you know those really (0)BRIGHT(0) headlights?

what exactly kind of headlights are those? i mean, are they supposed to be
a combo headlight and foglamp all in one? when a car with those is
approaching me i feel like reaching for the sunglasses. have there been any
accidents that can be attributed to them? what are they made of?

just curious.

Eaton

 

They're called HID (High-Intensity Discharge) headlamps. No, they aren't
a combination headlamp/foglamp, as those are entirely different types of
lights. Headlights are have a medium width, long beam to assist distance
vision. Fog lamps have a wide, flat beam that illuminates the sides of
the road and the road surface near the car. Contrary to your supposition
that HID lamps cause accidents, the fact is that they provide superior
distance vision and probably prevent quite a few accidents.

I find idiots that drive with their fog lights on all the time, need
them or not, to be much more irritating that HID's.

 

Next time someone comes toward you at night with hi-beams on, ask
yourself if you're upset because they're using hi-beams or are you
*really* blinded? I can't imagine why on a divided highway with a wide
median the hi beams of an oncoming driver would be bothersome. Now if
the high beams are in my rear view mirror!!!! :-{

 

In many irritating cases, the headlights are mis-aimed. That is what blinds
people.

 

Even if they are not misaimed think about curves. Also consider that
the bright point source bothers many folks even if the beam is not
directly in their face.

 

I don't know how this ended up on the Hyundai site; however, when I'm
driving down the interstate at night with no one in front of me, I often
have my high beams on in the hope of spotting one of the many deer before he
becomes a hood ornament. Nothing irritates me more than when some moron in
the other lanes of the divided highway, which is 100 yards or more from my
lane, starts flashing his lights. There's no way that it is affecting his
ability to see. It is just that he 'knows' I have them on high beam. Just
plain stupid! And inconsiderate of my right to drive safely rather than
outdrive my lights.

 

100 yards or more? God lord Tom - where do you live that the lanes are
divided by that much? I can tell you that most times high beams on cars
across the median do in fact affect you. If you need to use your highs to
avoid deer then maybe the safer thing for you to do is avoid the highways at
night. Being hit with oncoming high beams - especially new cars, is not
simply being inconsiderate of your "right to drive safely". They do in fact
affect the drivers coming at you. If your night vision is poor or your
reflex time slow, then do the one thing that is not inconsiderate of the
other drivers around you and slow down - or find another road.

 

Wow, your divided highways are really divided! Around here, ours are
probably at most 50 yards from center to center, and many have just a
concrete divider between the lanes. I find high beams very annoying,
even with 50 yards separation. 100 might not be too bothersome though.
I flash people in the other lane of a divided highway if their lights
are bothering me, which they usually do on high beam. We have lots of
deer here in northern PA as well, which is why I don't want to have my
night vision temporarily reduced by someone in the opposing lane with
their high beams on. That more than offsets what I gain by having my
own high beams on. I'd rather have my low beams with full night
accomodation of my eyes, then high beams with temporary blindness from
opposing high beams.


Matt

 

The highway I frequent has some wide medians though not 100 yrds wide. I
use my HB's as much as possible, but always dim them for oncoming cars. Boy,
it bugs me when they don't. I try to protect my night vision, and oncoming
highs seem to burn a lingering whole in my night sight. Also, it is
irritable when following cars dim only when very close, so close they are
already benefitting from driving in the wake of my headlamps. I suppose eyes
are different. Just ask yourself how you find it when others leave 'em up in
your face. PS Obviously sweeping turns make a difference-in one direction
traffic shining its lights into oncoming traffic but the other direction's
lights shine out and away from the turn, and it my not be necessary to dim.
ymmv

 

The only thing I can say in reply is that 40 years ago I was taught to NOT
look at the oncoming lights, but instead focus to the side of the road.
That way the lights will not bother you or your night vision. Try that
little trick. I live in NE Georgia where I85 has many sections that far
apart. My night vision is still good. I'm not THAT old. Oh, I'm from NE
Pa also by birth.

 

Yes, you absolutely don't want to look directly at oncoming headlights,
as that will give you a major temporary blind spot. However, the light
is still entering your eye and saturating the rods and lowering your
ability to see in low light conditions. You won't have one giant blind
spot in your center of vision, but you'll still have overall diminished
perception.

Much better if we all use our high beams only when there is no oncoming
traffic within a quarter mile or so, even it that traffic is a hundred
yards offset.

Matt

 

That's what everyone is taught and it does work for those times when some
idiot won't dim their lights, but it's a second best solution that is better
served by drivers not using their high beams in the first place. When you
are looking down at the shoulder you are not fully seeing the road in front
of you as needed to be driving. It really wouldn't be a problem if other
drivers didn't make excuses for driving into oncoming traffic with their
high beams - or behind others.

 

......Yup. that was what I implied by saying I try to protect my night
vision.

 

I guess I am one of those morons. In fact, if I could get rockets
installed on my car, I would definitely shoot them at you.

Especially on winding roads, even with a median, high-beams from
oncoming traffic are incredibly harmful on other drivers' night vision.

By the way,

* I have driven quite a bit in NY, PA, NJ, MD, DC, VA, IL, OH, and I do
not remember any interstates with a hundred yard median.

* Is there really such a great chance of encountering deer on interstate
highways? I am assuming, 100 yard medians don't exist on back country
roads.

* Do you also think it is a good idea to switch to high beams in dense
fog, and drive really close to the car in front of you?

Sinan

 

There are a few places with medians this wide, several on I-80 for
example, but they often have trees or rock formations in the median that
block the lights effectively. However, there aren't many medians 100
years wide in PA that have no obstacles between the lanes. Personally,
if there are no obstacles in the median to block the light, then I dim
my lights when an oncoming car approaches in the opposite lanes.


Matt

 

Of course, but I was ignoring those stretches, because, in that case,
oncoming traffic would not have been able to tell if Tom was using high
beams.

Thank you ;-)

I drive the I-81, I-380, I-80, I-280 route between Ithaca, NY and
Hoboken, NJ fairly often, and encounter far too many people who seem not
to care.

Sinan

 

While I agree with everything else you said, I will point out that in the
Northeast it is very common to encounter deer on the interstates. Carcasses
are quite frequent. Having said that, it is also quite easy to see deer on
or near the median or shoulder of the road. I've seen several car/deer
collisions on the interstates and every time the driver had plenty of time
to see and be prepared for a deer strike. The biggest problem (though not
the sole cause) of car/deer encounters is drivers who believe their sole
obligation is to point the car toward their destination and step on the gas.

 

I must be blanking then. Yes, I have seen the occasional carcass or two
on I-81 or I-90, but that, in my memory, seems to be overwhelmed by the
sheer number of carcasses I see on rural upstate NY routes. Is that
because the interstates are cleaned up more quickly?

I have been very lucky in that I have not had more than a handful of
encounters with deer on the road in the last 15 years in Ithaca where
the deer population has gotten so brazen to roam around down town on
occasion.

I remember one cold winter night when I ended up waiting at a bus stop
along with a family of deer. Let me tell you, bambi is cute, but I was
scared ;-)

Agreed. And those who think that brakes work instantly under all
conditions.

Sinan
--
A. Sinan Unur <>
(remove .invalid and reverse each component for email address)

comp.lang.perl.misc guidelines on the WWW:
http://augustmail.com/~tadmc/clpmisc/clpmisc_guidelines.html

 

No need to be scared of a whitetail. Now a black bear with cubs is a
different story!

Matt

 

We don't have anywhere near that kind of seperation on our roadways here so
I can't comment from experience, but based on my experience as outlined
below, I'd be giving the lights right back to you these days.

I'll have to agree with you here.... read on for the reason

I actually see more deer on the sides of the freeway than I do on smaller
roadways here in NE GA....maybe it's just a local thing.

2 years ago I was on 515 (which is a 4 lane divided highway with the median
averaging about 25-30 yards wide) when aforementioned *insert
character-assassination word of choice here* in the oncoming lane failed to
match my courtesy of dimming the brights. Immediately upon passing by each
other 3 things happened in the blink of an eye. (1) I switched back to my
brights and there by my drivers side front fender where I had seen nothing
before because of the blinding lights (2) I see a deer running flat out
*into* my path (best guess is that he was running to avoid the other car)
and (3) *BOOM* she hit me. Luckily for me, only her head was in front of the
car (Honda Accord) at impact or she might have slid straight up into the
cabin with me. As it was, the impact started the body spinning wildly down
the side of the car and I had pretty heavy damage to the hood, front bumper
cover, drivers side front fender, drivers door, mirror removed, drivers
window, rear passenger door, rear quarter panel and rear bumper cover.

Nowadays, If they don't dim, I just just give it right back to them.

KW