The Status of Headlights in the USA

[SubLGT]

https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/headlights-are-still-an-afterthought-on-many-vehicles

Quote
[Feb 2020] ...Only 6 of the 156 models that IIHS has rated so far come with good-rated headlights across the board. On the other side of the spectrum, 30 of the 2020 models tested can only be purchased with poor headlights, compared with 36 in 2019.

..."Many carmakers still treat high-quality headlights as extras, rather than essential safety features," says David Aylor, manager of active safety testing at IIHS....

...manufacturers have historically sold many models with several different headlight systems of varying quality. For the first time in 2020, headlights that earn at least an acceptable rating must be installed across all the variants for sale, rather than merely available as options, for a vehicle to qualify for the highest IIHS award, TOP SAFETY PICK+....

...IIHS rates headlights on the distance that they illuminate the road as the vehicle travels straight and on curves. The tests evaluate both low beams and high beams. On a straightaway, good-rated low beams illuminate the right side of the road ahead to at least 325 feet. Poor ones might light up 220 feet or even less. IIHS engineers also deduct points for headlights that produce glare that can momentarily blind oncoming drivers...

 

[The motor guy]

I'm sure they're way better than 10 years ago. Unfortunately, they blind everyone else on the road. I'm waiting for the day they limit the brightness because it's getting ridiculous. They regulate everything else, the day will come just wait for it......

 

[oldhp]

Originally Posted by motor_oil_madman
I'm sure they're way better than 10 years ago. Unfortunately, they blind everyone else on the road. I'm waiting for the day they limit the brightness because it's getting ridiculous. They regulate everything else, the day will come just wait for it......


Can't come soon enough!!!!

 

[pitzel]

One of the absolute and utter tragedies is that when they converted to plastic headlamp lenses away from glass in the mid 1990s, that the industry shipped products, for many years, that suffered UV degradation. And that the car vendors do not have reasonably priced OEM replacements available.

I'm sure it doesn't cost, for example, Honda, $350 to make a headlamp lens that the Chinese vendors are selling a knock-off on eBay for $50. But clear headlights are arguably just as important as air bags in overall safety, and if proper OEM replacements can't be sourced at affordable "not outrageous profit for the OEM" prices, a lot of people unfortunately are left to operate their vehicles in an unsafe state far before the ordinary retirement interval of the asset.

I'm not sure if the lenses even shipped in brand new cars coming straight off the lot have resolved the UV degradation problem, or what accelerated aging/UV exposure testing is available. Anyone?

 

[The_Nuke]

Given that more new car owners live and drive in environments where headlights are for showing other drivers where you are (as opposed to illuminating the road ahead), this is no surprise.

Heck, in the last week alone, I've seen 3 different vehicles driving on the roads at night without their headlights on. Why would they worry about their vehicle having proper headlights when they don't even notice when the headlights are off??

 

[Skippy722]

Originally Posted by motor_oil_madman
I'm sure they're way better than 10 years ago. Unfortunately, they blind everyone else on the road. I'm waiting for the day they limit the brightness because it's getting ridiculous. They regulate everything else, the day will come just wait for it......


It's already regulated, NHTSA has some very in depth articles explaining how they do their testing and what is and is not allowed.

 

[Olas]

Most automakers treat good headlights as an optional extra, that is true, however most automakers treat good engines, good suspension, good brakes, good interiors and good transmissions as optional extras.
Thats their business model, and thats how they make their money. If you want an 'upgrade' you gotta pay more! Trim levels and engine options, and all the optional extras avaialable when buying a new car...its all designed to get you to pay more.
If they offered the best specification components on the low spec, cheap base models then nobody would buy the 'top of the line' model.

Sometimes reporters have so little to report on that they take something that everyone knows and try and spin it into t horror story just to sell more newspapers.

People who know what '30, 85, 86 & 87' refers to never stuggle with their headlights.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted by pitzel
One of the absolute and utter tragedies is that when they converted to plastic headlamp lenses away from glass in the mid 1990s, that the industry shipped products, for many years, that suffered UV degradation. And that the car vendors do not have reasonably priced OEM replacements available.

I'm sure it doesn't cost, for example, Honda, $350 to make a headlamp lens that the Chinese vendors are selling a knock-off on eBay for $50. But clear headlights are arguably just as important as air bags in overall safety, and if proper OEM replacements can't be sourced at affordable "not outrageous profit for the OEM" prices, a lot of people unfortunately are left to operate their vehicles in an unsafe state far before the ordinary retirement interval of the asset.

I'm not sure if the lenses even shipped in brand new cars coming straight off the lot have resolved the UV degradation problem, or what accelerated aging/UV exposure testing is available. Anyone?


^^THIS!!

Plastic headlights are a joke. Headlights should be glass and glass only.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

My wife's Avalon had terrible headlights...the aimpoint seemed all wrong at first but the dealer swore it was to spec and wouldn't touch it, so I messed with it just a bit and we drove around our circle in opposite directions so I could verify that she wasn't blinding me afterwards. She said they were better but still bad, and I agreed the few times I drove her car at night...it was an issue the whole 13 years she had the car, but I was typically driving if she was out at night so she wanted to just leave it alone after my re-aiming job.
Her new Legacy XT has the auto high beams and she likes them a lot, I worry because some of the oncoming drivers sometimes seem to get just a flash of her high beams before the system adjusts but I suppose it's better than her not seeing properly or them just getting high beams full bore. I actually can't tell if it just leaves the passenger side high beam on or if maybe it dials the brightness down a bit, but the viewing distance on that side remains pretty long when the driver's side adjusts to an oncoming car so the change is not shocking to the driver.
I almost never drive with my high beams on continuously and typically will only flash them on for a second or so when I need the extra illumination. I live right off a narrow, windy, and higher speed road that I now know like the back of my hand, but I can see how people who are not familiar with it might do better with high beams on parts of it....but, people who drive with them on all the time anywhere just strike me as lazy and stupid. This counts several of my neighbors who have lived off this road for years....I know that at least a couple of them text nonstop while they drive, so I think that also vouches for the stupid part.

 

[4WD]

Lots to do with stying and aerodynamics and even CAFE … we had interchangeable glass bulbs for years and some auto stylists were hiding them. That's what we'd see widespread today if a mandate ever came down on standard bulbs.

The lights are all over the place now. Our 2017 Tahoe cost $20k more than my 2018 Z71 … yet the Z71 came with better headlights. I already spent $50 for bulbs to improve them.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Meanwhile they are making Ford turn down the headlights on the trucks because they are too bright.

 

[4WD]

Are they ? … wish it was the lower level Super Duty ? That four light system is horrible … it is not a focused beam reaching down the roads … it's like a football stadium system

I have to face them often since they sell like crazy here and construction and oil crews use them a lot …
But have been side by side on 4 lanes and my projector bulbs reach out past them.

 

[ragtoplvr]

There is no possible way Aerodynamic headlights can ever save enough fuel to pay for their eventual replacement. Same for 8+ speed transmissions, and many other things.

Rod

 

[4WD]

Well … overall design of the vehicle is wind tunnel tested …
Notice I mentioned stylists …
so should they stick some barn owl looking headlights on it once it's designed that way
Guess it would go good with flat earth theory

 

[jeepman3071]

I can tell you the aiming is terrible on newer vehicles. My Wrangler is lifted and I sit fairly high up, many of the newer pickups with LED headlights still blind me. In my car which is low to the ground it's even worse. The funny thing is I had an eye doctor appointment last week, and she told me lots of her patients are complaining about car headlights at night causing temporary blindness.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted by 4WD
Are they ? … wish it was the lower level Super Duty ? That four light system is horrible … it is not a focused beam reaching down the roads … it's like a football stadium system

I have to face them often since they sell like crazy here and construction and oil crews use them a lot …
But have been side by side on 4 lanes and my projector bulbs reach out past them.


Ford just issued a TSB that they have to do something with the headlights.


I like the good old sealed beams in my SuperDuty and Cherokee. I put in some cheap LEDs that I borrowed from a friend in the Cherokee and they are awful.

 

[4WD]

It's very important the reflection system is designed around the bulb. There is a backroad I take often at night … and I'm now wearing those special yellow glasses to drive it. Many bad mixes of aftermarket bulbs and factory housings.

 

[mclasser]

I've noticed some newer cars with jacked up alignment from the factory. For example, Acuras with their jewel eye LEDs driving behind me with one bulb shooting into my sideview mirror and the other being noticeably dimmer and aimed lower.

 

[SeaJay]

Most drivers today find that the headlights of a few short years ago are totally inadequate for what they want and need to drive today.

Of course, these much brighter headlights tend to blind drivers in the opposite direction, but now days it is a "me, me, me give me what I want and who cares about anybody else" society in this and other aspects.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted by Miller88
Originally Posted by 4WD
Are they ? … wish it was the lower level Super Duty ? That four light system is horrible … it is not a focused beam reaching down the roads … it's like a football stadium system

I have to face them often since they sell like crazy here and construction and oil crews use them a lot …
But have been side by side on 4 lanes and my projector bulbs reach out past them.


Ford just issued a TSB that they have to do something with the headlights.


I like the good old sealed beams in my SuperDuty and Cherokee. I put in some cheap LEDs that I borrowed from a friend in the Cherokee and they are awful.



You like sealed beams?

Those are known to be garbage as far as light output. The sealed beams on my cherokee resembled flashlights. Cheap LEDs will also be garbage. Get yourself a good H4 conversion kit (IPF or Hella) and some good H4 bulbs and you will be very pleased.