LED headlights.

[guest5079]

It appears the whole question has been referred back to the United Nations. Yes, I was surprised when this was stated by a RAC representative on the box. LED lights are becoming a nuisance due to the 'blue light' which the human eye has a problem with.

[andruec]

How do you know it's dazzling them, though? Just because you are on main beam while a car is in front of you doesn't mean you are dazzling the driver. Headlights have a very specific pattern and if the drivers eyes do not lie within the primary area they will not be being dazzled. In the same way that I can illuminate your face with an electric torch but not dazzle you by pointing it to one side.

Two examples:
1. I can see the light from an approaching vehicle coming round a corner whereas the auto mainbeam waits to see the headlights before responding.

If the vehicle is around a corner its driver can't be dazzled by your lights.

2. The auto mainbeam doesn't see a vehicle side on at a junction because it can't see the lights so will happily stay on main beam.

The same argument applies. And my Jazz dips its headlights when vehicles are waiting at a junction - maybe you should get your dealer to look at yours.

[andruec]

Amazing all these automatic gizmos on your car these days, I don't know how we coped when we had to put our own lights on and select dipped beam now and again. We even had to select the wipers to on when it was raining.
Now we have got all these driving aids it means we can spend much more time sending text messages and making phone calls !

Maybe we will. There was a time when people had to adjust fuel mixture and revs manually when the engine was cold. There was a time when people had to adjust the air/fuel mixture manually when accelerating. There was a time when people had to use a lever to operate windscreen wipers. There was even a time (amazing) when people actually had to select their own gear ratios.

Those times are gone. It's called progress. Auto dip is here and the vast majority of the time it works just fine.

[removed by Admin]

[VicW]

It's called progress. Auto dip is here and the vast majority of the time it works just fine.

In a car without auto dip the driver would occasionally be a bit slow dipping their head lights or putting it another way, 'the vast majority of the time it works just fine'. Progress?
In my car the auto wipers work very well, the vast majority of the time. The auto headlights are not very good as they do not come on under certain conditions when I would choose to put them on such as some rainy conditions or falling snow. Progress?
Under certain conditions auto headlights can momentarily flash headlights. This might lead oncoming drivers think you were giving them right of way. Progress?
The distracting 'infotainment system' made by Honda is progress?
So I'm a Luddite, maybe so but when all these progressive modifications in a car work without hazard to other road users then I'll change my mind.

Vic.

[John Ratsey]

There was a time when people had to use a lever to operate windscreen wipers. There was even a time (amazing) when people actually had to select their own gear ratios.

Those times are gone. It's called progress.

I'm all for progress if it works properly but it seems that we are being subjected to what are potential improvements still in need of final debugging and refinement. Progress meant that my Mk 2 Jazz had auto wipers which a very rarely had to fiddle with. Further progress meant that the auto wipers on the Mk 3 Jazz (when I had it) and my current HR-V are so erratic that I have returned to manual control.

Maybe the auto main beam can see a car sideways on at an urban junction with streetlights but not if there is no street lighting or maybe it can't recognise a dark coloured vehicle. Consequently it works most of the time but is most annoying when it doesn't because the blinded driver is probably cursing me for not dipping the lights. However, I accept that there is a short delay between headlights coming round a bend and the driver's eyeballs getting into view so the  auto headlights should have have time to react.

Anyway, we are getting off-topic. Has anyone got a definitive reference to confirm that aftermarket LED headlights are an MoT failure or are the new rules currently only gunning for HID bulbs?

[culzean]

It appears the whole question has been referred back to the United Nations. Yes, I was surprised when this was stated by a RAC representative on the box. LED lights are becoming a nuisance due to the 'blue light' which the human eye has a problem with.

There is a lot more blue light from a lot of HID (even OEM fitted HID, in fact the more expensive the vehicle the bluer and more dazzling they seem to be ) because it is an electric arc and colour temperature in excess of 9000K and blue light at night is very distracting because the human eye is very sensitive  to it (note how even a dim blue light catches your eye at night,  and it is why emergency services use blue to get your attention).   Most LED headlight bulbs are in the region of 4500 to 6000K, which is daylight.  My LED bulbs are great at picking things out rather than being ultra-bright because the colour balance is just right for the human eye. 

http://bestheadlightbulbs.com/best-hid-color-headlight-color-guide/

[Downsizer]

http://bestheadlightbulbs.com/best-hid-color-headlight-color-guide/

The reference to yellow fog lights is interesting.  The sky is blue in broad daylight because short wavelength (blue) light is more easily scattered than longer wavelengths nearer the red end of the spectrum.  Hence an orange/red sky around a setting sun.  So yellow fog lights make sense for not being scattered so easily.

[guest7504]

My new Jazz CVT came with led lights and they are excellent, much better than the Osram H4 Super Lights in my previous car.  The 'quality' of the light seems much better and I can certainly see well in unlit lanes around here but have not been 'flashed' by oncoming cars so perhaps are not causing others any problems.  The main beam adds to the dipped beam and automatically dips if the ambient light is high enough not to need them and if there are any on coming lights, it responds faster than I can!  A definite improvement but I will hate ever having to pay to replace one!
I'm not sure but think it is only legal to have leds in a light unit designed for them, they would be a compromise and possibly glare too.  I would however add a high level led brake unit to an older car without one.
The UK may be slow in adopting new tech but Northern Ireland is slower! Britain ratified the 250W EU electric bike exemption 20 years ago but they are still illegal here in NI   

[culzean]

My new Jazz CVT came with led lights and they are excellent, much better than the Osram H4 Super Lights in my previous car.  The 'quality' of the light seems much better and I can certainly see well in unlit lanes around here but have not been 'flashed' by oncoming cars so perhaps are not causing others any problems. 

That is what I said about the aftermarket Phillip ZES chip H4 I fitted to wifes Jazz GE, they are not much brighter than standard 55/60 watt   filament bulbs (especially the 150% brighter ones which, if claims are true pump out 85/90watts  ) Philips LED are  are rated at 80/80watt equivalent - but the 'quality' of the light (being nearer to natural daylight colour) is so much better at illuminating the road, cats eyes and signs etc.

Neither myself or my wife has been flashed while driving on dip, and  can tell by beam pattern of garage door and the rear of cars in front that the beam pattern and alignment is good.

[VicW]

The reference to yellow fog lights is interesting.  The sky is blue in broad daylight because short wavelength (blue) light is more easily scattered than longer wavelengths nearer the red end of the spectrum.  Hence an orange/red sky around a setting sun.  So yellow fog lights make sense for not being scattered so easily.

Years ago when foglights were add on extras they were about six inches wide, often oblong in shape to provide a flat beam and the bulbs provided yellow light. They worked too.

Vic.

[culzean]

The reference to yellow fog lights is interesting.  The sky is blue in broad daylight because short wavelength (blue) light is more easily scattered than longer wavelengths nearer the red end of the spectrum.  Hence an orange/red sky around a setting sun.  So yellow fog lights make sense for not being scattered so easily.

Years ago when foglights were add on extras they were about six inches wide, often oblong in shape to provide a flat beam and the bulbs provided yellow light. They worked too.

Vic.

Yes, they worked in 'smog' which had the consistency of thick porridge and made your face black if you were walking or on a motorbike.  Don't really need foglights in the light mist that is called fog these days,  these days motorway spray can be much worse than fog,  especially in the dark.