HID headlamps a safety hazard?

forgotmyname

Seen several aftermarket fits on club sites. Some are proper manufacturers parts obtained 2nd hand but some
are cheap chinese junk off ebay.

Its easy to tell properly fitted ones, The crap ones light up the entire road both left and right not dipped to the
left at all. These will dazzle you.

Lookout for the super duper 100w+ bulbs also sold. A lot of the time they are coated in a blue chavvy dye which does help
reduce their output though. Funny to watch the plastic headlamp lens start to melt though.

Kilty_2

Aftermarket HIDs should be banned.

Mankysteve

Lum wrote: »

I was referring more to the pointlessness of most modern sidelights as they are so small you can hardly see them anyway.

Arhh get ya. Tbh I dont think my suggestions i much of goer. Sidelight are really there for when it a bit dim but not dark enough to justify dipped beams. Mind I suppose the traditional reason for side lights are due to the crappy charging circuits on classic cars couldn't even really handle dipped most of the time.

forgotmyname

Kilty wrote: »

Aftermarket HIDs should be banned.

Supposed to be new rules coming into force to fail these.

They should have self levelling and cleaning functions which aftermarket ones usually wont have. As well as the beam pattern issues.

thescouselander

Mankysteve wrote: »

One way to sort this would be to require all new cars, new windscreen and headlamps to be polarised, with the windscreens being 90odegrees to headlamps, It will take a few years for the full benefits to be realised, but it would dramatically reduce glare for many vehicles.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Surely not. That would mean the light emitted from your own headlights would be blocked by the windscreen so you wouldn't be able to see any objects being illuminated by the headlights.

Also, it is illegal to tint your windscreen in this country - vision would be reduced, especially at night.

Mankysteve

thescouselander wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Surely not. That would mean the light emitted from your own headlights would be blocked by the windscreen so you wouldn't be able to see any objects being illuminated by the headlights.

Also, it is illegal to tint your windscreen in this country - vision would be reduced, especially at night.

Knowing a bit about photography. You'd only loose a a half and F stop of light which isn't much.

When the light hits and object it polarisation is changed. I have got the angle wrong though. It 45*polarisation. So that when you have a on coming car the light is 90* out of polarisation with the oncoming vehicle.

This is not a new idea it ha been tried. It does have some advantages as I've stated.

thescouselander

Mankysteve wrote: »

Knowing a bit about photography. You'd only loose a a half and F stop of light which isn't much.

When the light hits and object it polarisation is changed. I have got the angle wrong though. It 45*polarisation. So that when you have a on coming car the light is 90* out of polarisation with the oncoming vehicle.

This is not a new idea it ha been tried. It does have some advantages as I've stated.

Well I guess that all rather depends of the object that is reflecting the light and the angles involved in the reflection. Some materials will preserve the polarisation of the light so they might be very difficult to see from some angles.

alo6

As far as i am aware it is not as much the OEM HID's that are the issue with blinding etc, its gowbo fitting them on his corsa.

Gowbo has to install auto leveling and washer jets by law, he doesnt. thats what blinds folk.

bartman

I don't have too much of a problem with properly fitted HIDs - but I do wish something could be done about the morons who just have to have their front foglights on all the time.
I had thought that there was legislation about that, but if there is I've never heard of a prosecution being brought.

victor2

bartman wrote: »

I don't have too much of a problem with properly fitted HIDs - but I do wish something could be done about the morons who just have to have their front foglights on all the time.
I had thought that there was legislation about that, but if there is I've never heard of a prosecution being brought.

Thought it was just BMW drivers:), but all and sundry do it now. Mind you, it does seem to be getting less as so many cars have them now. Maybe the aforementioned morons don't get such a kick out of using them to say "look what I've got." Then again, maybe we're just getting used to it!
I had a car with factory fitted HIDs. They were so good that main beam (only dipped were HID) made little difference and on the one occasion I used the front foglights I didn't even think they were working as the HIDs did such a good job of penetrating the fog!