POLL: Should Xenon headlights be illegal?

[glugglug]

I'm talking about those insanely bright blue/purplish headlights that blind other drivers over a mile away. It doesn't take too much sense to figure out that they are causing/going to cause accidents all over the place because of people having to look away from the road due to the eye pain/glare they cause IMHO. Yet they are gaining popularity again, and the new Mercedes even use them for the daytime running lights, which are even blinding when used full sunlight.

Edit: added a second poll which is basically the same question but divided by location, since from this article: http://www.usatoday.com/money/...s/2001-06-07-xenon.htm that RagingBitch posted, HIDs used in the U.S. are actually aimed differently than HIDs used in Europe due to government regulations in both locations because of the lack of uniform roadsign lighting here. (European HIDs are actually illegal in the U.S. and vice versa because U.S. headlights are actually required to have the cutoff above the vertical some and out to the sides more while European ones are prohibited from doing so.

 

[AntaresVI]

Well, they certainly help you see better when you have them, and I don't have a problem with looking at them. So no.

 

[theNEOone]

um, they are illegal.

xenon (or HIDs, as many refer to them) that are properly installed (self levelling or manufacturer installed) work beautifully w/o blinding oncoming traffic and are sanctioned by the DOT. the problem (and here is where the illegal HIDs come in) is w/ people who put on aftermarket HID kits and set them so that they point too high.


=|

 

[waggy]

i thought they were illegal.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: theNEOone
um, they are illegal.

xenon (or HIDs, as many refer to them) that are properly installed (self levelling or manufacturer installed) work beautifully w/o blinding oncoming traffic and are sanctioned by the DOT. the problem (and here is where the illegal HIDs come in) is w/ people who put on aftermarket HID kits and set them so that they point too high.


=|

so they are legal

 

[Viperoni]

Originally posted by: theNEOone
um, they are illegal.

xenon (or HIDs, as many refer to them) that are properly installed (self levelling or manufacturer installed) work beautifully w/o blinding oncoming traffic and are sanctioned by the DOT. the problem (and here is where the illegal HIDs come in) is w/ people who put on aftermarket HID kits and set them so that they point too high.


=|

Also, 5hitty coated bulbs (Silverstars, PIAA's, etc) should be band from the roads too.

 

[bozack]

Originally posted by: theNEOone
um, they are illegal.

xenon (or HIDs, as many refer to them) that are properly installed (self levelling or manufacturer installed) work beautifully w/o blinding oncoming traffic and are sanctioned by the DOT. the problem (and here is where the illegal HIDs come in) is w/ people who put on aftermarket HID kits and set them so that they point too high.


=|

I was going to say the aftermarket kits have been nixed but the factories if anything I thought were more safe since they allowed not only for better driver vision but also oncomming could see them from a further distance...I can only hope my next car has hids

 

[onza]

no

they are nice to see at night.

 

[trmiv]

I love my xenon headlights, they light up the road so much better than regular halogen. Every time I drive my wife's car with the halogens, I can't believe how much better the xenons are. Mine are factory stock on a 2002 Nissan Maxima.

 

[dmurray14]

NO!

First of all, if you have ever driven a car with them, you will instantly fall in love. They are much brighter and more uniform.

Second, as another poster said, all factory installed HID's that I have seen are tuned so that the only way you can even notice that they are HIDs is that they are tinted a bit blue - they do NOT shine in your face (except for the rare occasion when you catch the right angle - like on a hill or something- but that only lasts for a split second)

In my opinion, every car will have them soon, and people will finally get used to them (and will stop flashing their HIGH BEAMS thinking you have them on!)

Dan

 

[glugglug]

I have honestly never seen a pair of them that wasn't blinding. So unless NOONE is factory installing them and they are ALL aftermarket, the factory installed ones are blinding as well. I think the ones I've seen on riced out Hondas and some SUVs are aftermarket, but the ones on all the new Mercedes and a lot of BMWs and Lexus I believe are actually factory installed and they are still blinding even to the traffic 4 lanes over going the other direction.

 

[loup garou]

There's no problem with factory HIDs.

 

[Colt45]

as long as they are aimed right, there should not be a problem.

 

[bradruth]

I've never been blinded by them...in fact I find them easier to look at than standard bulbs.

 

[spidey07]

No way. I LOVE my HIDs on my new acura TL. So much safer.

But its getting old having people flash their lights at me. I'm all "you wanna see bright mofo! Here's my BRIGHTS - kablammm!"

 

[Spencer278]

ban them.

 

[TechnoKid]

The best HID lights I have seen so far were from a Bentley Continental GT. No glare. Beautifule beam pattern that lit up the road very nicely. The other thing I like is the lights on the new RX330. ALthough they are on an SUV and mounted high, they produce no glare to oncoming traffic, and no glare if they are behind you.

HID lights must be properly aimed, the self-levelers should be a requirement, imo (acura/honda don't use self-levelers, S2000, TSX, TL). I prefer projector HID over reflector. Projector have much less glare (less light above the cut-off line)

I think whats worse than inproperly aimed HID projectors is big trucks with lift kits who do no re-adjust their headlights. It like them having their highbeams on.

 

[PoPPeR]

well yes, they may be useful, but no not every car will have them soon, if ever. They cost more, and I doubt anyone shopping for a 10k car will demand HID's stock.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: glugglug
I have honestly never seen a pair of them that wasn't blinding. So unless NOONE is factory installing them and they are ALL aftermarket, the factory installed ones are blinding as well. I think the ones I've seen on riced out Hondas and some SUVs are aftermarket, but the ones on all the new Mercedes and a lot of BMWs and Lexus I believe are actually factory installed and they are still blinding even to the traffic 4 lanes over going the other direction.

Usually the time i see them is on crappy riced out cars. Though a friend of mine's uncle has them on his Mercades i think. They do not blind me at all.

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: spidey07
No way. I LOVE my HIDs on my new acura TL. So much safer.

But its getting old having people flash their lights at me. I'm all "you wanna see bright mofo! Here's my BRIGHTS - kablammm!"

I always flash people. Pisses me off when I can't fvcking see cause the person in the oncomming lane's lights are too bright.

 

[Colt45]

Originally posted by: PoPPeR
well yes, they may be useful, but no not every car will have them soon, if ever. They cost more, and I doubt anyone shopping for a 10k car will demand HID's stock.

they're only expensive now. its like a 8x CDrom.

D2 series bulbs are what.. $30/ea? i imagine it will go down if they were produced it quantities like most standard halogen bulbs are.

the ballast isnt terribly complicated. basically a SMPS (a la computer PSU).. so not very expensive to produce.

 

[glugglug]

Originally posted by: spidey07
No way. I LOVE my HIDs on my new acura TL. So much safer.

But its getting old having people flash their lights at me. I'm all "you wanna see bright mofo! Here's my BRIGHTS - kablammm!"

News flash: your feeling of "safety" with them is a placebo at best. People are flashing their brights at you because they can't see sh!t with your lights on, and they can't see YOU any better because they can't even look your direction.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: spidey07
No way. I LOVE my HIDs on my new acura TL. So much safer.

But its getting old having people flash their lights at me. I'm all "you wanna see bright mofo! Here's my BRIGHTS - kablammm!"

yeah uh huh.


you know you are NOT safer with them? IF they are blinding people (which they are since they are flashing you) then it is even MORE dangerous then if you didn't have them?


sigh kids today i swear. When i was younger it was everyone had fog lights on all the time.

 

[Apex]

Same debate that happened when the first halogen lamps were coming out (which were still very very dim compared to a modern halogen), and everyone had those super-weak incandescents.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Apex
Same debate that happened when the first halogen lamps were coming out (which were still very very dim compared to a modern halogen), and everyone had those super-weak incandescents.

Exactly. People aren't flashing because they're "blinding," it's because HIDs are different and they are morons.