Author Topic: Main Beam Assist  (Read 10719 times)

Skyrider

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #15 on: October 21, 2018, 07:06:03 PM »
Most drivers understand how auto lights work, I have never had a driver in front puzzled enough to get out and ask me why my lights are on.

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« Last Edit: November 25, 2018, 11:42:14 AM by RichardA »

sparky Paul

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #16 on: October 22, 2018, 09:29:13 AM »
Our No.1 car has "high beam assist", auto headlights, and also adaptive lighting, which alters the beam pattern according to the road speed and weather conditions. That bit, and the auto headlights, works quite well, but I understand now why so many drivers in new cars blind you with their headlights rounding bends etc..

It's a pain on duel carriageways especially, where lorry drivers don't like being blinded - the armco barriers often mask the headlights of lorries coming the other way and you have to dip manually. Only sometimes, the system doesn't like that, and insists on full beam again. The lorry drivers must think you're bonkers.

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« Last Edit: November 25, 2018, 11:43:43 AM by RichardA »

John A

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #17 on: October 22, 2018, 12:26:02 PM »
I Had a Qashqai with automatic lights. Easily fooled into thinking that the reflection from a road sign was an oncoming vehicle, applied the main beam, even though half a second later it went off because of the above or a vehicle was approaching.

In some respects automatic lights are a good idea, so at least at night those drivers who try to save electricity by not having their lights on, are overruled by the car's sensors.

I'd guess that the lights sensors are fooled by snow, just like the lane assist etc tools.

Skyrider

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #18 on: October 22, 2018, 01:46:20 PM »
Don't worry about auto lights or high beams in snow, LED headlights don't melt snow so you won't notice.  :D

Downsizer

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #19 on: October 23, 2018, 04:21:35 PM »
I Had a Qashqai with automatic lights. Easily fooled into thinking that the reflection from a road sign was an oncoming vehicle, applied the main beam, even though half a second later it went off because of the above or a vehicle was approaching.

In some respects automatic lights are a good idea, so at least at night those drivers who try to save electricity by not having their lights on, are overruled by the car's sensors.

I'd guess that the lights sensors are fooled by snow, just like the lane assist etc tools.

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 I've not noticed a problem on the Jazz with light reflected from road signs.  I don't know why not - could it be something to do with reflected light being polarised?
« Last Edit: November 25, 2018, 11:47:23 AM by RichardA »

ColinS

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #20 on: October 23, 2018, 05:08:08 PM »
Back on topic, I've not noticed a problem on the Jazz with light reflected from road signs.  I don't know why not - could it be something to do with reflected light being polarised?

I also noticed that the Jazz can tell the difference between reflective red marker posts and tail lights.

andruec

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #21 on: October 23, 2018, 06:19:30 PM »
Back on topic, I've not noticed a problem on the Jazz with light reflected from road signs.  I don't know why not - could it be something to do with reflected light being polarised?

I also noticed that the Jazz can tell the difference between reflective red marker posts and tail lights.
Yeah the main beam logic is pretty good. I'm not convinced that it sometimes gets it wrong. Just because a vehicle is in front of you doesn't mean that it's being dazzled. The main beams have a particular pattern and if correctly programmed the car could leave the lights on longer than a human would because the car knows it's not a problem.

I'd put the main beam handling forward as an example of good automatic technology.

culzean

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #22 on: October 23, 2018, 09:40:19 PM »
Back on topic, I've not noticed a problem on the Jazz with light reflected from road signs.  I don't know why not - could it be something to do with reflected light being polarised?

I also noticed that the Jazz can tell the difference between reflective red marker posts and tail lights.
Yeah the main beam logic is pretty good. I'm not convinced that it sometimes gets it wrong. Just because a vehicle is in front of you doesn't mean that it's being dazzled. The main beams have a particular pattern and if correctly programmed the car could leave the lights on longer than a human would because the car knows it's not a problem.

I'd put the main beam handling forward as an example of good automatic technology.

I turn my main beam off the second I see lights approaching, probably long before the auto feature would. Having spent a lot of time commuting on unlit B roads my pet hate is dazzling headlights and I give others all the courtesy I can.  Your sensors don't know if your lights are dazzling oncoming driver, and leaving mains on longer does not sound good to me.  This sounds like another ' auto ' feature for drivers who are not paying attention.
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

sparky Paul

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #23 on: October 23, 2018, 10:26:15 PM »
I turn my main beam off the second I see lights approaching, probably long before the auto feature would. Having spent a lot of time commuting on unlit B roads my pet hate is dazzling headlights and I give others all the courtesy I can.  Your sensors don't know if your lights are dazzling oncoming driver, and leaving mains on longer does not sound good to me.  This sounds like another ' auto ' feature for drivers who are not paying attention.

Having now had a car with this feature, I have to agree 100%.

I thought it was quite clever at the beginning, but after a while it became apparent that there are many instances where the forward facing camera cannot see oncoming headlights clearly, but the oncoming driver would have a direct line of sight to your full beam. I mentioned the issue with lorries and dual carriageways earlier, but there are other examples, even gentle bends and a low hedge or bank can leave you blinding an oncoming driver for a considerable time. Not only that, the HID lights fitted are extremely bright on full beam, it's like broad daylight, and carry for some considerable distance.

Even when a car rounds a bend in clear view, there is a short period when the driver is dazzled before both headlights are pointing towards you and the system recognises it as an oncoming car, and motorbikes are not always seen. I would have dipped much earlier in most cases than the car does.

It can also be fooled by tail lights too. With cars, it's generally very good at spotting them at distance, but it also insists on dipped lights whenever I'm driving towards directly at of the local power stations, which have red navigation lights up the chimneys. You see multiple pairs of red lights in the air on the 600ft stacks, but the car thinks it's another vehicle, even a mile or two away.

I mostly switch it off now, but the car turns it back on if you stop and restart the car. Maybe some systems are better than others, but if I could turn mine off permanently, I would. The other bits such as side lighting, auto lights and adaptive beam work well, but I don't like this main beam assist.

Downsizer

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #24 on: October 23, 2018, 10:45:10 PM »
These have not been my experiences with the main beam assist on my Mk 3 Jazz.

sparky Paul

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #25 on: October 23, 2018, 11:10:48 PM »
These have not been my experiences with the main beam assist on my Mk 3 Jazz.

As I say, some systems might be better than others, and I have no experience of the Honda system. I'm all for driver aids, but I'm just not keen on the system fitted to my Vauxhall.

That said, culzean's point is still valid - there are instances where a considerate driver would dip before seeing the oncoming car's headlights, rounding bends, brow of a hill, etc., and these systems don't, as a rule, dip lights until it recognises the headlights of the oncoming vehicle.

John A

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #26 on: October 24, 2018, 06:54:59 AM »
That said, culzean's point is still valid - there are instances where a considerate driver would dip before seeing the oncoming car's headlights, rounding bends, brow of a hill, etc., and these systems don't, as a rule, dip lights until it recognises the headlights of the oncoming vehicle.

Classic case is a lorry coming over the brow of a hill, I can see its side lights above the cab, the cars sensors ignore them till it sees the headlights.

At least with auto lights, when it's dark the intellectually challenged / forgetful still have the correct lights on.

ColinB

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #27 on: October 24, 2018, 07:41:28 AM »
That said, culzean's point is still valid - there are instances where a considerate driver would dip before seeing the oncoming car's headlights, rounding bends, brow of a hill, etc., and these systems don't, as a rule, dip lights until it recognises the headlights of the oncoming vehicle.

Classic case is a lorry coming over the brow of a hill, I can see its side lights above the cab, the cars sensors ignore them till it sees the headlights.


Other examples where a human would/should dip but the high beam assist doesn’t are:
- cyclists
- pedestrians
- vehicles side-on to you (eg waiting to emerge from a side junction)

So even if you are using the auto-dip, you still have to be prepared to override it at short notice.

sparky Paul

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #28 on: October 24, 2018, 09:09:01 AM »
So even if you are using the auto-dip, you still have to be prepared to override it at short notice.

Even that can be a bit fraught, I find myself hovering over the stalk for a moment waiting for it to auto dip, I've lost count the number of times I've said " dip you *******"... then choosing the exact same moment to override the system when it does it itself, so you end up flashing the oncoming driver again. They must think you're mad.

Over the last few years, I've commented on the increase in drivers dipping late. As soon as i bought a car equipped with 'main beam assist', it all became clear.
« Last Edit: October 24, 2018, 10:15:36 AM by sparky Paul »

andruec

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Re: Main Beam Assist
« Reply #29 on: October 24, 2018, 10:02:05 AM »
Your sensors don't know if your lights are dazzling oncoming driver
They can predict it. The shape of the main beam is known so the area within which someone would be dazzled by it can be calculated. If the vehicle is far enough in front, off to the side because of a bend or approaching from above the main beam will not be dazzling them. A computer can perform the calculations. It's only the limitations of the human brain that make it necessary for us to dip the lights just because another vehicle is in front of us.

The calculations are so good that some manufacturers actually shape the beam to put a shadow around other vehicles. Eg; Audi's Headlight Matrix System.

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