how to secure you light.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @06:08PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @06:08PM (#972375)

            Back to high school shop class may not be an option for young-uns? Guessing you are a boomer like me, back when high schools had shop class (which I enjoyed greatly). It was eliminated quite a few years ago, at least in my old high school.

        • (Score: 4, Insightful) by captain normal on Tuesday March 17 2020, @06:52PM (1 child)

          by captain normal (2205) on Tuesday March 17 2020, @06:52PM (#972405)

          Around here there seems to be a lot of idiots who wear super bright (like over 1000 lumens tightly focused) on a head band or mounted on their helmets. These lights wind up being higher than even jacked-up pickup trucks and aimed right in oncoming drivers eyes.

          --
          When life isn't going right, go left.
          • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday March 18 2020, @02:05AM

            by Grishnakh (2831) on Wednesday March 18 2020, @02:05AM (#972598)

            The conventional wisdom with cycling is that you're supposed to have a helmet-mounted headlight like that if you're mountain biking, so you can point the light where you're looking. But if you're on a road bike, you're supposed to use a handlebar-mounted headlight instead, and NOT a helmet-mounted one.

            That said, when I've gone cycling at night on the multi-use trail in my city, I don't recall seeing anyone with helmet lights, only handlebar ones.

      • (Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Tuesday March 17 2020, @05:08PM (3 children)

        by PinkyGigglebrain (4458) on Tuesday March 17 2020, @05:08PM (#972336)

        Cycling towards anyone with those lights is quite scary.

        Driving towards them isn't that great either.

        unrelated story; Was driving in Berkely California recently, a Cyclist started to wander into my fender so I honked to alert him to that. At the next light he catches up and pulls directly in front of me and then goes WAY slower than he was before. Holding up myself and the 10+ cars behind me.

        --
        "Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
        • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @06:38PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @06:38PM (#972396)

          Proper response: a reserve horn.

          200 Hz, 120dB.

          When they projectile shit themselves right through their spandex pants squirting over their saddles, you can drive around at a sedate pace.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @11:48PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @11:48PM (#972553)

            Do you have four-wheel drive?

        • (Score: 4, Insightful) by lentilla on Wednesday March 18 2020, @02:16AM

          by lentilla (1770) on Wednesday March 18 2020, @02:16AM (#972600)

          Please don't honk cyclists.

          A car horn may sound loud inside a vehicle - but it sounds terrifying outside the car. One has to consider what happens if the terrified cyclist now falls off - right underneath the wheels of your car.

          The cyclist knows you are there. Unlike the vast majority of other road users, they know exactly where each corner of their vehicle is on the road and relation to others. If a cyclist appear to be inattentive or doing something that appears strange... just back off a little, give them some space and pass them when it is safe to do so.

          a Cyclist started to wander into my fender

          Just calmly remember there are multiple perspectives. I can very easily see that scenario from the perspective of the cyclist: they are riding along in the proper position and a car puts its fender dangerously close to their rear wheel. Cyclist perceives a road hazard up ahead (a pothole, for example) and judiciously asserts their safety cushion by forcing the car driver to allow them more room. Car driver doesn't understand and leans on the horn to "punish" the cyclist. Cyclist points out that two can play at that game.

          Cyclists and motorcyclists understand that making an error is a life or death proposition - the cost is so much higher so they are hyper-aware of their surrounding and they will have seen things that other road users simply won't have even registered. Potholes, slippery paint, oil on road, rocks, blind corners, driveways. That taxi pulling up on the horizon that will have cars overtaking it on the wrong side of the road in ten seconds' time. They are aware of it all.

          It doesn't hurt to back off a little. Don't use the horn. It's painfully loud and scary outside the car cabin. The last thing you want to do is have to go to court and explain how a cyclist ended up underneath your car.

      • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday March 17 2020, @07:55PM (3 children)

        by JoeMerchant (3937) on Tuesday March 17 2020, @07:55PM (#972438)

        Many motorcyclists have run this kind of flashing headlamp for decades - more important to be seen than for others to be able to see anything else, I suppose.

        --
        🌻🌻 [google.com]
        • (Score: 2) by dry on Wednesday March 18 2020, @01:05AM

          by dry (223) on Wednesday March 18 2020, @01:05AM (#972574) Journal

          As a bonus, it gives some people an epileptic seizure. Not too mention the people who get migraines from the flashing lights. How they're legal is beyond me.
          Today I was getting followed by a bike, even in the Sun it was blinding me with its twin headlights (non-flashing), then he passed me, sounded like his motor did about 20 grand. I was doing 80 in a 60 zone and he was just about instantly gone. Rural area but lenough driveways, side roads and the odd kid or horseback rider. Idiot. Speeds are in kmph.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 18 2020, @02:31AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 18 2020, @02:31AM (#972603)

          Not only does the flashing light kill your night vision, it kills your sensitivity to motion. Suddenly everything looks like it's moving - therefore much harder to detect actual motion, like a dog or person stepping out between parked cars or a door opening in the bike lane. Those flashing lights are dangerous for the rider as much as annyone else.

        • (Score: 2) by legont on Wednesday March 18 2020, @03:57AM

          by legont (4179) on Wednesday March 18 2020, @03:57AM (#972634)

          When a two wheeler is killed, the usual claim by the perpetrator is that she did not see him.
          Yes, I was in this position, but survived. A mother made a left turn on me and I flew over her and her two children for 20 feet.

          --
          "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @04:44PM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2020, @04:44PM (#972318)

      Green LED laser pointers are, in fact, blinding. With enough of their retinas burned off, they eventually won't be able to drive.

      Seriously, there will always be assholes. These folks are the milder version of the asshats "rolling coal". Cops aren't going to feel it is worth their time. Besides, most cops are fellow travelers (assholes). The only thing we have is social shaming, but these folks are assholes, so this is unlikely to be effective except in the very rare case of the guy who didn't realize he was being an asshole.

      • (Score: 4, Interesting) by DannyB on Tuesday March 17 2020, @05:46PM (1 child)

        by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday March 17 2020, @05:46PM (#972360) Journal

        The only thing we have is social shaming, but these folks are assholes

        There once were these million candle power hand held spotlights that were brighter than car headlights. Just briefly shine one of those at them, then put it back under the seat. Don't get caught.

        If municipalities saw the revenue potential of writing tickets for aftermarket lights, that might put a stop to this. Especially if subsequent ticket prices escalated significantly. And vehicles got impounded. Owners required to show proof of fix to court. Etc. That might stop this real fast.

        --
        What doesn't kill me makes me weaker for next time.
        • (Score: 3, Informative) by dry on Wednesday March 18 2020, @01:10AM

          by dry (223) on Wednesday March 18 2020, @01:10AM (#972576) Journal

          For the ones tailgating, adjusting your mirrors just right works quite well.