Worse invention of last 30yrs...

[cfz2882]

I hate white LEDs with a passion-misuse of these things for outdoor lighting has caused a dramatic increase in light pollution and glare as well as roadway and street lighting that is less effective and less safe-especially for peds than earlier technologies.I do like that outdoor fixtures with highly overdriven LEDs dim out nicely(40% or more) after a year or two I find most LED light "dingy"too. The white LED came into consumer use for small applications about 1997,and i noticed first commercial outdoor lighting about 2011. I now notice nasty skyglow over nearby cities that 5 yrs ago did not have the skyglow.Many recent OEM LED car headlamps-especially certain Fords-are an unsafe blinding hazzard:just as bad as getting eye-flashed by arc welding arc-i cannot understand how the DOT allows these factory installed LED headlamps to be approved for public road use...

 

[justjunque]

I couldn't agree more with you regarding the headlights! They're really getting ridiculous.
I am not a fan of big government banning everything. But, like you mentioned, I could have sworn there used to be a DOT standard for the brightness of headlights, and you weren't allowed to have anything different.
When I drive at night now, I have to keep my rear view mirror in the dimmed position, because of vehicles behind me.
The ones coming toward me, I have to avert my eyes, and look at the shoulder of the road until they pass by.
And, I see more and more people even adding auxiliary LED lights, like would have previously been "for off road use only", that are even brighter than the headlights. It's like Close Encounters or something.
I guess the idea is that, for the driver of the vehicle with the twenty million candlepower lights, they feel safe, because they can see anything and everything in front of them. But, it really does create a problem for everyone outside their vehicle, who gets temporarily blinded by their headlights.

 

[wayupnorth]

Those blue headlights that hit you are like a flashbulb blinding you. LED traffic lights are worthless up here in a snowstorm because there is no heat to melt the snow off.

 

[rp2813]

I agree that LED street lighting is even less effective than the yellow low pressure sodium vapor types that they're gradually replacing around here, but the headlights are a huge problem that needs to be addressed.  Teslas are the worst offenders.  Their headlights seem to be maladjusted at the factory, which seems fitting considering the belligerent, screw you style of its founder.  I've read that the headlight aim on Teslas can be adjusted by the driver.  If that's true, the NTSB needs to step in and prohibit that option, and order it disabled on all registered Teslas that currently have it.

 

[cfz2882]

I like LPS lamps-have a couple in the backyard for use when needed part of the problem with the dangerous,offensivly bright vehicle headlamps might be there is so much light in the car at night that the overly bright lights are needed to see out of the car!.A major part of the glare and light pollution skyglow problem with the LED outdoor fixtures is no one seems to be able to design proper optics for these things-you will have a vertical surface mounted wallpak that spews 6000k light pollution upward for nasty skyglow.

 

[circlew]

I've noticed vehicle headlights bothering me more in the last couple years, and thought it was just my eyes.

As for outdoor lighting, the RLM type fixtures direct all the light downward, so don't cause so much light pollution. I think they look better, too.

https://www.bocklighting.com/products/rlm-series?category=Reflectors%2CDecorative+Reflectors%2CGalvanized+Reflectors%2CMetro+Series

 

[qsd-dan]

"Their headlights seem to be maladjusted at the factory, which seems fitting considering the belligerent, screw you style of its founder."



I hated the LED street lights that were installed in October of 2011 that replaced the warm glow of the HPSV. Those smart enough to wait for better tech are using a lower kelvin scale for a warmer ambience that doesn't temporarily blind one for each light they pass under.

The pinnacle of auto headlights were those squared sealed beam glass H6054's of the 80's and 90's. Great lighting without being offensive to other drivers. Also, cheap and fairly easy replacement without dealing with expensive, hard to replace plastic covers that eventually get cloudy/yellow overtime.

Oldman rant over

 

[mattl]

I've always hated sodium street lights, prefer mercury to them.  That said I'll take LED over either.

 

Headlights are another story. There is much that can be done to improve  them. in Europe adaptive headlights are an option, here they are not allowed.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

to cfz2882

I completely agree. I'd take halogen headlights any day of the week.

 

[tolivac]

Something overlooked over HPS and mercury lamps-they are RELIABLE and long lived-often more than LED.Its not unusual for merury lamps to run for over 10 years.LED still needs more development.HPS their amber color is better for night use becuase it doesn't diaalte your pupils as much as the white LED lights.I feel reliable discharge lights are being replaced too soon with LED-and in many instances the energy saving is not signifcent.

 

[ea56]

Re:Reply#6

I have to agree with Dan, the old fashioned sealed beam headlights were much better. Easy to replace, easy to find replacements and the lenses stayed clear. Some of these new headlights are blinding. It used to be that all automobile headlights needed to meet the same standards, now they are all different.

Eddie

 

[cfz2882]

Perceived to be ultra efficient,i often see outdoor LEDs left on 24/7-love it! dimming out nicely

 

[davey7]

My city replaced the cobra head fixtures with LED's with excellent cut off - really made the city more pleasant at night with less glare above the top of the light pole.

Headlights seems to be a problem - wonder if it's age or that a lot of cars are taller now (SUV's) and they hit right at mirror height in my sedan.