Cars headlights getting brighter

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Cars headlights getting brighter

BarTender

3607 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#318116 17-Dec-2024 05:58

Very interesting article that takes information about how car headlights have been getting brighter and engineers

https://www.theringer.com/2024/12/03/tech/headlight-brightness-cars-accidents

“ On a recent episode of the Carmudgeon Show podcast, auto journalist Jason Cammisa described a phenomenon occurring with some LED headlights in which there are observable minor spots of dimness among an otherwise bright field of light. “With complex arrays of LEDs and of optics,” he said, “car companies realized they can engineer in a dark spot where it’s being measured, but the rest of the field is vastly over-illuminated. And I’ve had now two car companies’ engineers, when I played stupid and said, ‘What’s the dark spot?’ … And the lighting engineers are all f..king proud of themselves: ‘That’s where they measure the f..king thing!’ And I’m like, ‘You a..holes, you’re the reason that every f..king new car is blinding the 💩 out of everyone.’”

1 | 2

Smpl Mnmlst
8876 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3321450 17-Dec-2024 06:17

Sounds like a conspiracy theory and I don't usually go for those - but have to say that I have recently noticed something like this on the road. Some cars' lights do seem to be very bright - especially ones that are smaller diameter, so probably LEDs. Made me wonder if the lights were on full-beam.

I also thought maybe it was incorrect alignment - aimed a bit high - but they appear to be late-model cars, so unlikely to be that.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

BlakJak

1276 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#3321461 17-Dec-2024 08:04

Those damn Liquid Crystal Displays are so bright! 😁

But in all seriousness my car has Halogens (LED is a fancy uplift option my car does not have) and I find them very effective - but I'm pretty sure they were annoying a cabbie I was following yesterday, I realized too late he was blocking his wing mirror with his hand... Something I've had to do before, too. So it's not just LEDs.

No signature to see here, move along...

robjg63

4100 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#3321473 17-Dec-2024 08:47

The Tesla matrix headlights seem pretty good in this respect.

I say that as a driver and not someone on the receiving end - but I think they should be ok in that respect.

The cars have had the headlights installed for some time, but they just released the software to enable it early this year.

I read that Samsung make the matrix units, but Tesla re-wrote the software to make them adapt quicker.

First time I used the car after the update, I could see where it was 'seeing' refectors, tail lights, oncoming lights etc and darkening the beams in those spots.

So there is defintely quite a lot of reaction to the environment going on.

It was more noticeable in less well lit side streets - probably because there was less ambient street light about.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

Handsomedan

7304 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3321480 17-Dec-2024 09:31

I noticed people being more annoyed with my bright headlights on my RAV4 than they do on my Current BYD Atto3. I am guessing the height has something to do with it.

I do like the idea of the Matrix headlights that Tesla use, but wonder what would happen if there was any kind of glitch in the ...um...Matrix.

With regard to the original post - I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case - we all love to "get one over on the man" from time to time and that would be one way of the engineers doing it.

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.
Handsome Dan needs to stop adding three dots to every sentence...

Handsome Dan does not currently have a side hustle as the mascot for Yale

*Gladly accepting donations...

networkn

Networkn
32369 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3321530 17-Dec-2024 09:47

There was an interesting discussion on some radio station or another where an expert was saying that peoples eye sight is deteriorating due to the presence of LED lights in every environment.

Bunch of stuff around kid safety.

Can't recall that much about it.

Stu1

1770 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Subscriber

#3321532 17-Dec-2024 09:50

They definitely feel brighter , it’s a lot harder now in a non suv cars , the oncoming SUV lights are right at my eye level in the Corolla . I prefer to drive the suv at night for that reason

tehgerbil

1102 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Subscriber

#3321552 17-Dec-2024 10:58

eracode:

Sounds like a conspiracy theory and I don't usually go for those

Respectfully, it used to be a conspiracy that car makers were cheating on the emissions tests.

Air pollution causes 15% of all deaths of childrens under 5 globally.

Volkswagen have admitted they have 11 million cars belching out toxic gases and particulates well over even the generous legal limits.

Is it really a stretch they'd cheat on headlight tests in order to sell more cars too?

Like in terms of being morally capable of willingly contributing to mass deaths from pollution to make more profits, cheating on a headlight test is hardly a drop in the bucket.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

Technofreak

6533 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#3321563 17-Dec-2024 11:26

Handsomedan:

I do like the idea of the Matrix headlights that Tesla use, but wonder what would happen if there was any kind of glitch in the ...um...Matrix.

Matrix style headlights are fitted on a range a of vehicles. My 2019 Holden had them as standard on some models. The way they worked was described as like witchcraft by one owner.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

BlakJak

1276 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#3321569 17-Dec-2024 11:45

networkn:

There was an interesting discussion on some radio station or another where an expert was saying that peoples eye sight is deteriorating due to the presence of LED lights in every environment.

Bunch of stuff around kid safety.

Can't recall that much about it.

I do wonder about the purity of LED light wavelengths as against incandescent or halogen type light sources.

I actually like my halogens, despite the increased power consumption.

No signature to see here, move along...

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
8876 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3321644 17-Dec-2024 14:00

tehgerbil:

Respectfully, it used to be a conspiracy that car makers were cheating on the emissions tests.

Air pollution causes 15% of all deaths of childrens under 5 globally.

Volkswagen have admitted they have 11 million cars belching out toxic gases and particulates well over even the generous legal limits.

Is it really a stretch they'd cheat on headlight tests in order to sell more cars too?

Like in terms of being morally capable of willingly contributing to mass deaths from pollution to make more profits, cheating on a headlight test is hardly a drop in the bucket.

Sure - get your point, so could be true that there’s cheating going on. However I’m thick and don’t get how/why this might help them sell more cars.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

ezbee

2407 posts

Uber Geek

#3321650 17-Dec-2024 15:00

I suppose that how car lights effect people at the other end is not a strong marketing point. :-)

Traditionally lights have been more Yellowish/Red end of spectrum, with a broad flat curve.
https://pubs.sciepub.com/wjce/6/1/6/figure/4

LEDs where a powerful blue has some of its light converted by a coating to higher frequencies.
You end up with a powerful punch of blue peak.
Even more so for 'lower cost' conversion coatings.
High CRI (Colour Rendering Index) expensive LEDs only get a mention for indoor lighting or even inspection lights.

Even with halogen replacement bulbs, after market options competing for harsh white LED look ?
The packaging is literally blue with options of 200% brighter?
https://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/p/narva-narva-plus-200-headlight-globes---h4-12v-60-55w-48392bl2/635076.html?cgid=SCN01060401#start=12

These harsh whites with that blue peak, may result in people at the other end having a bad experience ?
It looks cool so we are stuck with it.

Jvipers2

216 posts

Master Geek

#3321976 18-Dec-2024 14:23

I believe it's because of the colour of the light beam...white-ish light can be very glaring at night

Senecio

2718 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#3321978 18-Dec-2024 14:32

Handsomedan:

I do like the idea of the Matrix headlights that Tesla use, but wonder what would happen if there was any kind of glitch in the ...um...Matrix.

If there is a glitch in the system they are designed to fall back into a "neutral" low beam position. Like most things, they have a fail safe.

BlakJak

1276 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#3324643 26-Dec-2024 14:18

And on Slashdot today:

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/12/25/173204/headlights-are-growing-brighter

No signature to see here, move along...

MadEngineer

4305 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#3324744 26-Dec-2024 16:42

This topic has come up a few times before. Frequently I come across a car where its headlights seem to be flashing but figure it must be the automatic directional adjustment that some have, or similar. Different to motor bike headlights that can flicker, most likely due to being lose.

This idea of a dark spot makes me wonder if that's actually what's going on.

I even notice it with oncoming traffic when walking the dog in the evening.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

1 | 2