Seeing at night

[albertson]

One of the topics in this forum is, how to get the best image at night. Typically we rightly focus on which dash cam has the best ability. Obviously we need to make the best of what car situation we are driving now, so we focus on the dash cam performance.

Another element in this night vision is how well do our headlights help the task. Several threads exist discussing pros and cons and practical limits of the car we own (it's headlights, standard, Halogen, HID and LED). The reflector, lense and beam control (wide angle, shielding etc) are fixed within that design.

I am happy to find that an insurance institute group is starting a rating system for new cars, measuring the effective performance of the cars headlights on an outdoor track, with instruments and human observations. I hope this causes the marketing and engineers of the car brands to put more effort into designing improved headlight performance. Over time, (as we replace current cars with ones that have better ratings) all of us can benefit with better night sight to avoid hazards, and better images on our dash cam files. This first report covers just the mid size cars they started with. Hopefully more cars will be included in future reports.

As a side note, I noticed a huge improvement in my ability to see at night when I replaced my headlights with a new set (LED Nighthawk sold by GE). Not that LED is necessarily better, just this headlight was much better designed than the ones I had used previously. Much like the contrast shown in the article below. I think the car's headlights performance is overall design as the reflector, the lens, and many other factors are important, beyond just the bulb. Some after-market HID conversions are terrible. My old car allowed the complete headlight set to be replaced so there was improvements in reflector, lense, lumens and beam control.

Before you comment, I suggest you first read the articles at below links. This not about brighter-glaring lights.
First-ever IIHS headlight ratings show most need improvement.
IN THE DARK.

 

[Ukraine Visitor]

The types of headlights one's vehicle has does nothing for nighttime recording of the new second half of all 2-channel dash cam systems, but at least one vendor is selling outward-facing interior lights for nighttime recording - including parking mode. I will try to find the link and post it.

 

[jokiin]

The types of headlights one's vehicle has does nothing for nighttime recording of the new half of all 2-channel dash cam system, but at least one vendor is selling outward facing interior lights for nighttime recording - including parking mode. I will try to find the link and post it.

headlight type makes a lot of difference to night results

 

[Ukraine Visitor]

headlight type makes a lot of difference to night results

My point was the one's headlights don't help with the rear dash cam.

 

[jokiin]

My point was the one's headlights don't help with the rear dash cam.

no, that suffers from other peoples headlights, the front is still an issue though, particularly in the model you're looking at as it's not a great low light performer to begin with

 

[Ukraine Visitor]

no, that suffers from other peoples headlights, the front is still an issue though, particularly in the model you're looking at as it's not a great low light performer to begin with

 

[Nigel]

"The Prius v's LED low beams should give a driver traveling straight at 70 mph enough time to identify an obstacle on the right side of the road, where the light is best, and brake to a stop," ... the halogen lights on the BMW 3 series are the worst. A driver with those headlights would have to be going 35 mph or slower to stop in time for an obstacle in the travel lane.

The Prius has low beams 4 times brighter than BMW high beams? What happens when one come over the top of a hill and you get blinded because the low beam is pointing straight at you?

Although high brightness is good for both cameras and human eyes to see things that are in the beam, once the exposure has been adjusted / human eyes have dark adapted for the high brightness, anything outside the beam becomes harder to see as it gets lost in the darkness and the most important things to see are often out of the beam, maybe illuminated only by street lighting. I do wonder which if those BMW lights might be both safer and better for a high sensitivity dashcam than the Prius lights which have been given a far higher score?

Also, since number plates are reflective in most countries, high brightness lights mean that if they are in the beam they are more likely to be burned out and thus unreadable, and if they are out of the beam they are more likely to be under exposed and thus unreadable.

 

[kamkar]

I dont like the lighting on many new cars, simply too bright.

Allso i think the use of LEDs have crossed over into the ridiculous, its allmost where i start to gag looking at some new cars.

I allso think this is the reason as to why many ppl here lately seem to have problems with keeping ther fog lights turned off, i do feel that with the advent of the LED lights this foglight abuse have taken off.

 

[albertson]

Generating glare to opposing traffic is part (penalty) of this rating system. No interest in starting any conflict here. Just glad to see a group helping rate vehicles for their headlight performance. Should help us all to be safer in the future. I expect BMW and other brands will want their cars rated better and make appropriate improvements.

 

[jokiin]

Generating glare to opposing traffic is part (penalty) of this rating system. No interest in starting any conflict here. Just glad to see a group helping rate vehicles for their headlight performance. Should help us all to be safer in the future. I expect BMW and other brands will want their cars rated better and make appropriate improvements.

yeah it can be disappointing when you buy a new car and your first night drive reveals the car is fitted with candles for headlights, just bought a new car and was relieved to find it has good lighting compared to our other car

 

[albertson]

Totally agree. My wifes Chevy Traverse 2013 has far better head light performance than her prior car (Impala). Not brightness, just beam focus and effectiveness. The Traverse and the Nighthawks have a near black-out effect as a horizontal line. No glare to opposing traffic. In attached photo, note the difference in bottom half vs top half of the red car.

 

[jokiin]

I bought Japanese again this time, they seem to understand the need for good lighting

 

[Ralph2]

Those super bright head lights are dangerous when not properly adjusted. You.. may be able to see better but if it blinds the guy coming towards you and he runs into you it is all for naught.

 

[jokiin]

the headlights have a different pattern on each side so as not the blind oncoming traffic, that's regulation here, not sure if all countries do the same but would be common sense I would think

 

[Ralph2]

but would be common sense I would think

Yes.. one would think.. But driving at night one soon realizes that there are a lot of misaligned lights.

 

[DT MI]

...But driving at night one soon realizes that there are a lot of misaligned lights.

My experience has been that most of those are improperly done after-market conversions of some sort - usually HIDs.

 

[petepete]

my 20 vt had lights that limited its performance at night..

I put HID s in dipped and main and it became the car it should have been and yes I know they take time to warm when flicking to main beam but you get used to Pre warming them and were a must for country lanes giving stadium lighting !

I defy any dashcam not to give good results with Good HID s !

 

[kamkar]

Yeah asymetrical lighting on most cars.

What i forgot to mention above beside the light annoy me is allso the designs that LEDs and what not make the factories use.

You cant change bulp type here, you might be able to get another whole lamp assembly thats approved for your car.
Bt you are not allowed to put HID bulps in another type headlight, not that it stop kids here cuz they have to be damm unlucky to run into a cop that have the time to write it up.

 

[Ukraine Visitor]

LED daytime running lights (DRLs) are here to stay...
and just like every car manufacturer has a logo that identifies it to consumers, they now also seem to have have developed their own unique DRL "signature" pattern specific to their brand!