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+--- Thread: Interesting thread from a UK police forum ref HID's (/showthread.php?tid=6842)
Interesting thread from a UK police forum ref HID's - SHAHZ - 20-01-2019
Yeap as toxo says, the problem is with the self levelling, and that is one of the most annoying things about driving at night is unaligned headlights, weather its HID or halogen makes no difference at all!
Interesting thread from a UK police forum ref HID's - parthiban - 20-01-2019
toxo Actually if it passed its MOT with those lights in (not that you could prove that it did) the MOT station would get their licence removed. And that's not the case that it's only an alignment problem, we all know that if you fill your boot up with paving slaps / swedish flatpack furniture it raises the line of your lights - correctly fitted HIDs will deal with this by self levelling. Aftermarket ones won't. And let's not get into the whole HIDs in reflector housings argument!Yeah that's fair, but misaligned headlights are a problem whether it's HID or not. If a headlight is shining in your face, it's painful either way. So either all headlights should be self-levelling, or you adjust the switch manually - it shouldn't be one way for one and another for the other.
toxo You wanna try driving a low car :lol: Most peoples headlights are at my head height!
purplewitch I was just going to say same thing, everyones headlights are at supra mirror height tooLol, but again that makes headlights the problem, not fog lights - I really don't get the complaint.
SHAHZ Yeap as toxo says, the problem is with the self levelling, and that is one of the most annoying things about driving at night is unaligned headlights, weather its HID or halogen makes no difference at all!Totally agree, I spend a fair amount of time in the US where they don't have any of the rules we do, yet I've never suffered from any glare problems over there - I think over here people like to get on a high horse where motorists are concerned.
Interesting thread from a UK police forum ref HID's - toxo - 20-01-2019
parthiban Yeah that's fair, but misaligned headlights are a problem whether it's HID or not. If a headlight is shining in your face, it's painful either way. So either all headlights should be self-levelling, or you adjust the switch manually - it shouldn't be one way for one and another for the other.
Except that HIDs are inherently higher intensity (the clue is in the name), so therefore the light they produce is more blinding/dazzling than an equivalently-misaligned halogen bulb. This is precisely why they require different rules.
parthiban I think over here people like to get on a high horse where motorists are concerned.
You can think that if you like
It boils down to the fact that it's the law, and you pretty much have to stick to the law, or take the risk and face the consequences. I find it quite amusing that people seem to think they can break the law with no consequences because they have the attitude that the particular law in question is 'stupid'. Even when speeding we know that if we get caught there are consequences. I guess my situation is partly driven by the fact that I have had to spend time and money making my car fit for use on the UK roads by making it compliant with the law, and by fitting aftermarket HID kits people are doing exactly the opposite. That plus it's f**king annoying getting dazzled all the time!
Interesting thread from a UK police forum ref HID's - parthiban - 20-01-2019
toxo You can think that if you like
I do agree with that, the point I'm trying to make (clearly not very well) is that it's pretty minor compared to other things out there.
The thing I'm most commonly dazzled/blinded by are 4x4s (which are not illegal) or morons driving around with full beams on (which is something that I doubt anyone would get charged for as all you need to do is plead ignorance).
It's fair enough it's illegal, I don't think it's "stupid" but a little silly, if they decide to start giving out 3 points I'll take the HIDs off, but I know they aren't dazzling anyone so until that day they are staying on.
Just because there are speed cameras and points on offer, not everyone drives at the speed limit? There should always be intelligence and judgement used in every circumstance, speeding is not necessarily a problem if conditions are favourable, in the same way HIDs are fine if correctly aligned.
Interesting thread from a UK police forum ref HID's - FirebirdPhil - 20-01-2019
The "use and construction of a road vehicle" law covers the use of HIDS, and anything else that may pass an MOT but is still illegal. 3 points and £60. I was the victim of that one for having an empty wash bottle many years ago.
Interesting thread from a UK police forum ref HID's - parthiban - 20-01-2019
2tongues The "use and construction of a road vehicle" law covers the use of HIDS, and anything else that may pass an MOT but is still illegal. 3 points and £60. I was the victim of that one for having an empty wash bottle many years ago.
You got 3 points for having an empty wash bottle? How did they even find that? :blink:
Interesting thread from a UK police forum ref HID's - FirebirdPhil - 20-01-2019
Because they tested it.
Interesting thread from a UK police forum ref HID's - parthiban - 20-01-2019
2tongues Because they tested it.
I understand the law's the law but getting 3 points for an empty wash bottle is to me simply insane.
Interesting thread from a UK police forum ref HID's - FirebirdPhil - 20-01-2019
Tell me about it.
I was only 17 and driving a 205 1.9GTI, thinkk they were upset I had one when they clearly didn't. They were great cars.
Interesting thread from a UK police forum ref HID's - ormi - 20-01-2019
toxo Actually if it passed its MOT with those lights in (not that you could prove that it did) the MOT station would get their licence removed. And that's not the case that it's only an alignment problem, we all know that if you fill your boot up with paving slaps / swedish flatpack furniture it raises the line of your lights - correctly fitted HIDs will deal with this by self levelling. Aftermarket ones won't. And let's not get into the whole HIDs in reflector housings argument!
You wanna try driving a low car :lol: Most peoples headlights are at my head height!
As long as the bulbs have a pattern and alighned correctly you CANT fail a car fitted with hid's!! I will repeat YOU CAN'T. their is not a ruling yet on aftermarket hid's..theirfor they are tested as normal lights..end of...
Until their is a mot ruling the only thing they can fail for is beam pattern or poor alignment...
And their is already a way round failing for aftermarket hid's....hide the balasts you can't see you can't fail..the reason the tester is to look for the balasts..