This has become a major issue. I own a couple of older couples that sit low to the ground, and the number of times I’m damn near blinded by clearly non-street legal headlamps done with aftermarket lighting kits is ridiculous. Can be oncoming traffic, or driving behind me; both scenarios are bad. And it’s not much better when I’m driving my work truck (which is at factory heights with standard 18″ wheels) even though it sits higher than the car.
Part of the reason for this is lax to non-existent enforcement/flagging of these items during state vehicle inspections. Police could cite drivers for this sort of shit too, but virtually never do. As much as I loathe the state poking it’s nose into things, this is the kind of issue where enforcement would actually be useful.
Most of them already *are* illegal in many places, but the law is not enforced.
The packaging usually says “for offroad use only” somewhere in fine print.
Yes, to clarify, most of the offending headlamps are aftermarket mods that are not DOT approved, and are not street legal. This stuff is all over eBay and scamazon. Legit LED upgrades (DOT approved) for older vehicles are generally quite abit more costly than the stuff one finds sold by the truckload online.
For example, Trucklite makes some 6054 rectangular sealed beam headlamp replacements that are LED, but are spec’d at the proper lumen levels and have a DOT approved faceted lens to keep the beam properly focused. Lack of focus and wild dispersion of light is as much an issue as bulbs that are too damned bright
A lot of people are also “upgrading” 10-15 year old luxury vehicles that came from the factory with HID lighting to LED, often with very nasty results.
Another problem is when the jackwads lift their useless trucks they don’t readjust the lights to the proper aim point.
I could go off on a rant about the uselessness of over lifted trucks with oversize tires.
Should be illegal on all county, state and interstate roads.
AMEN!
I absolutely hate oncoming traffic with LED or HID headlights. Also pickups behind me with their lights even with or higher than my side mirrors.
This has become a major issue. I own a couple of older couples that sit low to the ground, and the number of times I’m damn near blinded by clearly non-street legal headlamps done with aftermarket lighting kits is ridiculous. Can be oncoming traffic, or driving behind me; both scenarios are bad. And it’s not much better when I’m driving my work truck (which is at factory heights with standard 18″ wheels) even though it sits higher than the car.
Part of the reason for this is lax to non-existent enforcement/flagging of these items during state vehicle inspections. Police could cite drivers for this sort of shit too, but virtually never do. As much as I loathe the state poking it’s nose into things, this is the kind of issue where enforcement would actually be useful.
*I own a couple of coupes, not couples. FFS.
Most of them already *are* illegal in many places, but the law is not enforced.
The packaging usually says “for offroad use only” somewhere in fine print.
Yes, to clarify, most of the offending headlamps are aftermarket mods that are not DOT approved, and are not street legal. This stuff is all over eBay and scamazon. Legit LED upgrades (DOT approved) for older vehicles are generally quite abit more costly than the stuff one finds sold by the truckload online.
For example, Trucklite makes some 6054 rectangular sealed beam headlamp replacements that are LED, but are spec’d at the proper lumen levels and have a DOT approved faceted lens to keep the beam properly focused. Lack of focus and wild dispersion of light is as much an issue as bulbs that are too damned bright
A lot of people are also “upgrading” 10-15 year old luxury vehicles that came from the factory with HID lighting to LED, often with very nasty results.
I like my off road lights but they are for OFF ROAD. It’s right there in the name.