Baller
02-02-2004, 11:52 PM
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This is my 6th. car with these wonderful lights, however compared to my other cars these do not light as well, still fantastic just not as strong.
Xenon vs. tungsten-halogen headlights
Xenon-fired high-intensity-discharge (HID) headlights spread a wider beam than conventional tungsten-halogen headlights do, making it easier for a driver to see signs and obstructions on the side of the road. Light output is measured in units called lux. Cross-section of beam intensity:
High-intensity discharge
Tungsten-halogen
Source: University of Michigan and Society of Automotive Engineers, Transportation Research Institute
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I think it is very annoying and distracting. It can cause a wreck," the Port St. John woman said. "When I am looking at one coming down the road, I don't know whether I am looking at an airplane, a motorcycle or a regular vehicle."
Now, the federal government is considering new regulations that it hopes will satisfy both Schmitt and Becker.
The HID lights -- commonly known as xenon lights after the gas they contain -- started appearing in the United States in the late 1990s. Common in Europe and Japan, experts say they are in fewer than 10 percent of cars here, mostly as options in luxury imports.
Lighting and safety experts say HID lights improve a driver's ability to see at night. Notably, they throw a wider beam, and when aimed properly, allow drivers to see farther ahead.
That can save lives, said Michael Flannagan, a research associate professor at the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute.
"The lack of ability to see at night is one of the major causes of nighttime accidents," said Flannagan, who noted 2,300 pedestrians are killed each year because drivers couldn't see them at night. "We think stronger low-beam headlights will go a long way toward solving that."
The problem, Flannagan acknowledged, is many other drivers hate having the HID headlights shine in their eyes. The problem is not the intensity of the lights, experts say. When aimed properly, HID lights only throw about half as much light toward an oncoming driver's eyes, Flannagan said.
But something about the bluish tint of the xenon lights is extremely disturbing to some other drivers. "Clearly there is something about the color . . . that bugs people," he said.
Nobody seems to know why the blue lights bother other drivers so much.
"That color is probably responsible," said John Van Derlofske of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. "We are still trying to figure out why that is."
Van Derlofske said the lights have some definite technical advantages such as using less power and lasting longer than the halogen lights found in most American cars. But he acknowledged the lights do have the potential to cause more glare than standard headlights if not focused and aligned properly.
Still, Van Derlofske said, his research points to the problem being more related to the color, which he says can actually be somewhat painful to look at for some people. "They really do feel uncomfortable . . . This is a problem people are quite passionate about," he said.
Officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can attest to that.
In September 2001, the agency issued a request for comments about the lights. Within months, they had some 5,000 responses, much more than typical for this type of request.
"One of the biggest (number of responses)," agency spokeswoman Liz Neblett said. "Not the biggest, but one of the biggest."
While not all comments were against the lights, most were, and often forcefully so.
"The HID lights should be banned," wrote Cynthia Kruse of Merritt Island. "They are entirely too bright. They completely blind you in oncoming traffic on a dark road."
The agency is now considering issuing a new set of regulations about headlights. Besides HID lights, the new rules will tackle such things as auxiliary lights, high-mounted lights and headlight aiming. The first of the new regulations could come sometime early next year, Neblett said.
This isn't the first time new headlights have generated such complaints. Drivers also complained about the glare and brightness of halogen lights when they were introduced in the 1980s, Van Derlofske said. But the uproar was short-lived as all U.S. car manufacturers quickly switched to halogen lamps and drivers got used to them.
But with HID lights sometimes priced at more than $1,000 a set, nobody predicts they will become universal in cars here anytime in the near future. In fact, the cachet they have as a high-end item might be contributing to the problem many drivers have with the lights.
Factory-installed lights generally are aimed properly down at the road. And in many cases, those lights also have a "self-leveling" feature that keeps them pointing toward the road even if the car is cresting a hill. Some even turn sideways as the car turns, keeping the light on the road and out of other drivers' eyes.
But many people, seeking to be fashionable, have bought the lights as after-market add ons. Often, those lights are improperly installed and aimed, experts say, and rarely do they have the extra safety features factory-installed lights do. The lights are also a favorite item of auto-parts thieves, who sell them quietly to people to install themselves.
Another problem with the lights here is that road signs in America typically are not lighted, so headlights must be aimed to allow enough light to reach those signs. In Europe, where road signs are almost always lighted, headlights can be focused only down toward the road.
The NHTSA hasn't given any indication what rule changes -- if any at all -- it might issue next year. Fans of the lights such as Flannagan hope the rules are not so drastic that they hamper the effectiveness of the lights in allowing drivers to see better.
Others, though, just want to see them go.
"I think those lights should be outlawed," said David Thornton, who said he is frequently blinded by HID lights during twice-monthly evening trips to Orlando on U.S. 192.
Still, some say even the annoyance can be a safety feature.
"While they are a bright bluish color and can be hard on one's eyes, the headlights also have an advantage," said Jonathan Levandowski of Melbourne. "By sheer virtue of their intensity, you are forced to notice them. . . . When you have another driver's attention they know where you are, and are more likely to be more careful."
This is my 6th. car with these wonderful lights, however compared to my other cars these do not light as well, still fantastic just not as strong.
Xenon vs. tungsten-halogen headlights
Xenon-fired high-intensity-discharge (HID) headlights spread a wider beam than conventional tungsten-halogen headlights do, making it easier for a driver to see signs and obstructions on the side of the road. Light output is measured in units called lux. Cross-section of beam intensity:
High-intensity discharge
Tungsten-halogen
Source: University of Michigan and Society of Automotive Engineers, Transportation Research Institute
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I think it is very annoying and distracting. It can cause a wreck," the Port St. John woman said. "When I am looking at one coming down the road, I don't know whether I am looking at an airplane, a motorcycle or a regular vehicle."
Now, the federal government is considering new regulations that it hopes will satisfy both Schmitt and Becker.
The HID lights -- commonly known as xenon lights after the gas they contain -- started appearing in the United States in the late 1990s. Common in Europe and Japan, experts say they are in fewer than 10 percent of cars here, mostly as options in luxury imports.
Lighting and safety experts say HID lights improve a driver's ability to see at night. Notably, they throw a wider beam, and when aimed properly, allow drivers to see farther ahead.
That can save lives, said Michael Flannagan, a research associate professor at the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute.
"The lack of ability to see at night is one of the major causes of nighttime accidents," said Flannagan, who noted 2,300 pedestrians are killed each year because drivers couldn't see them at night. "We think stronger low-beam headlights will go a long way toward solving that."
The problem, Flannagan acknowledged, is many other drivers hate having the HID headlights shine in their eyes. The problem is not the intensity of the lights, experts say. When aimed properly, HID lights only throw about half as much light toward an oncoming driver's eyes, Flannagan said.
But something about the bluish tint of the xenon lights is extremely disturbing to some other drivers. "Clearly there is something about the color . . . that bugs people," he said.
Nobody seems to know why the blue lights bother other drivers so much.
"That color is probably responsible," said John Van Derlofske of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. "We are still trying to figure out why that is."
Van Derlofske said the lights have some definite technical advantages such as using less power and lasting longer than the halogen lights found in most American cars. But he acknowledged the lights do have the potential to cause more glare than standard headlights if not focused and aligned properly.
Still, Van Derlofske said, his research points to the problem being more related to the color, which he says can actually be somewhat painful to look at for some people. "They really do feel uncomfortable . . . This is a problem people are quite passionate about," he said.
Officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can attest to that.
In September 2001, the agency issued a request for comments about the lights. Within months, they had some 5,000 responses, much more than typical for this type of request.
"One of the biggest (number of responses)," agency spokeswoman Liz Neblett said. "Not the biggest, but one of the biggest."
While not all comments were against the lights, most were, and often forcefully so.
"The HID lights should be banned," wrote Cynthia Kruse of Merritt Island. "They are entirely too bright. They completely blind you in oncoming traffic on a dark road."
The agency is now considering issuing a new set of regulations about headlights. Besides HID lights, the new rules will tackle such things as auxiliary lights, high-mounted lights and headlight aiming. The first of the new regulations could come sometime early next year, Neblett said.
This isn't the first time new headlights have generated such complaints. Drivers also complained about the glare and brightness of halogen lights when they were introduced in the 1980s, Van Derlofske said. But the uproar was short-lived as all U.S. car manufacturers quickly switched to halogen lamps and drivers got used to them.
But with HID lights sometimes priced at more than $1,000 a set, nobody predicts they will become universal in cars here anytime in the near future. In fact, the cachet they have as a high-end item might be contributing to the problem many drivers have with the lights.
Factory-installed lights generally are aimed properly down at the road. And in many cases, those lights also have a "self-leveling" feature that keeps them pointing toward the road even if the car is cresting a hill. Some even turn sideways as the car turns, keeping the light on the road and out of other drivers' eyes.
But many people, seeking to be fashionable, have bought the lights as after-market add ons. Often, those lights are improperly installed and aimed, experts say, and rarely do they have the extra safety features factory-installed lights do. The lights are also a favorite item of auto-parts thieves, who sell them quietly to people to install themselves.
Another problem with the lights here is that road signs in America typically are not lighted, so headlights must be aimed to allow enough light to reach those signs. In Europe, where road signs are almost always lighted, headlights can be focused only down toward the road.
The NHTSA hasn't given any indication what rule changes -- if any at all -- it might issue next year. Fans of the lights such as Flannagan hope the rules are not so drastic that they hamper the effectiveness of the lights in allowing drivers to see better.
Others, though, just want to see them go.
"I think those lights should be outlawed," said David Thornton, who said he is frequently blinded by HID lights during twice-monthly evening trips to Orlando on U.S. 192.
Still, some say even the annoyance can be a safety feature.
"While they are a bright bluish color and can be hard on one's eyes, the headlights also have an advantage," said Jonathan Levandowski of Melbourne. "By sheer virtue of their intensity, you are forced to notice them. . . . When you have another driver's attention they know where you are, and are more likely to be more careful."