LED lights on cars. TOO BRIGHT!!!

The latest fad on cars is to use LEDs for some of the front lights,
particularly the DRLs, and use LEDs for brake lights. Naturally, the
automakers have to overdo a good thing and have made these LEDs way
too bright. Sitting behind someone at night who has their brakes on
can blind you. And approaching one of these vehicles with the LED
DRLS will likewise blind you during the day. They are as bad or worse
then the offensive HID systems so faddish.

On 04/17/2013 05:04 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
> The latest fad on cars is to use LEDs for some of the front lights,
> particularly the DRLs, and use LEDs for brake lights. Naturally, the
> automakers have to overdo a good thing and have made these LEDs way
> too bright. Sitting behind someone at night who has their brakes on
> can blind you. And approaching one of these vehicles with the LED
> DRLS will likewise blind you during the day. They are as bad or worse
> then the offensive HID systems so faddish.
>

agreed.

the irony of this is that if you buy the led's on their own, they come
with a warning about potential eye health issues. but put them into a
consumer product, apparently the interests of the manufacturer outweigh
those of the consumer.

i even wrote to the ftc's consumer protection bureau about this
contradiction and their reaction was that of complete ignorance - they
didn't seem to understand that an led's output measured in milliwatts
could be much more intense than a bulb's measured in 10's of watts.

unfortunately, their appetite to hire technical competence is not
exactly strong at the best of times. with the budget fiasco currently
ongoing, i assign about the same probability to getting any attention to
this as i do to the retardation that is red rear turn signals.


--
fact check required

On 04/17/2013 08:04 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
> The latest fad on cars is to use LEDs for some of the front lights,
> particularly the DRLs, and use LEDs for brake lights. Naturally, the
> automakers have to overdo a good thing and have made these LEDs way
> too bright. Sitting behind someone at night who has their brakes on
> can blind you. And approaching one of these vehicles with the LED
> DRLS will likewise blind you during the day. They are as bad or worse
> then the offensive HID systems so faddish.
>

The lights still have to conform to FMVSS 108; if you have a specific
make/model in mind that you've seen being "too bright" and have the
ability to prove noncompliance you might be able to force a recall.
Unfortunately you probably don't and hiring someone to test them might
be expensive...

Unfortunately, the standards are rather lax... but honestly, I am far
less bothered by your typical LED taillights than I am by Audi drivers
who don't understand the meaning of the phrase "rear fog lights" and
90's Ford truck headlights...

nate

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On 4/17/2013 7:04 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
> The latest fad on cars is to use LEDs for some of the front lights,
> particularly the DRLs, and use LEDs for brake lights. Naturally, the
> automakers have to overdo a good thing and have made these LEDs way
> too bright. Sitting behind someone at night who has their brakes on
> can blind you. And approaching one of these vehicles with the LED
> DRLS will likewise blind you during the day. They are as bad or worse
> then the offensive HID systems so faddish.
>

Ill tell you what else bothers me. The new LED lights on police cars.
you look at the flashing lights on the cop car bar and its almost
blinding in a way. There needs to be a way to diffuse the light
in some manor to keep it from this effect.

ON our new Australian Chevy cop cars we just got here, they even
have three light strips on the side on the front fenders like the old
buick vent ports only with lights in them.



bob

On Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:35:09 -0500, bob urz >
wrote:

>On 4/17/2013 7:04 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
>> The latest fad on cars is to use LEDs for some of the front lights,
>> particularly the DRLs, and use LEDs for brake lights. Naturally, the
>> automakers have to overdo a good thing and have made these LEDs way
>> too bright. Sitting behind someone at night who has their brakes on
>> can blind you. And approaching one of these vehicles with the LED
>> DRLS will likewise blind you during the day. They are as bad or worse
>> then the offensive HID systems so faddish.
>>
>
>Ill tell you what else bothers me. The new LED lights on police cars.
>you look at the flashing lights on the cop car bar and its almost
>blinding in a way. There needs to be a way to diffuse the light
>in some manor to keep it from this effect.
>
>ON our new Australian Chevy cop cars we just got here, they even
>have three light strips on the side on the front fenders like the old
>buick vent ports only with lights in them.
>
>
>
>bob

I agree with you, they have gotten too bright. Even when the
manufacturer will provide a way to dim them for night time the big
macho police departments want them on FULL ALL THE TIME and won't
bother hooking up the dim switch.

On 4/18/2013 3:35 AM, bob urz wrote:
> On 4/17/2013 7:04 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
>> The latest fad on cars is to use LEDs for some of the front lights,
>> particularly the DRLs, and use LEDs for brake lights. Naturally, the
>> automakers have to overdo a good thing and have made these LEDs way
>> too bright. Sitting behind someone at night who has their brakes on
>> can blind you. And approaching one of these vehicles with the LED
>> DRLS will likewise blind you during the day. They are as bad or worse
>> then the offensive HID systems so faddish.
>>
>
> Ill tell you what else bothers me. The new LED lights on police cars.
> you look at the flashing lights on the cop car bar and its almost
> blinding in a way. There needs to be a way to diffuse the light
> in some manor to keep it from this effect.
>
> ON our new Australian Chevy cop cars we just got here, they even
> have three light strips on the side on the front fenders like the old
> buick vent ports only with lights in them.
>
>
>
> bob

I think cop cars should have as many lights as can be stuffed on them
and they should be on at all times. In general, I like lights on cars -
makes them easier to see. I think they should put lights on pedestrians
and dogs.

On Thursday, April 18, 2013 9:27:21 AM UTC+8, jim beam wrote:
>
> agreed.
>
> the irony of this is that if you buy the led's on their own, they come
>
> with a warning about potential eye health issues. but put them into a
>
> consumer product, apparently the interests of the manufacturer outweigh
>
> those of the consumer.
>
> i even wrote to the ftc's consumer protection bureau about this
>
> contradiction and their reaction was that of complete ignorance - they
>
> didn't seem to understand that an led's output measured in milliwatts
>
> could be much more intense than a bulb's measured in 10's of watts.
>
>
>
> unfortunately, their appetite to hire technical competence is not
>
> exactly strong at the best of times. with the budget fiasco currently
>
> ongoing, i assign about the same probability to getting any attention to
>
> this as i do to the retardation that is red rear turn signals.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> fact check required

I think the real problem is people fitting LED bulbs to old cars.
The incandescent bulb sprays light out over 300 degrees or so, then
the reflector redirects it to optimum coverage. The LEDs shoot out
a narrow dazzling beam, but from the size, there is a dim ****-weak
ember visible in total darkness.

wrote:
>
> I think the real problem is people fitting LED bulbs to old cars.
> The incandescent bulb sprays light out over 300 degrees or so, then
> the reflector redirects it to optimum coverage. The LEDs shoot out
> a narrow dazzling beam, but from the size, there is a dim ****-weak
> ember visible in total darkness.


Between the ricers with the "HID conversions" the 12" lifted diesels
with the "HID look bulbs" and the tech geeks running the LED conversion
lights (all of which skirt the legal boundaries) it is getting to the
point I think they should just start making the headlamps permanent
pieces in the vehicle. That or the inspectors who pass these things out
to lose their tags and any cop that sees them should be allowed to smash
the damn things.


--
Steve W.

On 5/1/2013 11:39 PM, wrote:
>
> I think the real problem is people fitting LED bulbs to old cars.
> The incandescent bulb sprays light out over 300 degrees or so, then
> the reflector redirects it to optimum coverage. The LEDs shoot out
> a narrow dazzling beam, but from the size, there is a dim ****-weak
> ember visible in total darkness.
>

My late Sonata had headlights that cut off the top portion of the beam
sharply. It looked like a movie picture with the top half of the screen
cut off. I don't know how they did that but it was neat stuff.

On 05/02/2013 02:38 PM, Steve W. wrote:
> wrote:
>>
>> I think the real problem is people fitting LED bulbs to old cars.
>> The incandescent bulb sprays light out over 300 degrees or so, then
>> the reflector redirects it to optimum coverage. The LEDs shoot out
>> a narrow dazzling beam, but from the size, there is a dim ****-weak
>> ember visible in total darkness.
>
>
> Between the ricers with the "HID conversions" the 12" lifted diesels
> with the "HID look bulbs" and the tech geeks running the LED conversion
> lights (all of which skirt the legal boundaries) it is getting to the
> point I think they should just start making the headlamps permanent
> pieces in the vehicle. That or the inspectors who pass these things out
> to lose their tags and any cop that sees them should be allowed to smash
> the damn things.
>
>

That's pretty much the way things are now, problem is police don't
bother writing tickets for much of anything save for speeding.

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