Night Driving in Ski country - LED headlights

[bdfreetuna]

I rather have a BMW with it's bright lights low to the ground and a proper cutoff than a Ford F250 behind me.

 

[freeski]

What about intentionally ramming someone for cutting you off? To be honest I rarely "high beam" my fellow motorists. Tuna is right a jacked up truck that hasn't had the lights adjusted can be worse. If I am actually blinded that is when I go one the offensive and I've only intentionally rammed someone once.

 

[bdfreetuna]

What about intentionally ramming someone for cutting you off? To be honest I rarely "high beam" my fellow motorists. Tuna is right a jacked up truck that hasn't had the lights adjusted can be worse. If I am actually blinded that is when I go one the offensive and I've only intentionally rammed someone once.

I'm assuming you mostly ski in NH, so I'm probably safe this winter.

 

[twinplanx]

Yes the newer lights (especially Acura and Audi products) suck when you are in front of them.

I don't really get the whole "I blind them back and leave the high beams on" thing. Now neither one of you can see....before at least one guy could avoid the head on crash......

It is rather ineffective in a 2001 Taurus with one hazy headlight.

 

[mriceyman]

People always flash me in my ram 2500.. I try to flash back saying its not my fault we are just 6" too high and right in your field of vision. The newer the truck we buy the higher it sits and the lights are day and night better than 10 years ago. Dont think engineers figured this when the keep building bigger trucks.


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[River19]

People always flash me in my ram 2500.. I try to flash back saying its not my fault we are just 6" too high and right in your field of vision. The newer the truck we buy the higher it sits and the lights are day and night better than 10 years ago. Dont think engineers figured this when the keep building bigger trucks.


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I have the same rig, 2014 with a leveling kit, 35" rubber, factory fogs and 4 PIAAs across the front......and my headlights are aimed legally where they should be. I still get flashed......I will occasionally light them up for a split second with all 8 lights up front to let them know if could be a lot worse.......but only when on slow open roads........why make everyone blind, plus their high beams rarely are high enough to really get in my eyes too badly.

The ones that make me laugh are when people get behind me in that rig and try and light me up to pass etc. or ride my bumper with their high beams on......then they see the front of the truck and the light array and they probably have an "oh shit" moment if I pull back out behind them. I believe I have only once lit their world up from the back after a particularly annoying incident.

 

[mikec142]

I guess I'm getting old, but night driving isn't nearly as comfortable as it used to be for me, especially in bad weather (rain/snow). The newer, brighter headlights are a mixed bag for me...helps when I need the extra brightness, but I feel like 50% of the people on the road have their high beams on now.

 

[bdfreetuna]

I believe I have only once lit their world up from the back after a particularly annoying incident.

With great power comes great responsibility.

 

[MEtoVTSkier]

With great power comes great responsibility.

Hahaha! Funny! And so very true. ;-)

 

[mriceyman]

With great power comes great responsibility.

Good one tuna


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[bigbog]

There are smart windows out there for buildings. I can't see why the scientific community hasn't come up with a smart windshield yet. Excuses that Washington can't come up with the $$ = pretty lame amidst some things it does spend $$$ on. Would boost business for the replacement companies..

 

[mishka]

for years for night driving I'm using yellow lens safety glasses to deal with it blinding lights of other cars
Can be picked up cheap at harbor freight for $2

 

[MEtoVTSkier]

for years for night driving I'm using yellow lens safety glasses to deal with it blinding lights of other cars
Can be picked up cheap at harbor freight for $2

And you can get prescription sunglasses made fairly cheap at places like the Walmart Vision Centers and places like that. I have a pair for bird hunting, I think they cost me $85. Great for driving on those gray days where the weather blends into the snow countryside.

 

[ss20]

What about intentionally ramming someone for cutting you off? To be honest I rarely "high beam" my fellow motorists. Tuna is right a jacked up truck that hasn't had the lights adjusted can be worse. If I am actually blinded that is when I go one the offensive and I've only intentionally rammed someone once.

And you're proud of this post? :-?:-o

 

[mishka]

And you can get prescription sunglasses made fairly cheap at places like the Walmart Vision Centers and places like that. I have a pair for bird hunting, I think they cost me $85. Great for driving on those gray days where the weather blends into the snow countryside.

yellow lenses soften bright headlight light. for people with prescription glasses there "over prescription safety glasses". I know this approach not too stylish but it simple and effective

edit: for more stylish approach use shooting glasses/over prescription shooting glasses

 

[Brewbeer]

I put aftermarket LED headlights in my 97 Accord (the two low beam bulbs). They work very well, greatly increasing visibility over the old lame halogens the car came with. Be warned though, aftermarket head lights will not pass inspection in Massachusetts. You will need to temporarily swap in the OEM equipment to get through insection (ask me how I found out).

 

[bdfreetuna]

I put aftermarket LED headlights in my 97 Accord (the two low beam bulbs). They work very well, greatly increasing visibility over the old lame halogens the car came with. Be warned though, aftermarket head lights will not pass inspection in Massachusetts. You will need to temporarily swap in the OEM equipment to get through insection (ask me how I found out).

Unless your lights are aiming too high it shouldn't make any difference. You can modify your headlights as long as you don't remove the amber directionals or reflectors (ask me how I found out )

 

[Brewbeer]

Unless your lights are aiming too high it shouldn't make any difference. You can modify your headlights as long as you don't remove the amber directionals or reflectors

The LEDs are aimed exactly the same as the halogens, so bad aiming isn't the issue. The reflectors are the original OEM equipment, the only change was the bulbs, which mount in the reflector with the same retaining ring as the OEM haolgens. I had two inspection stations (one in Springfield and one in Longmeadow) fail the car due to aftermarket bulbs. They both provided the exact explanation for the inspection failure: if LED lights weren't an option from the manufacturer at the time of purchase, they were illegal in Massachusetts and the inspection station was required to fail the car. They said the same thing about HIDs: If you couldn't buy the car equipped that way from the manufacturer, it won't pass inspection.

 

[bdfreetuna]

(10)
Lighting Devices.
(e)
Aftermarket Lighting
. Any aftermarket lighting inconsistent with FMVSS 108 or
M.G.L. c. 90 shall be removed or the vehicle shall be rejected.

.......
Scroll to section 12.29 in this document... did you by chance get a cheap Chinese made Ebay lighting kit? Reason I ask is because I'd guess they're more likely to skip the DOT markings and make non-compliant parts.

www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/TP-108-13.pdf

 

[cdskier]

The LEDs are aimed exactly the same as the halogens, so bad aiming isn't the issue. The reflectors are the original OEM equipment, the only change was the bulbs, which mount in the reflector with the same retaining ring as the OEM haolgens. I had two inspection stations (one in Springfield and one in Longmeadow) fail the car due to aftermarket bulbs. They both provided the exact explanation for the inspection failure: if LED lights weren't an option from the manufacturer at the time of purchase, they were illegal in Massachusetts and the inspection station was required to fail the car. They said the same thing about HIDs: If you couldn't buy the car equipped that way from the manufacturer, it won't pass inspection.

Just come to NJ...our inspections simply consist of connecting to the OBD to check for any emissions related error codes, making sure the "check engine" light isn't on, and making sure there are no visible signs of leaks or smoke. Safety is no longer a component of our inspections!