If you say I hate the automotive designers who can't design properly angled headlights, I'm criminalizing your shit take too

  • LanyrdSkynrd [comrade/them, any]
    ·
    8 days ago

    The OEM reflector style ones are mostly fine, IMO. It's the projector style lights, and when people jam LEDs in a reflector that wasn't meant for them, that are the problem.

    These are the projector lamps:

    Show
    They rely on a little piece of metal covering the top half to keep the intense and evenly diffused light from blinding you, which doesn't work if you're not on flat ground.

    Reflector style led lights diffuse the light unevenly, no differently than halogens, other than the color temperature.

    The absolute worst are when people take led bulbs in jam them in headlight housings that are meant for halogens. The light doesn't leave the bulb in the same way affecting the diffusion pattern, plus they're more bright than intended.

    The new matrix style LEDs could be a game changer. They allow some of the lights to turn off when there are oncoming cars, and darken just the areas where they are. The only downfall is the computer hardware needed, but the same hardware that tracks cars for automatic emergency braking systems can do it. If past is any guide, those systems will be mandatory in new cars at some point.

    • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
      ·
      8 days ago

      The auto-dimming ones are great, but that doesn't stop morons from bolting a giant light bar to their roof rack and running it all day and night

      • Frank [he/him, he/him]
        ·
        8 days ago

        Every communist should get a rack of those tin can explodey spears from Mad Max and use them whenever they are mildly inconvenienced by a vehicle.

    • Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee
      ·
      edit-2
      8 days ago

      new matrix

      ... didn't high end cars start with adaptive beams in late 90s (still xenon then)?

      It's just absolutely pure greed that kept this still not being the base minimum.
      (And whatever stupit lawy technicality in the USA banned even simple adaptive lights for decades)

      Much like adaptive radar cruise control, it's a 30 year old commercial tech that is only now being mandated by law and even this only in it's lesser form of only emergency braking (sometimes done without a proper radar tech).

      Both tech don't cost much to produce compared to car prices, but companies lose the huge margin they get on extra features.

      But generally speaking, no matter the light emitter (incandescent filament or gas, led orb"laser") or refractor/projector - if everyone needed to get their car checked and stamped once yearly that is still road worthy most of such instances go away.
      Unadjusted headlamps? Can't drive your car (well, that's usually a 30s fix on old cars).
      Bad tires? No drivey.
      Exhaust too fumey? Can't smoke here.
      Brakes not performing to standard? Better call your mechanic if you wanna drive this car.
      Installed unregulated shit on your car that endangers others (incorrect light bulbs included)? Nope, you need to prove it's ok first.

      Regulations regulates, it's its thing.

    • Chronicon [they/them]
      ·
      8 days ago

      The new matrix style LEDs could be a game changer. They allow some of the lights to turn off when there are oncoming cars, and darken just the areas where they are.

      I'm sure these will work great for non-cars too right? pedestrians and bicyclists won't get shafted like always, right?

      Maybe just get rid of the fucking cars and use more moderate intensity headlights on what few necessary vehicles remain.