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- Nov 13, 2014
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Have you ever flashed your high beam at someone and have them switch off their headlights because glare affected you?
You may have thought they were driving with their high beams but it most likely was a case of using "HID in the normal headlights." Essentially, using High Intensity Discharge(HID) bulbs in a halogen reflector housing changes the way light is distributed from the housing. When designed, halogen reflector headlamps are designed to work with a specific light source, that is the bulb is at a certain length and the light comes out of the bulb at a certain angle. Knowing this, manufacturers design their headlights to safely make the most use of the light given by halogen bulbs.
However, when people decide that they want more light and switch to HID kits, they are doing an injustice to themselves and to other road users. HID is a more efficient system since it uses less power and produces less heat but if you have ever had witnessed what an HID bulb looks like compared to a standard halogen bulb, you'll instantly notice how much longer the HID bulb really is and you'll also notice that light emits from an HID bulb in a much different position than a regular halogen bulb.
Therefore, when placed in a regular halogen reflector headlight, HIDs tend to disperse light much differently to halogen bulbs and without spacing the bulb using washers to get the "xenon arc" at the same point as the halogen filament, light thrown from an HID bulb hits the base of the reflector and shoots straight toward your face deleting any "cut off lines" that existed with a halogen bulb. This is why you may notice some HID kits come with a metal shield that is placed below the bulb. This shield helps to prevent light from being aimed at you directly(casper shield).
So I ask the question, do you ever find yourself unable to see when facing toward cars with "HIDs" installed? Do you ever feel like you're blinded and need to stop to avoid running off the road or running into something because the light is so intense?
You may have thought they were driving with their high beams but it most likely was a case of using "HID in the normal headlights." Essentially, using High Intensity Discharge(HID) bulbs in a halogen reflector housing changes the way light is distributed from the housing. When designed, halogen reflector headlamps are designed to work with a specific light source, that is the bulb is at a certain length and the light comes out of the bulb at a certain angle. Knowing this, manufacturers design their headlights to safely make the most use of the light given by halogen bulbs.
However, when people decide that they want more light and switch to HID kits, they are doing an injustice to themselves and to other road users. HID is a more efficient system since it uses less power and produces less heat but if you have ever had witnessed what an HID bulb looks like compared to a standard halogen bulb, you'll instantly notice how much longer the HID bulb really is and you'll also notice that light emits from an HID bulb in a much different position than a regular halogen bulb.
Therefore, when placed in a regular halogen reflector headlight, HIDs tend to disperse light much differently to halogen bulbs and without spacing the bulb using washers to get the "xenon arc" at the same point as the halogen filament, light thrown from an HID bulb hits the base of the reflector and shoots straight toward your face deleting any "cut off lines" that existed with a halogen bulb. This is why you may notice some HID kits come with a metal shield that is placed below the bulb. This shield helps to prevent light from being aimed at you directly(casper shield).
So I ask the question, do you ever find yourself unable to see when facing toward cars with "HIDs" installed? Do you ever feel like you're blinded and need to stop to avoid running off the road or running into something because the light is so intense?
