HID lights

[Tom Nas]

At 14:16 14-8-02 -0700, Ti Kan wrote:
>Yep, primary offenders are the daytime running lights on many GM cars.

Luckily, DRLs are not yet mandatory here- but GM cars (Opels, in fact) have
the worst Xe systems around, most likely to dazzle oncoming traffic

>Indeed.  I think people are reacting to the fact that HIDs emit such
>a different color of light than the standard halogens.  Sure, HIDs are
>very bright, but good systems like those found on Audis have self-leveling
>feature that continuously adjust themselves so they are always aimed
>correctly.  There is the unavoidable occasional "flash" when the car rides
>over bumps or crests over a hill, but you'd get that "flash" with any
>good lighting technology.  The HIDs with their blue tinge is now getting
>the brunt of the blame just because they are so easy to identify and
>"scapegoat".

And early systems were less refined and more likely to dazzle you. The
current systems are pretty sophisticated- just take a look at the amount of
wiring and sensors in an S4...

>Just when we finally have legal advanced lighting systems on cars here in
>the US, the last thing we want is to have the government legislate them
>away due to public ignorance.

Yup... that's tough here because everything is decided in European
commissions- a good thing sometimes, but not always.

>Now, lowering the lights on SUVs would be a good idea.  Heck, I wouldn't
>shed a tear if SUVs were to go away altogether...

Another problem that's practically absent here.

Regards, Tom