Is it time to ban LED Headlights

[Kenai]

It would be good to see a decent controlled study done with actual testing, get people in cars of varying heights, with various oncoming lights that are correctly aligned, incorrectly aligned, on dipped, on mains, on matrix, retrofit wrong bulbs, etc. to see where the problem is actually stemming from.

Studies asking broad questions about "have you been dazzled?" are fundamentally pointless because virtually everyone will have been - the question needs to get to root of whether it's regular legal factory lights or dodgy retrofits, poor behaviours and the like because they need entirely different approaches to solve.

 

[ttaskmaster]

If lights are really that bright then just close one eye to keep night vision in the other when the car passes.

That does nothing to tackle the glare that blocks your fiew of the road until the oncoming car has passed.

when the lights were green at night, they weren't dazzling, but they were so bright that you couldn't see past the crossing due to the massive contrast...nor could you easily see if there were any pedestrians waiting to cross.

That is the definition of dazzling, in this context.

It would be good to see a decent controlled study done with actual testing, get people in cars of varying heights, with various oncoming lights that are correctly aligned, incorrectly aligned, on dipped, on mains, on matrix, retrofit wrong bulbs, etc. to see where the problem is actually stemming from.

That is what the current study is supposedly doing, except with a comprehensive sensor suite instead of people in various configurations.

 

[Rroff]

Got to love Rroff and his consitant myoptic view of the worlds 'where i live...'

You might have a point if I wasn't specifically adding caveats that my experience may not represent the whole.

Instead you just come off as a grumpy narrow minded individual.

 

[Simon]

Narrow minded is probably the worst comeback to use in this case ?

 

[Rroff]

Narrow minded is probably the worst comeback to use in this case ?

Not intended as a comeback, but the problem here is their own lack of broader experience not mine - hence their inability to see where I am basing things on years of experience in general and/or why I'm adding caveats such as mentioning that the area I live in may not represent the wider whole.

EDIT: Besides not sure why you are sticking up for them - their attitude and the crap they give some of the posters here whose posts may not be the most informed but still is disgusting and they really should get a grip - pretty sure they wouldn't say stuff like that to people's faces.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Oh I would, one day I’ll get to really check out who the poster really are, not busy drinking lattes at the Nissan dealer today then? Profiling the blue rinse brigade?

I’ve got another fact for you, the majority of retired people don’t drive at night. So comparing commute type drive number of glaring cars to the local number of wealthy retired folk (which clearly means they spec top end cars) and correlating to this thread as some sort of data point?

I call you out, you call me grumpy? Poor posting value there.

PS. That’s me getting a grip of post quality. Careful what you demand.

 

[Rroff]

Oh I would, one day I’ll get to really check out who the poster really are, not busy drinking lattes at the Nissan dealer today then? Profiling the blue rinse brigade?

Completely uncalled for comment...

I’ve got another fact for you, the majority of retired people don’t drive at night.

Sadly there are no shortage who do - do many miles around the Shaftesbury/Gillingham to Sherborne area and you'll get stuck behind the inevitable red hatchback doing half the speed limit, unable to drive without their high beams on and generally making a menace of themselves for example:

Can't see it properly in the video but every 3rd driver coming the other way was flashing them.

Albeit those aren't the wealthier ones with nice cars but that is another story.

EDIT: Also when I say wealthy retired people that doesn't necessarily mean old, plenty of people who've made their money and move to around here way before they are old.

 

[Diddums]

PS. That’s me getting a grip of post quality. Careful what you demand.

 

[jpaul]

this one time at bandcamp - post quality check done proper

 

[Simon]

IM a bit confused what the 4 year old video is of? it looks like some old fiesta driving with full beams on? not sure thats a headlight technology issue.

Does he then turn his lights off and drive with just sidelights at 20mph?

 

[Rroff]

IM a bit confused what the 4 year old video is of? it looks like some old fiesta driving with full beams on? not sure thats a headlight technology issue.

Does he then turn his lights off and drive with just sidelights at 20mph?

That video wasn't in response to a headlight technology issue.

 

[Simon]

That video wasn't in response to a headlight technology issue.

what is it about then sorry?

 

[Rroff]

what is it about then sorry?

The points the poster I'm responding to raised.

 

[Simon]

Oh right. So nothing to do with thread really. Just bad driving even without LED lights he’s dazzling people.

Not sure what point you are making about wealthy people too. Why has that been brought into it on a fiesta. The point was about new cars with matrix led. In the vid The guy probably can’t see. Much bigger issue than the headlights.

Apologies for being lost. But I don’t know what the point you are making. Other than red hatchbacks aren’t driven by wealthy pensioners or something ?

 

[Rroff]

Apologies for being lost. But I don’t know what the point you are making.

Originally started with Fox saying that adaptive matrix headlights mostly are a feature of more expensive / higher trim level cars and relatively rare on the road so inferred they thought that people complaining about matrix lights under certain circumstances were likely more often confusing them with other types of headlights.

I said I do encounter them more often than rarely but caveat that I do live in an area where there is quite a lot of wealthy people, mentioning it being an area wealthy people retire to (for clarity I probably should have mentioned that isn't necessarily old people - quite a few people make their money and retire to this area while still in their 40s and 50s, etc.)

Jonnycoupe then said that the majority of retired people don't drive at night - which may be true but unfortunately that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of older people who do drive at night and illustrated the point with one of my encounters which is a typical example of something I unfortunately encounter far too often around here - albeit in this case likely not a wealthy person given the car they were driving but that is another matter as I mentioned a little further up when I said wealthy people retiring here I wasn't just meaning older people.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I said I do encounter them more often than rarely

I still don't understand how you'd know for sure if they are fitted or not. I don't think I've ever been able to identify a vehicle with them fitted when driving unless its a car I'm already familiar with.

 

[MartinInAyrshire]

I howestly thought my astigmatism was getting worse but opticians says not. A lot of lights on cars are wild right now. Far too bright. Really noticing it now that the clocks have gone back and driving more in the dark.

 

[Rroff]

I still don't understand how you'd know for sure if they are fitted or not. I don't think I've ever been able to identify a vehicle with them fitted when driving unless its a car I'm already familiar with.

I'm a bit confused - this kind of LED lighting has distinct cut off (due to the projection nature - some I think have a "laser" spotlight module as well but I'm not up to speed on that) so you can easily see how much brighter compared to regular dipped headlights the non-blacked out zones i.e. the sides are being illuminated whether they are approaching or behind you and the flick as they black out certain zones - and if looking behind you'll see the flick as the part which was blacking out where you were resumes to the same brightness as the parts which weren't blacked out. And in the cases where it doesn't quite work properly you'll get a slither of light at the edge of the cut off which is laser like due to the projection which is distinct to if someone leaves non matrix LEDs on main beam. Especially when they are adapting for multiple vehicles and/or more expensive implementations which move the beam around in response to steering input the beam is much more dynamic than regularly headlights.

 

[[TW]Fox]

You seem to be confusing various different types of headlight system and assuming they are all the same thing. In contrast to being a 'more expensive implementation' the ones which move the beam around as a response to steering input predate matrix style technology by years.

My point is that in the moment it takes a car to pass you, I cannot see how you can pick up all these apparent differences. It's not something I've ever noticed. I drive a car with this technology fitted, find headlight technology interesting generally and still have never thought 'that car must have Matrix lights!' as it drove past.

 

[Rroff]

You seem to be confusing various different types of headlight system and assuming they are all the same thing. In contrast to being a 'more expensive implementation' the ones which move the beam around as a response to steering input predate matrix style technology by years.

My point is that in the moment it takes a car to pass you, I cannot see how you can pick up all these apparent differences. It's not something I've ever noticed. I drive a car with this technology fitted, find headlight technology interesting generally and still have never thought 'that car must have Matrix lights!' as it drove past.

The matrix style move the light around differently to older implementations, which move the whole light, due to the more granular cluster implementation in matrix lights, while the illustrations exaggerate it a bit the beam patterns and cut off are quite distinct:

What are matrix headlights and do they work? | Practical Motoring

More and more car makers are offering the choice of regular headlights or clever matrix headlights, but what are they and do they work?

practicalmotoring.com.au

It isn't just as the car passes you, you can see it in action as the vehicle approaches especially if there are multiple vehicles ahead and it is possible to see it behind you as well as the illumination changes after it stops blacking you out.

EDIT: Also in trucks etc. is it probably even easier to see due to the higher seating position meaning you can see the light painting on the road, etc. easier.

I'm honestly surprised you don't notice it - when someone comes up behind me with them you instantly notice the extra illumination at the sides especially out in the countryside compared to having someone follow you with regular dipped headlights - when working properly they are a massive advantage when someone is following you with them.