Interesting article from USA Today concerning possible regulation of Xenon lights by the US Dept. of Transportation:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...complaints.htm

 

This is BS. I think it is all about aiming your headlights. You can easily blind someone with an incorrectly pointed regulr bulb.

 

I've read the DOT examination of this, posted it here. The problem is that people are not used to blue light so they look directly at it. Same thing happened with Halogens, people complained that they were too bright, got used them, stopped looking at them and now everyone sees better.

 

What a stupid view. The US has one of the most idiotic regulations regarding auto lighting. I don't think people in Europe are all up in a hissy fit. They HAVE to see better as they are traveling at faster speeds in general.

As Tim said, if these idiots would stop staring at the damn lights, they wouldn't have a problem. "oooOOooOOo, pretty lights!"

 

It is not really BS as far as the DOT is concerned. They have been talking about reversing their position on HID headlights ever since they became popular. I think there is a good chance they might put down a policy on it...after a year or two of debating it.

 

Good point about the "pretty lights" thing.
I think once HIDs become more common, other drivers won't tend to stare at every set they see on the road.

What would you guess...1% of all cars have them right now?

 

I wonder how many of those "complaints" could actually be attributed to some RICER overwattage bulbs, improperly designed HID "retrofit" kit, or just improperly aimed headlamps.

With all these "HID bulbs" on the market, I doubt most people would know the difference between REAL HIDs and imitation overwattage bulbs.

I'm betting properly aimed HIDs are LESS annoying due to the clean cutoff vs. old halogens which scattered light everywhere. Either way, nobody can tell I have HIDs anyways, since they are just white vs. others aqua/blue/purple.

 

I've had my car for about a month and I think 2 people have flicked their lights on me because of my xenons.

 

The local "save a tree " station did a report on this today, and even gave a link for people to sign a petition to outlaw these .. This is a bunch of Garb.. I want a petition to keep HIDS legal ! I'll be damned if some blue hair who can barely see where his blinker is located , will sway his congressman to vote against this ! ..!!!!!!!

 

If you read the DOT study, they talk about the problem of aftermarket HIDs in standard housings and HID foglights. They know this is the root of the problem. I dont think they will reverse the decision on OEM headlights. they know these arent the cause for complaints.

 

Ive had more than one 4X4 lifted Ricer Truck pull up behind me , with their 10.00 Kmart Blue headlights beaming beehind me, or coming in the opposite direction. I cant see how any STOCK HID can harm me , even if coming in the opposite direction. I drive to my parentss house on a dark back road next to a lake, and every Benz coming out of there has HIDS. None of them has ever BLINDED me ! This is a bunch of GARB,, thanks to RICERS !

 

Clicky

 

HIDs are fine...the real problem is that everyone has their fog lights on! From the small little econo boxes to the big lumbering SUVs you see foglights on! Keep the HIDs and ticket those who continue to use their foglights on well lit roads at night!

 

So what are they going to do with all the cars that come with HID from the factory? lol

 

I was in front of a new Camry or ES300 last night. They have those pointed wedge housings (like the Celica). For some reason, those HIDs were blinding as hell. They had a cutoff, but something was reflecting inside the housing that was horribly blinding. Poor design.

 

Were you directly in front of him/her in the same lane, or were you observing the ES300 from your driver's side mirror, putting you in the lane to the right of the car?

 

I agree with Mark S. re: foglights. Keep those suckers turned off unless it is foggy out! Especially add-ons, since they typically get aimed so that they are really annoying.

 

Same thing they did with all the cars that didn't meet emissions when the CAA took effect...nothing.

 

1800 Complaints in a country of 250 million people and they call it a "Tidal Wave of Complaints". That comes out to .0000072 % of the population.

 

Give it time...the DOT will not be able to reverse the law very easily...it will require manufacturers to put out recalls on ALL the cars with HIDS....I don't think it will happen.

 

Ditto and since our country is owned by big companies(like the auto industry) the DOT will like find out that they all now have new Merc SL600s in their driveway and suddenly forget all about silly HID regulations.
This country is soooo stupid.

 

what BS if this does go into effect than DOT can pay for some new headlights!! i sure as hell wont! this wont go into effect bc almost all highend vehicles and even some cheaper vehicles are coming with them!

will

 

"Look Ma at them there purty lights"

 

I agree 100% with you Alex. In addition, what about pickup trucks and SUV's? taller vehicle's headlights commonly sit higher, thus more prone to "blinding" and annoying people. I notice this especially in my side mirrors when stopped at a light. Sometimes it seems like they have their brights on, when it's really just the heigth of their lamps.

Another major irritation to me is dumb **s people who drive ignorantly around with their brights on!!!!!! This is of greater concern to me personally and I think police should issue tickets for such violations. I come in contact w/ people all the time who have them on and won't bother fliping them even if I flash my brights to warn them. They like to be "in your face" with their lights or they're just plain ignorant.

One more thing about HIDs. Even though the lights are brighter, I think the shade of HIDs (real HIDs) is sometimes less harsh or easier on the eyes than halogens.

 

Another vote for: it won't happen.

 

I agree with you about HIGH ride height vehicles. If you notice SUVs from the manufacturer usually have them turned WAY down to prevent blinding oncoming traffic. It's the yahoos that lift their trucks and don't readjust their headlights that really p!ss me off.

HIDs are far less harsh to me and I'm extremely light sensitive. I wear STRONG glasses and at night some halogen headlamps cars daze me, but I've never been dazed by OEM HID.

Idiots who drive with HI-beams usually get taught a little lesson with my 2K2 hi-beams. Man those things are bright! Sometimes, I actually see their eyes light up as I go by.

 

I shall blind them all with my Raybrigs. J/K!!

 

Nice lesson! If they fail to excercise etiquette, they face the wrath of the 2K2 hi-beams (lol)!!!!

I too installed 2K2 HIDs on my 2001 max. I also did the STS, AE ****, with the 2002 shift console from Dave B. As far as I'm concerned, this is a MUST with 2000 or 2001 manual max's. I got the idea from your web-page. Thank you for featuring that, I love my max so much more now.

 

On my brothers car, we installed aftermarket fogs with over wattage lamps in them say roughly 150. Put them on motorized pods to hide in the rear, in the headliner. 1 switch to lower them and another to activage them.

You get two quick blips to turn them off or you are SOL. And trust me, they are aimed at "just the right height". Muhahahaha

 

No sh*t, just like them congressional people(lame folks that don't do much, imo) that criss cross inside and outside the US in their "chartered" flights to "resorts" for their "meetings". Humm, and they all have plans to lower the freaking national dept...and by the time any of those plans gets rolling, they'll be 1) six foot under, 2)out of limelight in retirement, or 3)in a resort somewhere. You know, typical "do as I say and not as I do" crap....pc

 

Hey quit copying me!

J/K, I think it's cool whenever someone likes the PAIN-in-the-**** mod I've come up with and then decides to take on the challenge.

If everyone does this, we will have a TON more mods/aftermarket. I run out of PIONEERING steam(read $$$$) every now and then, so people like Dixit, Kev, Emax, Steve, Russ, etc.. really help keep the ball rolling.

 

Mods do take lots of time and energy.