HID...High Intensity Discharge Headlights (buy, cars, road)

[Thegonagle]

I have to say, they're wonderful if you're the one driving behind them, and I generally don't mind them on other cars, as long as they're aimed properly. I do agree that there is still room for improvement on that front. Even among the factory installed versions on different luxury cars, I notice that some are a lot better than others for oncoming drivers.

With all that variation in what oncoming drivers perceive, I think the standards on these things need to be tightened up, better clarified, more rigorously tested, or all of the above. It'll take 15-20 years for most of the bad ones to be retired to the salvage yard, but the sooner no more of these blind every other driver, the better.

[13levine]

Originally Posted by demtion35

What about these new blue-ish type headlights??

Like them?

Dislike them?

I hate them with a PURPLE passion.

[freezengirl]

Both my husband and I are blinded by these lights. We almost went off the road a few nights ago from an oncoming car with these lights. They should be outlawed!

[Drover]

Here's your solution right here, folks:

[fstick1282]

I don't know why everyone who does not have the HID kits in their car hate them so bad... I think if they are driving down the road and getting blinded by these lights they are not following the fundamentals of driving. EX: If driving down the road, especially a two lane black top when approaching an on coming car you are not suppose to look directly at the car, you are suppose to look down and right at the shoulder/fog line. Basic driving tactics. Thanks

The stick.

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by fstick1282

I don't know why everyone who does not have the HID kits in their car hate them so bad... I think if they are driving down the road and getting blinded by these lights they are not following the fundamentals of driving. EX: If driving down the road, especially a two lane black top when approaching an on coming car you are not suppose to look directly at the car, you are suppose to look down and right at the shoulder/fog line. Basic driving tactics. Thanks

You are mistaken. First, people aren't looking directly at the other car, and are still getting blinded.

[DirtMagurt]

Originally Posted by Drover

Here's your solution right here, folks:

As with every other unique feature on the current S-Class, this will be standard equipment in every car sold in America. Ten years from now.

Also, you'll pry my HIDs out of my cold, dead hands lol. I love them so much.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by DirtMagurt

Also, you'll pry my HIDs out of my cold, dead hands lol. I love them so much.

I don't get the complaints about HIDs. I can see if people don't turn down their brights. But HIDs actually create a more diffuse light pattern than conventional headlights, which means even less of it is being cast directly into oncoming drivers' line of vision. I think what people are actually up in arms about without realizing it is the cooler color temperature of many HID headlights.

[knke0204]

I think people are confusing HIDs with the cheap, purple-like replicas. There is a difference. The HIDs are in new beemers and I've been in one and they work fantastically. The cheapo fake purple ones don't do the trick

[Bodryn]

Some scientific facts may be in order. HIDs are new to me, but what I do know is that if they are bluish, they no doubt will work against night vision more than incandescent headlights, which tend slightly toward the red end of the spectrum. It is important to reduce glare, not increase it. Amateur astronomers know that red lights will not hurt night vision - handy knowledge for folks observing dim celestial objects. If headlights are going to have some color, it should tend towards the red end of the spectrum, not the blue. Redder headlights should help preserve drivers' night vision better.

Automatic bright/dim control is nothing new. It was tried some 50 years ago but didn't catch on because sometimes the bright-dim switch happened at inappropriate times. I think it was called the "autronic eye".