Increasingly, in the press you can find articles about the installation of xenon bulbs on a car. And this event has acquired a completely new meaning in the eyes of the traffic police. In this article, we will consider whether it is worth installing a xenon lighting system on your car.
What headlights are called xenon?
As a rule, there are two types of headlights: xenon and halogen. The former and the latter have both supporters and opponents. But controversy about the pros and cons most often ended in favor of xenon headlights. And yet, which lamps are still better?
Supporters of xenon headlights often cite the fact that their headlights illuminate the road several times better. And in fact, one cannot but agree with this, because xenon lamps really shine better. But there is only one thing, do these headlights really improve visibility?
The quality of visibility depends not only on the bulbs themselves, but also on the structure of the headlight, namely on the reflective elements installed inside the headlight. And here you need to pay attention that the headlights were initially developed only for certain types of bulbs. This means that the bulbs are chosen first, and only then the reflective elements of the headlight itself are adjusted for them.
This is why the light of xenon and halogen headlights is so different. It can be concluded that the use of xenon bulbs in headlights that are not intended for them will greatly degrade the performance of the headlights.
Why are xenon headlights banned?
Using incorrectly installed xenon bulbs leads to many problems.
The main thing is that the light of xenon headlights negatively affects the drivers of oncoming cars, that is, it blinds everyone around. This phenomenon occurs due to the use with "halogen" reflectors, the light of the xenon bulb may not be directed towards the road. Incorrect bulbs can shine on oncoming and neighboring cars, creating obvious discomfort for road users.
We can say that this is the problem of other drivers. But in practice, this problem is purely the driver himself, who has these light elements installed. Do not forget that a driver who is blinded by the light of these bulbs can easily lose control of his car and this can lead to the death of both the driver himself and the culprit in this situation.
In addition, there is a misconception that xenon bulbs improve road visibility. People think that the more light, the better you can see the road surface and everything around.
Using xenon headlights, the car really shines like a Christmas tree. There is really a lot of light. But because of the "halogen" reflectors, the light is not scattered at all as it should. The light falls much closer than it should, that is, the actual illumination is greatly deteriorated.
