Headlight Petition
 

Britain hasn’t been ‘Great’ for a long, long time.
The decline will continue, taking with it any last remnant of Britishness that existed.

what is the program called?

macafee2

In the old days of filament bulbs, there was a build spec specified, quite simply, as 55W. (I think that was the figure). When leds came in, I never saw anywhere a build spec that corelates with leds, has anyone? If you fitted 55w leds in your headlamp, I dread to think how bright they would be; the same rule applies to other lamps , think about a 21w brake light, or more relevant, a 5w sidelight (aka a drl equivalent?).
That is just the power o/p of the bulb, leds have a different beam pattern. How many of us have not spotted flashers being used because we are viewing fromthe wrong angle? The light pattern angle of an led is quite a narrow beam as opposed to a filament bulb.

You are correct on the 55W for full beam but was formalised as 55w/37.5w (i.e. 37.5w for dipped). Also when we were an independent nation with BS requirements we had a minimum/maximum height for lights. One of the reasons for dazzle today is that SUV's in the majority have lights higher but their projection seems not to have had the angle depressed to compensate for that extra height. Mk.1 Range Rover never gave dazzle issues due to it adhering to UK standards when launched. LED lighting is also giving similar oncoming dazzle results as the the beam is much, much narrower.

I've signed many "open letters" and petitions on this subject over the last 20 years (the original petition emanated in the USA) with no result. It would be nice if the issue is taken more seriously but I'm thinking 'lip service' is more likely.
Kev

It is my understanding that Great Britain is the name of the island which contains contiguously the majority of England, Scotland and Wales... It is by far the largest of the British Isles, which despite the name, has nothing to do with nationality or superiority over other nations or peoples. :}

I doubt there will be any changes soon. If there are through MOT .. there you will wait until MOT time on new vehicles. So years to wait there ! The gov has sat back and let this happen for years , ignorance of the issue .. NO . Probably themselves driving an SUV themselves. If MOT laws change , it will not be backdated to cars produced before this date as they left the factory quite legally. Same rules apply to no seat belts and trafficators etc , they were legal upon the fact that they were produced from new. Recalls .. no , out of the question. I would agree with the above post of " lip service " as being the eventual outcome .

One thing that seems to have been overlooked is that the old H4 type lamps had the filament aligned in the direction of the car and gave off virtually no light forward and were placed at the focal point of the reflector so all the light was formed into a beam and could be aimed correctly. LED's give off light from a flat chip that is often placed at the back of a suposed reflector but most of the light just goes out forwards (especially DRL's) the only chance of any controlled beam is to put the LED chip in the focal point of a reflector facing rearwards or to use a projector stlye lens system.

Having said that, as others have pointed out, putting them on vans and SUVs at eye level to oncoming cars will make any beam patern irrelevant.

Sad but how very true.