In Europe, where they have had HID lights for much longer they don't seem to have had these complaints, or at leat I haven't heard about them Maybe that is because even the non-HID headlights have been brighter all along. The sharp cutoff that we have on the S2K is also standard in Europe.

 

Well, it wasn't easy but I dug up a current NHTSA report on glare from lighting systems in general. The URL is http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/glare.html and if you go scroll down to section 2.2 yo see some of the discussion on HID lighting systems. They also address high mounted lights in SUV's as well as the crappy wannabe HID bulbs offered for ricers.

If you are truly serious about making a reasoned comment about this, you can go to this URL http://dms.dot.gov/search/searchFormSimple.cfm and enter docket # 8885. This brings up a list of the documents and queries and all the comments to date...all 37 pages to date. You can read all the comments should you desire and it also has instructions to file your own comments. Being that this is a government agency and you're making an official filing, there is a fair amount of bureaucratic red tape to deal with but it's obviously a significant issue and one that might affect us in the future.

Personally, I think the lights promote safety and certainly help in a smaller car such as ours. Most of the complaints are probably caused by those who don't have the lights aimed properly. In the case of the S, this can be compounded by those who chose to install "JDM" lights that have the wrong (RHD) lighting pattern and will most certainly cause increased problems to other users of the road.
NOTE: The previous paragraph is my opinion only so flame away if need be.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ludedude
[B]
Personally, I think the lights promote safety and certainly help in a smaller car such as ours.

 

There are a lot of people out there who hate them because they are available only on the very expensive cars, and therefor represent all that is wrong with our capitalist society. These are likely the same type of people who would key or vandalize a similarly nice car. Shall we call it "beamus envy"??

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by yu888
[B]

To add to your comments, I think that another factor makes our car's headlights seem that much more annoying to others, our stiff suspension.

 

Agreed. There is still a certain novelty factor to the bluish tint, and people will look directly at them rathe than ahead on the road in front of them. Give it a few years and teh problem will go away once HIDs are common household goods...

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ludedude
[B]Well, it wasn't easy but I dug up a current NHTSA report on glare from lighting systems in general.

 

Something else to think about is the sharp edge of the light pattern that causes the lights appear to flash as the the car goes over bumps, or coming over the top of a hill. If you've ever been followed by an s2000 you know what I mean. It looks like you are constantly being flashed by high beams. Maybe the headlight manufacturers could develop a beam pattern with a softer edge. This would stop the flashing effect for other drivers and could also help remove the blind area that exists beyond the reach of the low beams. That would be especially helpful at high speeds where it is pretty easy to outdrive the range of the low beams.

 

When I was younger, bright headlights bothered me more than now. I think there are two reasons for this.

1. My eyes are older and are not as sensitive to light.

2. When I began to drive, there were many more two lane roadways in my area than now. Most of the roads had to be upgraded to divided highways. The old two lane roads meant that oncoming traffic was in the direct beam path of the headlights, as apposed to off to the side view you get from divided highways.

These complaints may be coming from two lane road drivers. In that case halogens and HID's should be pretty abusive on the eyes and the glare is temporaoly blinding. I was a passenger in a car that almost hit a couple if idiots walking in the road. We could not see the lane ahead of us becasue of the glare form the oncoming halogens. Once the car passed us we could again see the road with two people walking ahead of us. Fortuneately we had alread started slowing down because of the glare and we stopped before tagging them.


Now I am mainly bothered by the SUV/truck lights directed in my mirrors when stopped in traffic. At least with the S the lights don't shine in the rearview at a traffic light.


I did get a twisted feeling of satisafaction when an SUV flashed me because he thought my lights were to bright

 

I think people just notice the blue lights more and as a result look into the light... Halogen projector headlamps are just as glaring but people are less likely to look because the white/yellow light does not attract as much attention.

That said, those people driving around with JDM HID's are probably the worst culprits causing glare to oncoming cars.

The S2000's short wheelbase and stiff suspension does not help with the flashing effect either.