LED headlights

Frozen_up_north wrote: »

The high level rear LED brake lights are often a string of LEDs along a strip of printed circuit board. On one of our last cars it failed due to corrosion of the print board tracks, not an LED problem but lousy PCB coating.

Not sure the high lever brake light is a legal requirement when the vehicle has 2 other working brake lights?

Chrishazle wrote: »

[FONT=&quot]Yet, 20 years later, LEDs have proven essential in reducing energy squandered by power-sapping filament light bulbs and many of us have invested in the technology to illuminate our homes and offices.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]As LEDs provide brighter and more energy efficient lighting, it is logical to enhance your car, by fitting LED bulbs to your car’s exterior lamps.[/FONT]

Our lighting regulations are very poor, the wattage of a side light bulb, is that 10w, is very low and sometimes offers little illumination.
When flashing LEDs were first used by cyclists, it was said that they were illegal. But the law has now been changed, because they are brighter/safer and better all round.
I do find some LEDs dazzling, front and rear; again - very poor regulations.
I have non-standard LED front side light bulbs, because they are better than the recommended bulbs.

Having just had to use my jump leads to start a friends car, with the lights being used more in winter, do LEDs offer practical energy saving?

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Illumination of what?

They are hardly visible, compared to LEDs

LadyDee wrote: »

I have had to stop driving after dark because these lights are so dazzling. Some people are so selfish, they have no regard for others. Not so long ago, I saw a small car with 3 sets of bright headlights - madness!

Same here! So this time of year is incredibly isolating with being stuck at home from 4pm onwards

What many people don't appreciate is that other people's eyes don't work as well as their own. As you age, your eyes are less able to focus well, especially in low light so are less able to cope with being dazzled.

A good pair of glasses may help, just having well corrected vision will improve things.

The other thing is to avoid the temptation to stare at dazzling lights, make a conscious effort to look away - the eye can be a bit of a magpie for bright lights and then you are left partially sighted while your eye recovers.

The other part of headlights is that it is very easy to dazzle the car in front, and while many cars have automatic dipping rear view mirrors, dipping wing mirrors are rarer beasts and a light in the corner of your eye from the car behind can be very uncomfortable. If you can see your headlights lighting up the interior of the car in front, then they are set too high.