LED Headlight Upgrades
I’m studying what works and what blinds oncoming drivers. Please take this survey…
Dear readers,
One thing that’s happening to every one of us is that we’re all getting older. And for many of us seniors, our eyesight is getting dimmer. That makes it more difficult to drive at night, especially on poorly lighted and marked roads.
What can you do about it?
Looks like LED Projector Headlights are now standard or an option on many new vehicles. But there’s tens of millions of vehicles on the road that use halogen/reflector headlights. Can they be upgraded to LED bulbs safely (and legally)?
While you can find LED bulbs to upgrade your existing halogen headlights on dozens of websites (including Amazon), you should note that these are rated for “offroad use” only. That is, installing LED bulbs in your existing hadlight housings is probably not DOT compliant and won’t pass a state inspection.
What’s the problem with LEDs
Because the shape of the LED light source doesn’t exactly match the halogen filament the reflector headlight assembly was designed for, it’s difficult or even impossible to aim your headlights properly to avoid blinding oncoming drivers. I’m sure you’ve seen super blue headlights coming at you that look light high beams. That could just LED upgrades on low-beam that don’t have the proper pattern cutoff.
Is there an upgrade that helps see better at night?
I think so, but that ‘s what I need to study and demonstrate. There’s a number of manufacturers that build replacement headlight assemblies with projector lenses and LED bulbs that are DOT compliant and safe for oncoming drivers.
I don’t know enough yet, but I’m rapidly learning…
I have a strong background in lighting theory so I can decipher all the talk of color temperature, lumens and pattern control. So I’m looking for affordable solutions to write about. I have a 2020 F-150 truck that’s a great test platform, so I’ll be doing a few tests of different technologies once it warms up outside.
Please take this poll and let me know if you already have factory LED headlights or have upgraded to them yourself. Or maybe you can see just fine with your existing halogen headlights. And let me know with your comments below.
Let’s play (and drive) safe out there…. Mike
I would like to explain. as a professional commercial driver for over 53 years in all 48 states and in Canada with over 4 million accident and ticket free driving. my experiences with this topic. We drivers do not share the same excitement on these new headlights. At night we get all the reflection from these right in our face and worse yet as you pass us. the headlights shine right in our mirrors. Adding to this. a lot of drivers, especially younger or the ones with very little regard for safety feel they have to have their lower driving lights on all the time. It only makes common sense that they are for driving when there is a need on roads with little traffic as a country road at night. We professional drivers have the same problem with foreign truck drivers coming here and disregarding our laws and our driving courtesy. In Europe and other countries, they have the same problem. no respect for others. Folks, you are not the only person on the road and. yes. I have a strong opinion about this, but you drive like we have to, over 100,000 miles a year, I think you would get tired of these new headlights also.
Good morning Mike
You did not give an option such as “plan to upgrade” or “my factory lights stink and I’m waiting for a DOT approved option”
Stay safe out there