[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by condor

For cars that have LED bulbs, are replacement bulbs with a 4300k light temp available ? Or is one stuck with the 6000k ? If available, details, please.

I haven't come across any LED bulb that is rated less than 6000K from any of the reputed manufacturers i.e. Philips or Osram. Morimoto also has a 5900K LED bulb.

AliExpress etc have some LED bulbs on offer that say 4300K but I presume they are applying some kind of film on the bulb surface to make it look as it is 4300K and not 6000K.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by condor

For cars that have LED bulbs, are replacement bulbs with a 4300k light temp available ? Or is one stuck with the 6000k ? If available, details, please.

Unfortunately, most OEM LED setups are sealed units. You can't change the bulbs. If a single LED goes bad, you would be forced to buy a new headlight/taillight

If you are upgrading your headlight aftermarket, you can choose the temperature. But even here, there are few limited options below 6000k.

Originally Posted by Phukan23

I feel that irrespective of Halogen Relector/Projectors, Xenon Reflectors/Projectors and LED Reflector/Projectors if they are on HIGH BEAM one get's blinded. It's not about what the type of lighting technology is, it's all about HIGH BEAM.

I would like to correct you, slightly. It is about focusing of the light.

Any headlight (car/bike/truck...) which is poorly focused, can blind the oncoming traffic even when it is on low-beam. And without proper focus, this blinding light could be equally useless for the driver who can't see the road properly!

[Phukan23]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Unfortunately, most OEM LED setups are sealed units. You can't change the bulbs. If a single LED goes bad, you would be forced to buy a new headlight/taillight

If you are upgrading your headlight aftermarket, you can choose the temperature. But even here, there are few limited options below 6000k.


I would like to correct you, slightly. It is about focusing of the light.

Any headlight (car/bike/truck...) which is poorly focused, can blind the oncoming traffic even when it is on low-beam. And without proper focus, this blinding light could be equally useless for the driver who can't see the road properly!

Yes definitely the focusing is also very essential in both Low and High Beam. Generally i mostly found 2 Wheelers having bad focus(Even in Low Beam). We don't have proper 4 Lanes here even though haven't felt any OEM LED/HID headlights blinding me. The nuisance are being created mostly by aftermarket headlight users.

[Lord Lucan]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

I haven't come across any LED bulb that is rated less than 6000K from any of the reputed manufacturers i.e. Philips or Osram. Morimoto also has a 5900K LED bulb.

AliExpress etc have some LED bulbs on offer that say 4300K but I presume they are applying some kind of film on the bulb surface to make it look as it is 4300K and not 6000K.

Morimoto 2Stroke 3.0s LEDs are 5500K. output pics can be seen here. (Auto Lighting thread : Post all queries about automobile lighting here) Morimoto 2Stroke 2.0 LEDs are 5250K.

PIAA Hyper Arrows LEDs are 4000K. Upcoming DDM Tuning SaberLED 55W Accu/V2 ProX has a version with 4500K.

[itsbaman]

Yes, on high beam, HID makes me blind for a moment. I am very good at adjusting with a high beam of an approaching vehicle in case of halogen, but HID makes me helpless. And almost 90% of the Indian drivers don't know the importance of low beam, and with HID it's even worse. I respect truck drivers as I found them mature enough to switch to low beam for an approaching vehicle. MS Baleno, Honda City, Toyota Fortuner are the major cars that I have come across with this problem. HID brightness must be regulated if not banned to avoid possible accidents.

[RahulNagaraj]

The lighting technology on cars has come a long way over the past several years. However, the ever brighter headlamps have also received their fair share of criticism for being too intense. This is especially true for SUVs and pick-ups where the headlamps are positioned higher up, compared to smaller vehicles.



According to a report, Shawn DeVries, a 48-year old resident of Iowa, USA stated that the oncoming traffic with the high-intensity headlamps forced him to habitually close his left eye, keeping only his right eye open while driving. This led to him developing intermittent pain and light sensitivity in his right eye, affecting his social life and driving habits.

Matt Kossoff, Chief Product Officer, The Retrofit Source - an Atlanta-based distributor of lights for cars and trucks, agreed with Shawn. He stated that headlamps over the years have "absolutely gotten brighter". He even stated that it is only a matter of time before more people get affected by the increasing intensity of LED headlamps.


(images used for representation only)

LEDs on vehicle headlamps became popular back around 2010. Vehicle manufacturers found LED headlamps to be long-lasting, energy-efficient and more modern compared to halogen bulbs used before.

Reports suggest that the trend for brighter headlamps was mainly due to manufacturers seeking a higher safety rating from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS). However, when IIHS released its ratings in 2016, only 1 of 80 headlamps received a positive result.



Complaints about headlight glare aren't new, with some dating back to 20 years. In line with this, in a 2001 survey by NHTSA, around 30% of the respondents agreed to have experienced disturbing glare from headlights, either from oncoming traffic or from vehicles behind via the rearview mirrors.

The reports also suggested that among the total respondents, 11% were aged above 65, while 45% were aged between 35 and 54 years. It also stated that drivers aged between 18 to 24 years complained the most about the glare of headlamps.

Source: NY Times

Link to Team-BHP news

[RoadTrippin]

This is a serious problem and needs legislation. We have absolute morons on our roads who not only have these super powerful headlights but insist on keeping them on high beam even when there's oncoming traffic. And, of course with the proliferation of SUVs it makes driving in the dark in my low slung sedan a near impossibility. I have completely given up night time driving on the highways over the last couple of years.

[Kosfactor]

Wonder why the youngsters complained so much about the headlamps, perhaps not learned to drive in the night yet.

I never faced any problem with lights of opposite vehicle when I used to drive our old Esteem, I was taught in driving school to mind my own business and look at where I am going.

[Big Smoke]

The solution to this problem is simple: a law which states the headlights cannot be placed higher than about 2 feet above ground level.

It would result in all SUVs' & trucks' front fascia to look like that of the Harrier / Hector / Kiger, but it would solve the problem and help avoid road accidents.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by Big Smoke

It would result in all SUVs' & trucks' front fascia to look like that of the Harrier / Hector / Kiger, but it would solve the problem and help avoid road accidents.

The problem s not with position but intensity. Though LED, lights from expensive cars are not that blinding for oncoming drivers. On the other hand we have Activa which scatters light everywhere.

[TrackDay]

I guess it is the implementation in the end that is causing all this blinding effect and nuisance to others. The LED headlights from those expensive German cars are actually very helpful and rarely cause any issues to others. Come to the lower end of the spectrum where certain cars and like said before scooters with improper calibration are causing headaches.

The biggest contributor could also be improper upgrades in terms of headlights. Shops that don't know their job properly and trying to satisfy the customer by giving them lights that could flood light a stadium.

[click]

Few things they can do:
1. Change the LED colour to amber to mimic the halogen colour scale or nearby. I feel amber is always much better on eyes and not as blinding as white light.

2. Regulate the after market fittings which should have to go through testing to ensure the beam is as per the car specification and not just a big blob of full led madness

3. Every car manufacturer should have tested the reflectors (which I am sure they do) not just to ensure better lit roads but also non blinding to oncoming traffic. I suspect only the luxury brands do a much more intensive testing.

4. Educate public on when to use full beam. People seem to default to full beam whenever they are on highways, regardless of whether they need it or not.

5. Main thing, our roads are terribly lit, even in city like Bombay. Many street lamps are malfunctioning and some are super dim. If nothing else, we need more powerful led lit street lamps to ensure streets are well lit enough that people don’t have to use the full beam.

[Romeo_Mike]

I have been at the receiving end of this issue more often than I can remember. With a low seating position like in my Alto K10, it's a nightmare to drive at night these days.

But why blame the technology? If LEDs can indeed provide better illumination while being energy efficient, then they should be adopted by all means.

I believe more than the technology, its the implementation which is to blame here. LEDs only become a worse problem when the morons who always drive with high beam upgrade to LEDs for better illumination. These people don't give a rat's posterior about how it affects traffic around them anyway.

Second case would be improper upgrades which scatter lights all around. But like somebody said earlier, this can be taken care of, if these upgrades go through some sort of certification for make/model. I honestly think brighter lights would be a win-win.

In my own case, I had toyed with upgrading the headlights on my car as the stock setup is pathetic. But as I could not find any rock solid guidance on a proper setup, I just replaced the stock Osrams with Philips XVs and made peace with it.

[Maverick1977]

If you feel LEDs are today's culprit then just go through the threads on this very forum where people have put in 90/100 bulbs in their car and then proudly displayed the crazy light beams. And of course we (as in the community) have cheered them on and some have been inspired enough to do the same on their rides also.

However, the problem is not the headlight bulb or its intensity, it is rather the person who is using it. Most of these people like to show-off their new found light (no pun intended) and that's where really lies the problem.

And to all those who feel that the Germans (rather Europeans) have the most useful LED or whatever else, consider yourself lucky to have not encountered morons who drive their Audis and Mercs on high beams. Those lights tend to hurt more than what that Activa's lights do. Since these are relatively small in no. most seem to feel that their lights are near perfect.

I know I may get many brickbats for this post, but then I absolutely hate people who drive with high beams and those additional lights just to show- off and irritate. You have a special place in hell for that.

[Pontiac]

And yet again, USA won't implement laser guided led headlights or adaptive high beam due to decade old regulations. The technology has already been legal in Europe and Canada for some time now and the hardware is already available in cars that are imported but disabled just because of this.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a3...ight-advances/