...ok,ok, I know many of you are completely enamored with HID's, they look sexy, they're hi-tech, and you think they add 'prestige' to your ride simply by virtue of the fact many high ticket German cars have them stock.
...well, I'm one of the aging boomers in a very large crowd of similar folk who find that HID's can be a highly hazardous driving experience, particularly if your the person facing them head on in traffic or have them blasting your head off from behind by an idiot tailgater equipped with them.
...they are, quite simply, blinding, particularly at night and even more so if the roads are wet. It's getting to the point where many of the people I know who object to them as well (ages from 45 to 65) say if they become standard lighting without any future safety modifications for glare, they won't be able to drive any more at night. Pardon me guys, but that quite simply sucks!! If you want to design a new type of automotive lighting, then get it right or don't bother trying, stop slamming cheaply made HID's on any car just to increase the saleability.
...what's wrong with well designed projector beams? That's what Honda did to the 06 Pilot this year, they put out a nice spread of light that doesn't kill you with bright blue 'arc welder flash'. BMW seems to have at least spent the necessary engineering funds to get them right, as they don't blind you like most of the others do.
...give me your take, what do you guys think? How many of you have had the "experience"?...driving at night an a wet curvy road, only to have your retinas seared into momentary oblivion by a set of oncoming HID's? Not my idea of a good time, and making me very glad the Accord DOESN'T have them as standard equipment, after all, I wouldn't want to be blinding other guys on the road any more than having it done to me.
...sorry, just a very agitated rant after driving in the rain last night...but I do mean what I say!!

cheers,

Lorne Miller
05 EX-L deep green pearl with ivory
96 Odyssey taffeta white with sage

hence why they are illegal if not oem equipped.

I've never experienced a problem with HID's, and I would opt to get them again on a future car.

I have seen people on the forums with aftermarket HID's which would cause what you've described, mainly because they installed them incorrectly, etc.

Now what bugs me is the lifted trucks that have their lights and fog lights on behind you and blind you in either the rearview mirror (if you don't have the fancy dimming mirror) or your side mirrors. Even with tint, it can be annoying.

Some are bad, I like others though. Personally, I can't justify the money for an HID kit when I have silverstar headlights that do just fine, they look good and they aren't blinding. I am currently driving my grandpa's G35 until I get the accord back. The HID's on it aren't that bad either. Lexus is the worst, by far. :thumbsdow

Ewwwwwww

I hate to have to stare at them.

Totally with you.

I'm in agreement and it doesn't even have to be wet to cause the "look...a UFO" sensation in my aging peepers.

i had been anti-hids for a long time. then i learned that the ones that aren't standard equipment on a car are usually the ones that are horribly annoying.

then there are a few other name plates that have really annoying oem ones as well.

cadillac. nissan.

i've been trying to keep track of what cars annoy me as they approach head on or from behind me. and i've noted ALOT of nissans and caddies.....

:screwy:

anyway, when done "right" they aren't very bothersome. i had never bothered to look at which cars were bugging me until recently when stevel and i had a convo about how annoying i thought they were.

in my opinion, there should be some strict standards that those lights (as well as other headlights) have to abide by in order for them to be legal. oem or not, doesn't always seem to matter. some brand's oem ones are just as bad as afternarket jobs..... :grumpy:

HID's are the type of automobile lighting that need to be done right. I've seen alot of cars (civics, corrollas and even maximas) that attempted to put HID's (xenons) on their cars only get this blasting blue color in all directions causing havoc on the road for other drivers. However, cars without them (our Accords, certain Nissan's) I have seen done with a good job. Once there was a 7th gen Accord behind me with HID's and at first I thought it was the new Maxima only to find they retrofitted and got the light to emit the right way instead of in a blasting beam of light in several driections. Personally I like the look of HID's when done right and they do add better visibility on the road.

HID'S are especially hard on folks with blue eyes. Same as sunshine coming off of chrome in the middle of the day..

Dan

HID projectors are not bad (new Acuras, Honda S2000, Audis, BMWs, new Lexuses, new Benzes, etc).

reflector HIDs can cause glare if not done properly. (i think nissans and caddys use reflector HIDs, so that explains anysia's annoyance with nissans and caddys)

putting an HID kit in a halogen headlamp is the WORST and will cause a lot of glare, and as already mentioned, HID kits are illegal in the US.

nissan doesnt use projectors that are considered high quality. nor does cadillac.

honda and lexus use the most widely respected projectors in the industry.

s2k and tsx projectors have the greatest cutoff. while the lexus projectors have the widest beam pattern.

My TSX has HID's. It would have been nice to have auto leveling. I do get flashed at every-so-often, but I have to ask this question: Why are you staring directly at someones lights?? If HID's seem so bright, then just look down the road, not directly at them...duh...

And for the people that flash others with HID's, what the hell do you want us to do? It comes with the car, theres nothing we can do about it, so deal with it.

My TSX has HID's. It would have been nice to have auto leveling. I do get flashed at every-so-often, but I have to ask this question: Why are you staring directly at someones lights?? If HID's seem so bright, then just look down the road, not directly at them...duh...

...if you think for even a remote second that I'm actually looking into the HID beam, then your definitely crazy. One does not have to stare at HID's to recieve their brunt on a rainy night as the glare is bouncing all over the place. Whenever I see a vehicle equipped with them I look as far away as I possibly can, trust me on that. Someone mentioned that blue eyed people are more susceptible to HID glare, unfortunately I fall into that category.
...as for it not being your fault 'cuz your TSX comes stock with them...hey, nobody here said it was, if you read thru the threads you notice the names of offending manufacturers, and Honda/Acura isn't on the list...

:thmsup:

cheers,

Lorne Miller
05 EX-L deep green pearl with ivory
96 Odyssey taffeta white with sage

...if you think for even a remote second that I'm actually looking into the HID beam, then your definitely crazy. One does not have to stare at HID's to recieve their brunt on a rainy night as the glare is bouncing all over the place. Whenever I see a vehicle equipped with them I look as far away as I possibly can, trust me on that. Someone mentioned that blue eyed people are more susceptible to HID glare, unfortunately I fall into that category.
...as for it not being your fault 'cuz your TSX comes stock with them...hey, nobody here said it was, if you read thru the threads you notice the names of offending manufacturers, and Honda/Acura isn't on the list...

:thmsup:

cheers,

Lorne Miller
05 EX-L deep green pearl with ivory
96 Odyssey taffeta white with sage

Your adding words to my post. I never said anything was my fault. I was simply asking what exactly does flashing brights at us accomplish? Should we just turn off our lights perhaps? My response is to usually flip my brights on as well, which im sure they love :joker:

Bottom line is you can complain about them all you want, but flashing your lights at someone with HID's just makes you an ass. Sure, I've seen HID's from other manufactures that are just blinding, but I would/have never flashed my brights at them because I know there is a 99% chance they came with the car and there is nothing they can do about it.

What we really should be complaining about are trucks jacked 10ft high with there lights shining directly in your face or mirrors. :thumbsdow

SEMA Prevails on Motor Vehicle Lighting Rule; NHTSA Alters Interpretation on Enhanced Replacement Headlamp Systems

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 1, 2005--Following a challenge by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has withdrawn a controversial interpretation of the federal lighting standard. SEMA disputed NHTSA's constitutional and statutory authority to prohibit vehicle headlamp replacement systems that are different than the headlamps and components which came with the original vehicle. The agency's latest action reverses this ruling.


In a Nov. 1, 2005, notice published in the Federal Register, NHTSA agreed with SEMA that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108 is a performance standard that allows for different types of replacement headlamp systems, lamps and sources so long as the system meets the photometry and functionality requirements of the standard. It had been NHTSA's contention that replacement headlamps must comply with all applicable photometry requirements using the same light source as the original equipment. This interpretation would have prohibited, for example, replacing a halogen-based system with high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps that otherwise meet all requirements of FMVSS 108.

"NHTSA's reversal is wholly consistent with the statutory requirement that replacement lighting equipment meet an objective performance standard. We applaud the agency for issuing this revised ruling," said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. "A policy limiting the consumer's choice of design runs contrary to long-standing precedent, is beyond authority as delegated by Congress and could have threatened other equipment beyond lighting in the future. We are pleased that by acting on our members' behalf, we were able to overturn this policy."

NHTSA first issued its controversial interpretation in 2003 as a draft opinion letter subject to public comment. None of the 25 organizations and businesses that commented agreed with NHTSA's proposal that replacement equipment conform to the standard in the same manner as the original equipment. Instead, commenters argued that aftermarket manufacturers should be allowed to certify replacement lighting equipment under FMVSS No. 108 in such manner as complies with the performance standard it sets forth. Despite these recommendations, NHTSA stuck with its position and published a final opinion letter in October 2004. SEMA immediately petitioned the agency to reconsider its action.

"SEMA continues to stand for the right to responsibly accessorize, modify, and improve vehicles with enhanced aftermarket lighting," said SEMA Chairman Mitch Williams. "Enhanced headlamp lighting systems improve safety aspects of the vehicle and can be fully compliant with all relevant federal standards. SEMA vigorously opposed this interpretation of a long-standing regulation. It threatened to inhibit many legitimate companies who are in the business of improving vehicle lighting to the benefit of the motoring public. SEMA welcomes NHTSA's reversal and will continue to work with the agency to ensure fair and accurate implementation of this new interpretation."

Founded in 1963, SEMA represents the $32 billion specialty automotive industry of 6,466 member companies. It is the authoritative source for research, data, trends and market growth information for automakers and the specialty auto products industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. For more information contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765-0910; call 909-396-0289; or visit www.sema.org and www.enjoythedrive.com.

I was a big HID fan until I drove a car with HID's. They are no big deal...the extra lighting they provide directly in front of you makes the area way out in front seem darker. So you get better vision in the distance in front of the car where it would be too little warning to stop on the highway...but you risk not seeing the deer way out there that might just step out when it's too late. :dunno:

some cars (the TL comes to mind) have a foreground limiter so that there isnt too much light directly in front of the car.

Ok explain this one, is it possible to be different for people with color eyes.

HID'S are especially hard on folks with blue eyes. Same as sunshine coming off of chrome in the middle of the day..

Dan

I guess Im lucky Im not light sensitive. I rarely wear sunglass's. At 44 I only need them if the suns out and its snowed blareing in my face or if it blareing in my face on a concrete hwy. So HID's dont bother me at all wether there OEM or aftermarket. I kinda like to see the ones blaring light everywhere coming down the road, you can see into the woods real good.

Like most anything from apple pie to your stereo system, when done right it can be very good indeed. Done wrong and it will leave you disappointed and in need of some post cognitive dissonance.

ok, never heard the blue eyes theory.... :confused:


i know from experience that the tl's lights do not bother me. not that i spend much time on the road with stevel behind me, but enough to know.

My blue eyes which are very sensitive to light have the same reaction as snowblindness..I was once arrested at age 16(50 now) at 12 noon for DUI.. I wasn't drunk but was blinded by noon sunshine on snow cover. Bright sunshine on clean chrome does the same thing.. It makes your eyes water, and along with a slight burning sensation makes it damn hard to see.. HID's do this to me also, it must be the frequency of the lights.(Gamma's and stuff like that) Have been living with this all my life..

My 2 cents worth

Dan

I used to want HIDs because I drove in dark places and I thought the extra light would help.

Then I learned that using your high beams isn't always a bad thing to do.

So now I just use my high beams more, but dim them for oncoming traffic.

Light truck (SUV, pickup, minivan) HIDs bother me because this bright light is shining directly into your rear view mirror.

Many of them are crap. Some (notably Acura) are excellent. I commend Honda for not putting HIDs in any of its light trucks because leveler or not they simply do not belong there.

The reason I ask is because I have blue eyes, and yes I never thought that it had anything to do with me being very sensitive to bright light, which I am. I am still not convinced that it has anything to do with it, but it will be something I am willing to research and think about.

:thmsup:

My blue eyes which are very sensitive to light have the same reaction as snowblindness..I was once arrested at age 16(50 now) at 12 noon for DUI.. I wasn't drunk but was blinded by noon sunshine on snow cover. Bright sunshine on clean chrome does the same thing.. It makes your eyes water, and along with a slight burning sensation makes it damn hard to see.. HID's do this to me also, it must be the frequency of the lights.(Gamma's and stuff like that) Have been living with this all my life..

My 2 cents worth

Dan

Medical fact: In general, the lighter the eye color, the more light penetrates into the eye; i.e. light sensitive.

Then I learned that using your high beams isn't always a bad thing to do.

So now I just use my high beams more, but dim them for oncoming traffic.

.

At least you dim them for oncoming traffic, I hope you don't drive behind someone with them on though. That drives me nuts too, that the 2nd thing on my list that gives me road rage. I don't know why people have to follow me on a highway with high beams, as if the 100 other cars on the road don't make it bright enough. I have to dim my rear view and lower my side mirrors. Damn I hate that. :thumbsdow

Medical fact: In general, the lighter the eye color, the more light penetrates into the eye; i.e. light sensitive.

Interesting, It's funny when I first started wearing contacts and it was bright outside, the light used to hurt my eyes so bad. I think a combination of my eyes being sensitive to the object stuck on my eyeballs and my eyes already being sensitive to the sun, this just killed me for a while. :boohoo:

At least you dim them for oncoming traffic, I hope you don't drive behind someone with them on though. That drives me nuts too, that the 2nd thing on my list that gives me road rage. I don't know why people have to follow me on a highway with high beams, as if the 100 other cars on the road don't make it bright enough. I have to dim my rear view and lower my side mirrors. Damn I hate that. :thumbsdow


I dim for oncoming and traffic in front of me. I hate when people shine their high beams from behind, especially when big trucks have to ride your behind and shine their bright lights into your passenger compartment.

Sometimes I drive on lonely roads late at night. The risk of hitting a deer or not seeing something is pretty high. Navi is also useful for seeing corners up ahead. High beams allow me to see more of what's ahead and also on the sides.

That's cool, I ride my bike too and I still dim my high beams for on coming traffic and traffic in front of me. Most people that ride sport bikes always leave their high beam on and I hate it, if I flash people they don't seem to get a clue in cars too. I will flash high beams maybe twice, and if you don't turn them down I leave mine on until you pass or until the on coming car/bike turns theirs down.

:thumbsup:

I dim for oncoming and traffic in front of me. I hate when people shine their high beams from behind, especially when big trucks have to ride your behind and shine their bright lights into your passenger compartment.

Sometimes I drive on lonely roads late at night. The risk of hitting a deer or not seeing something is pretty high. Navi is also useful for seeing corners up ahead. High beams allow me to see more of what's ahead and also on the sides.

I must admit the headlights on our Accord are abit lack luster. The dims are really dim and basicly useless on the hwy. I spend alot of time on high beams, But always dim for on coming cars and dim when behind cars or in traffic. Im amazed at how many folks drive around with there high beams on and wont dim when you flash. Then again,, it really dosent bother me. Just the thought of it.

At least you dim them for oncoming traffic, I hope you don't drive behind someone with them on though. That drives me nuts too, that the 2nd thing on my list that gives me road rage. I don't know why people have to follow me on a highway with high beams, as if the 100 other cars on the road don't make it bright enough. I have to dim my rear view and lower my side mirrors. Damn I hate that. :thumbsdow

Just get a set of landing lights from a 747 - that'l teach 'em :biggrin:

(they might melt your bumper, though)

properly retrofitted hids are great. they light up the road better and safer. of course any sort of dips or bumps in the road may push the beam above the lower window/windshield level. other than that a good retrofit is the way to go IMHO.

Bottom line is you can complain about them all you want, but flashing your lights at someone with HID's just makes you an ass. Sure, I've seen HID's from other manufactures that are just blinding, but I would/have never flashed my brights at them because I know there is a 99% chance they came with the car and there is nothing they can do about it.:thumbsdow[/QUOTE]

Sure there's nothing they can do about it. But for your info not everybody knows HID. All they know is they're being blinded. And normal reaction is to flash the headlights thinking the opposite car has the high beams on. Does that make them an ass?

Bottom line is you can complain about them all you want, but flashing your lights at someone with HID's just makes you an ass. Sure, I've seen HID's from other manufactures that are just blinding, but I would/have never flashed my brights at them because I know there is a 99% chance they came with the car and there is nothing they can do about it.

Sure there's nothing they can do about it. But for your info not everybody knows HID. All they know is they're being blinded. And normal reaction is to flash the headlights thinking the opposite car has the high beams on. Does that make them an ass?

I know which cars come with HID's and which don't. I don't flash others for HID's, I flash them when they turn on their Halogen high beams...some just forgot to turn off their highs as they approached me so that makes it a friendly reminder. Come on let's not get into big arguments over what a flash is...

Just get a set of landing lights from a 747 - that'l teach 'em :biggrin:

(they might melt your bumper, though)

I need to put some landing lights on my rear bumper, bright lights shine in my rear view I need to shine back.

I know which cars come with HID's and which don't. I don't flash others for HID's, I flash them when they turn on their Halogen high beams...some just forgot to turn off their highs as they approached me so that makes it a friendly reminder. Come on let's not get into big arguments over what a flash is...

Exactly, and I have been a passenger many times with people that always drive with their high beams on. When I see on coming traffic I often tell them to turn off their high beams but usually they don't listen. So there are many a*holes out their that just always drive with high beam, and they don't turn them down when they are flashed because they are not paying attention or they think they are better than everyone else.

Sure there's nothing they can do about it. But for your info not everybody knows HID. All they know is they're being blinded. And normal reaction is to flash the headlights thinking the opposite car has the high beams on. Does that make them an ass?

No, I would say that makes them a "dumb"ass. If you drive on a daily basis, you should be able to put 2 and 2 together and figure that these lights are becoming more popular.

And besides, its pretty obvious when other cars have hi-beams on since there are usually 2 sets of lights on. You dont see that with HID's, so that would be another clue.

Exactly, and I have been a passenger many times with people that always drive with their high beams on. When I see on coming traffic I often tell them to turn off their high beams but usually they don't listen. So there are many a*holes out their that just always drive with high beam, and they don't turn them down when they are flashed because they are not paying attention or they think they are better than everyone else.

Thats just road rage waiting to happen...

Bottom line is you can complain about them all you want, but flashing your lights at someone with HID's just makes you an ass. Sure, I've seen HID's from other manufactures that are just blinding, but I would/have never flashed my brights at them because I know there is a 99% chance they came with the car and there is nothing they can do about it.

Sure there's nothing they can do about it. But for your info not everybody knows HID. All they know is they're being blinded. And normal reaction is to flash the headlights thinking the opposite car has the high beams on. Does that make them an ass?


I don't flash people with properly adjusted HIDs or any other type of lights for that matter. Properly adjusted lights don't blind people.

But there are some people who have an accident or get their car serviced in some ghetto shop and the headlights are all misadjusted and shine in my eye. Those are the people who I will flash or put the high beams in their face. They may not know that their headlights are causing other people pain. This is true for both HIDs and regular halogens. I consider it a friendly reminder that your lights are blinding people.

Yesterday, I was driving along the GSP headed to pick up a friend to go have dinner. This huge Ford F-150 or something like that comes behind me (I'm in the right lane) not only with high beam headlights but with spotlights on the roof and bright foglights. I could have sworn I was blind after that. I just slowed down so he could pass but he started to tailgate and honk. So I pulled into the breakdown lane and let him pass then went back on my way.

Some people are really, really inconsiderate with their headlights.

I don't flash people with properly adjusted HIDs or any other type of lights for that matter. Properly adjusted lights don't blind people.

This isn't true. I've had more than one set of Audi projector HID's blind me. I've looked in my mirrors to catch a BMW HID reflecting at just the right angle to blind me too. Remember your middle school teacher teaching you...never say never?

As I was driving to NY this evening, I tried to figure out what kind of cars give out the most glare from their headlights.. The funny thing was they're all Hondas (besides the trucks and SUV's of course)! The last gen Civics, and a 3rd gen TL! It got so bad that I had to point the driver side mirror towards the floor to avoid the glare. The best ones are actually Audi and BMW HID's.. They give out no glare whatsoever.

The best ones are actually Audi and BMW HID's.. They give out no glare whatsoever.

Not until they're pointed straight at you while coming over a hill at just the right angle. I thought they were pretty good too...until they got me one night.

yeah well, theres no way for a light to not glare into your eyes at every angle.

yeah well, theres no way for a light to not glare into your eyes at every angle.
Agreed. When a car is coming over a hill, you're expecting that it will give you some glare. There's no way around that. My biggest concern was how much the headlights glare when the car was directly behind me and when it's in the next lane over slightly behind me. Each time I find there's too much glare in the rear view mirrors, I noticed it was a Honda product or a big truck. :rolleyes:

I know which cars come with HID's and which don't. I don't flash others for HID's, I flash them when they turn on their Halogen high beams...some just forgot to turn off their highs as they approached me so that makes it a friendly reminder. Come on let's not get into big arguments over what a flash is...
First paragraph is actually a quote from someone's post. I was saying some people does'nt know if bright light is coming from a high beam or HID. So they flash! :yes:

From what I've read (from someone who works at TMMK), the 2007 Camry should get HID's as standard equipment on the XLE-V6 and maybe SE. This means the 2008 Accord EX-V6 will have them as well. For some reason, I like HID's. I don't know if it's because of the increased light/safety or the "cool" factor. I know once the Camcords get them as standard equipment on the upper trims, you'll see those bright HID's even more than today.

My blue eyes which are very sensitive to light have the same reaction as snowblindness..I was once arrested at age 16(50 now) at 12 noon for DUI.. I wasn't drunk but was blinded by noon sunshine on snow cover. Bright sunshine on clean chrome does the same thing.. It makes your eyes water, and along with a slight burning sensation makes it damn hard to see.. HID's do this to me also, it must be the frequency of the lights.(Gamma's and stuff like that) Have been living with this all my life..

My 2 cents worth

Dan
32 years old here, blue eyes and I experience the same with sensitivity.
I have heard this theory prior to this post.............

........I haven't had any issues with the HID's - although my mother complains about the same thing all the time. :dunno:

Exactly, and I have been a passenger many times with people that always drive with their high beams on. When I see on coming traffic I often tell them to turn off their high beams but usually they don't listen. So there are many a*holes out their that just always drive with high beam, and they don't turn them down when they are flashed because they are not paying attention or they think they are better than everyone else.

These are simply people who care only about me,myself and I, and are not considerate to anyone, anytime or anyplace.. Either that or a total f-ing moron.

Dan