[RahulNagaraj]

Thanks to Aditya Pathak for sending this in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP share page!

Dear Team-BHP,

I want to bring to your notice this important topic, please help me to educate more and more Indian car owners to not go for this type of modification.

Starting from Hyundai Creta and presently Maruti Wagon R, many many car owners are installing this accessory.

The rear bumper-mounted reflector is replaced by an LED lamp.

The reflector on the rear bumper is a regulatory requirement and is an important safety feature of vehicles. By removing it and installing in its place LED type, car owner's think it's a fancy item but this is a risky and illegal thing, when the car is parked in dark, it is the reflector that indicates the presence of the vehicle to oncoming drivers.

Because of unawareness, our car owners are installing this unnecessary and unlawful accessory in big numbers.

And also these LED lamp accessories are imported from China, we can easily save this drain of our money to China.

[ABHI_1512]

This atrocious practise needs to be dealt with by the traffic law enforcement folks strongly. This practise has now turned into a menace where people are more concerned about some fancy lights more than practicality and safety. That a major automaker like Hyundai started it makes me wonder how the regulatory requirements are being made redundant.

During my recent drive through the highways, specially in the two laned sections, I have had multiple occasions when I couldn’t make out the presence of cars due to lack of reflectors and sadly, most of them were from the Hyundai stable. I have also seen many Ecosports which are fitted with LED strips in place of the reflectors. It’s about time people realise the futility of these fancy lights which puts them and their surroundings in grave danger.

[IamNikhil]

Reflectors are a regulatory requirement and traffic enforcement personnel definitely need to crack down on vehicles who tamper with this in such a brazen manner. The many aftermarket accessory shops that have mushroomed across the country and want to achieve fame via Youtube views will market any nonsense and gullible customers will fall prey to fancy accessories.

I think customers really need to apply their brains and not go on an overdrive in making their cars look overtly fancy. IMHO, presence of too many LEDs, chrome, etc makes the car look quite tacky.

[aadya]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

That a major automaker like Hyundai started it makes me wonder how the regulatory requirements are being made redundant.

As rightly pointed out, this is an atrocious practise. But AFAIK non of the manufacturers are doing this but the car owners swap it after purchase. If duly noticed by the surveyors insurance could be denied if the car is rear ended in the night times.

[AutoNoob]

Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj

The reflector on the rear bumper is a regulatory requirement and is an important safety feature of vehicles. By removing it and installing in its place LED type, car owner's think it's a fancy item but this is a risky and illegal thing, when the car is parked in dark, it is the reflector that indicates the presence of the vehicle to oncoming drivers.

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

I have had multiple occasions when I couldn’t make out the presence of cars due to lack of reflectors and sadly, most of them were from the Hyundai stable. I have also seen many Ecosports which are fitted with LED strips in place of the reflectors.

Originally Posted by IamNikhil

Reflectors are a regulatory requirement... The many aftermarket accessory shops that have mushroomed across the country

Originally Posted by aadya

As rightly pointed out, this is an atrocious practise. But AFAIK non of the manufacturers are doing this but the car owners swap it after purchase.

I have seen the reflectors swapped with lamps on different vehicles, but almost always while on move. The light (red indication) is quite good. Haven't checked such vehicles while parked. So, I thought reflector function is retained in the lens for such accessories. From your observations, seems, its not the case.

Now a noob question : How difficult it might be to retain the reflector (plastic lens) and put the light/ LED inside it. Or if a red reflector tape can be pasted at strategic points.

[Aniket Verma]

Originally Posted by AutoNoob

Now a noob question : How difficult it might be to retain the reflector (plastic lens) and put the light/ LED inside it. Or if a red reflector tape can be pasted at strategic points.

Reflector has a surface of micro-prisms at back, which reflect the light back to the source by using principal of critical angle.

By replacing the micro-prism surface with LEDs, one cannot imitate the action of micro-prisms.




This reflection can also be achieved by using Cats Eyes.

Plastic reflectors are more durable and throws back light brighter and at greater distance, hence they are preferred over tape reflectors.

[saikarthik]

Originally Posted by Aniket Verma

Reflector has a surface of micro-prisms at back, which reflect the light back to the source by using principal of critical angle.

Also, the surface area is really important factor and there are minimum area requirements for each type of reflector.

I was working in lighting system design few years back, and raised this point in ISOL (International Symposium On Lighting) around 2014/2013 about the illegal (but dangerous) accessories that are retrofitted on vehicles. We clearly know who manufactures and sells them, asked the responsible people to regulate the accessories - make some standards if not avoidable. This was in presence of chairman of a testing agency, top brass of CMVR, Vice chair of road safety committee. But I was told that I was naïve to suggest such controls. I now know it's all about money.

Like the dialogue in the movie "Too big to fail" -Why wasn't it regulated? Because businesses were making too much money!

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj

Thanks to Aditya Pathak for sending this in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP share page!

Thanks for sharing. Initially thought it was cool in the first gen Creta. And then the Innova Crysta owners started doing it, though they end up replacing every light in the vehicle with aftermarket ones. Now, not just WagonR, Spresso owners also replace the reflector with LED strips.

Didn't stop to think of the regulatory issue, since I thought reflectors were usually integrated with the rear light cluster.

[Sushil Pingua]

The rear-reflectors are placed at the lowest position possible on every vehicle by the manufacturers, WHY?

During extreme foggy conditions we use the dipper/low-beam of our headlights and the first thing from which our lights reflect back and make us aware of any vehicular-obstruction in front of our car is the reflectors which are placed at the lowest rear position of every vehicle moving ahead of our cars, THUS making us aware from the earliest sign of reflection to be aware.

If we replace those reflectors which anything non-reflective then our cars may end up with a crashed rear in foggy conditions. And it would then be of no use to argue with the offending vehicle which has dashed into the rear.

I have fixed metal crash guard (pipe) at the rear of my car but have wrapped that crash guard with Red coloured 3M Reflective Tape easily available on Amazon/flipkart.

[AutoNoob]

Originally Posted by Aniket Verma

Reflector has a surface of micro-prisms at back, which reflect the light back to the source by using principal of critical angle.

By replacing the micro-prism surface with LEDs, one cannot imitate the action of micro-prisms.

Originally Posted by saikarthik

Also, the surface area is really important factor and there are minimum area requirements for each type of reflector.

Thanks for the explanation. Made me understand the functioning of reflectors. I had always wondered about the rectangular/ hexagonal shapes on reflective surfaces.

Sorry, following with another noob question : Can't the LED be placed behind the micro-prism surface and back surface be masked to depict the design ? That way, if technically possible, both functions can be retained.

I have tried to edit your diagram to explain my query :

Orange Circles = LEDs/ light source
Black Lines = Masking for design

[saikarthik]

Originally Posted by AutoNoob

Sorry, following with another noob question : Can't the LED be placed behind the micro-prism surface and back surface be masked to depict the design ? That way, if technically possible, both functions can be retained.

I have tried to edit your diagram to explain my query :

Orange Circles = LEDs/ light source
Black Lines = Masking for design

Attachment 2233026

No, part of the light might come out, but most will be scattered or reflected back. The tool for making this mold has 100s of pin like structures to create this prisms, so the backside is just a mirror image of front structure hence mostly it reflects than allowing the light to pass through.

Also the prisms are so small, your picture will be exactly opposite. One LED will cover 10s of prisms instead. Lights are incorporated in reflex reflectors but they need a separate lens area. Infact, the tool is super complex to produce due to the accuracy and finish requirements, I had never seen this tool being made in India (I mean the machining of mold) till 2015. Even super budget vehicle companies like Hero gets it done from Korea.

[MaheshY1]

Are reflectors a regulatory requirement? - Yes

Should we replace it with LEDs? - No

Will our vehicle lose its reflective abilities if we do so? - No. Our number plates are also reflectors. And they mark the rear and also the front of our vehicles.

Can we consider the number plate a replacement for reflectors? No. Red is still better than white/yellow.

Are reflectors absolutely must-have in fog? No. When lit, LEDs have to travel only half the distance to mark the vehicle. With reflectors, light has to travel twice through thick fog to mark the vehicle. That is IF the following car has the lights on. Since this is a style thing, people who install these tend to keep them always on.

Are these LEDs causing a ruckus on our roads? No. Using rear fog lights on a summer night is more menacing. Thankfully, very few cars even have this feature. Super bright LED stop lights from some of the manufacturers is even more torturous when driving in traffic.

Should the authorities crack down heavily on people replacing reflectors with LED strips? No. There are other things that are more likely to cause a crash.
Like:
- driving in the wrong direction
- using high beams ALL THE FREAKING TIME
- driving in the wrong direction with high beams on
- not using indicators when changing lanes
- not checking mirrors before changing lanes
- not having mirrors at all or keeping them folded when driving
- not waiting at the traffic signal when it's red

[pradeep_mvpa]

Agree that rear reflectors are a regulatory requirement. Almost every car has reflectors integrated with tail lamp unit. This covers the regulatory requirement aspect.

What we see in the bumper is the additional reflectors that some manufacturers incorporate. Why would it cause a regulatory issue if it is replaced by a LED unit? There are many cars in the market that do not have a reflector in the rear bumper.

Above opinion is based on my understanding. Happy to be corrected!

Regarding money draining to China, I don't think we have a solution as long as China produces 80% of world's rare earth elements!

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by pradeep_mvpa

Agree that rear reflectors are a regulatory requirement. Almost every car has reflectors integrated with tail lamp unit. This covers the regulatory requirement aspect.

What we see in the bumper is the additional reflectors that some manufacturers incorporate. Why would it cause a regulatory issue if it is replaced by a LED unit? There are many cars in the market that do not have a reflector in the rear bumper.

Above opinion is based on my understanding. Happy to be corrected!

Regarding money draining to China, I don't think we have a solution as long as China produces 80% of world's rare earth elements!

Exactly, Apart from Scorpio and Endeavour, None of my cars have reflectors at the back.

[asethi]

Originally Posted by pradeep_mvpa

Agree that rear reflectors are a regulatory requirement. Almost every car has reflectors integrated with tail lamp unit. This covers the regulatory requirement aspect.

What we see in the bumper is the additional reflectors that some manufacturers incorporate. Why would it cause a regulatory issue if it is replaced by a LED unit? There are many cars in the market that do not have a reflector in the rear bumper.

Not all cars have reflectors in tail lamp unit, especially the new slim LED ones. My Nexon doesn't have it, that's why reflectors are incorporated separately in rear bumpers.