The Industry’s First Total Internal Reflection LED High-Beam Function

[MichaelW]

Because government works for the immortal concept called, the corporation.
Why not build in a death date when a business becomes incorporated?

 

[XeRay]

I think the head doesn't really know what they are doing. They get pushed in direction by other people ( mostly companies that want to save money it seems ). We need a head that knows something about cars!

Anyone who knows that much about cars, would also know better than to get involved in Politics / government work. Working with cars, they are used to getting things done, making progress. That's not how gov. works (or should I say it does NOT work). The normal (real world) person would be constantly frustrated in that situation. Only lawyer types and bureaucrats (mostly lawyer types), can handle that kind of "work" (or lack there of). They are used to getting nothing "real" accomplished just making studies, debating some obscure issue and shuffling paper. You can tell I have no love for Lawyers, I wonder why???

 

[N8N]

Sometimes, but not as often as it might seem.

They don't (allow E-codes for motorcycles) that's a common misunderstanding. The motorcycle headlamp specifications (SAE J584) that FMVSS 108 draws from has for many years been very close to the ECE motorcycle headlamp specification (Regulation 57) because the SAE motorcycle headlamp task force was mostly populated by European experts. That's why there are so many motorcycle headlamps that bear both the E-mark and the "SAE M" marking. The US motorcycle headlamp requirements are much less stringent in terms of performance and durability than the US non-motorcycle headlamp requirements, but it is possible to make a headlamp that complies with both the UN motorcycle requirements and the UN non-motorcycle requirements, or with both the US motorcycle requirements and the US non-motorcycle requirements. Also, both the UN and the US regulations permit motorcycles to be equipped with half of a non-motorcycle headlamp system. But no, it is not the case that the US regulations permit ECE headlamps on motorcycles.

Strictly speaking, you're right, but I've seen plenty of dual-marked lights. A better way to phrase that would be "why do they allow an ECE-like beam pattern, to the point that some lights are dual-marked..."

If nothing else, it seems that the argument could be made for allowing more stray upward light on a motorcycle than it can be for a car, because a car doesn't tend to roll more than a few degrees during normal street cornering maneuvers, thus the increased glare to oncoming traffic is offset somewhat by the motorcyclist having a better chance of seeing where he's going...

However, under US law, auto safety regulations cannot be based on what seems like basic common sense -- that window closed long ago,

Amusing, yet true!

The sad thing is, that I get the impression that Claybrook actually meant well and thought she was helping people...

 

[-Virgil-]

Strictly speaking, you're right, but I've seen plenty of dual-marked lights.

Yes, there are many. That's in accordance with the facts I presented.

A better way to phrase that would be "why do they allow an ECE-like beam pattern, to the point that some lights are dual-marked..."

Why not? I'm not sure what you're objecting to here. An ECE-like beam pattern is also permitted on cars and trucks and buses and vans, as long as it meets the US test points. Lots of vehicles with VOL-type low beams (and some with VOR) have an ECE-like beam pattern. Some of them meet both standards at once; on the E46 BMW 3-series, for example, the headlamp optics are identical and the only difference between the US headlamp and the ECE headlamp is presence or absence of a white front position lamp ("city light"). The Mercedes Geländewagen since 2002 has had the same headlamps in the US and ECE RHT markets. There are others, too. Most of the JW Speaker LED headlamps meet both standards simultaneously and the only difference between the US and ECE versions is compliance markings and/or presence/absence of position lamp. It is not technically difficult to create a headlamp that meets both standards; the reason why it's not more common is automakers' perceptions of market preferences -- this is no different than automakers' choice to use red rear turn signals in the US market even though it's easy to make a yellow turn signal that meets all standards worldwide.

If nothing else, it seems that the argument could be made for allowing more stray upward light on a motorcycle than it can be for a car, because a car doesn't tend to roll more than a few degrees during normal street cornering maneuvers, thus the increased glare to oncoming traffic is offset somewhat by the motorcyclist having a better chance of seeing where he's going

No, stray light is not a good thing in any circumstance. Not all upward light is stray light; only that emitted in the region higher than about 10° above horizontal is considered stray. But yes, the optimal motorcycle low beam is quite different from the optimal car/truck low beam, and motorcycle banking angles are one of the main reasons why.

I get the impression that Claybrook actually meant well and thought she was helping people

She did mean well, and while she certainly was not perfect, to a large degree she did help people stay alive and uninjured, and she's still at it. It's popular amongst gearheads to bash her as an ignorant nanny spoiling everything for motorists, but it's just not factually supportable.

(Note: this is not really the right place to be discussing US speed limit policy, so that discussion's been trimmed out)

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

there is, you get a ticket for blown bulb. you have 24 hours to fix it.
i also see many ru n red lights and stop signs, i think it would be nice if we have some sort of enforced law about making sure you don't do that.

^ This is what I thought. I was pulled over several months ago for a brake light that was out. I was actually on my way to the store to buy a bulb for my CHMSL, which I knew was out. Cop told me that my left brake light had gone out. I was basically told that the CHMSL didn't matter, but that having one of the other two out was against the law. Obviously, I replaced both, but I'm not sure why he would tell me that the CHMSL didnt matter when I was already on my way to the auto parts store. Couldn't see how that could be the real meaning of the law, but every time I try to apply logic to laws, it never works out ;-)

My Sentra doesn't have amber turn signals in the back, it's got me a bit nervous. I've always hated combo brake/tail lights. Especially in my neighborhood, where folks don't really care whether or not their car lights work. It's bad enough that the lights aren't very good by design, but to further hinder these beasts by forgoing a bulb change is just asking for it. Maybe a good reason why these same sorts of cars are fairly well "worn."

 

[N8N]

Up until very recently - more recently that I've bought a new vehicle in fact - when Speaker etc. LEDs were introduced, there were NO good retrofit assemblies for standard sealed-beam format headlights on the market other than E-code H4 reflectors and a relay harness. So my choice was to deal with the declining quality of readily available sealed beams (and hope to get the most out of them that I could by adding a relay harness anyway) or be technically illegal. Giving consumers such a choice is not in the interest of safety...

I think we hit the high point of cost/benefit for mandated safety devices in the early 70's - lighting being the most obvious (mandated side reflectors, and then side markers) also seat belts, collapsible steering columns, etc. We left a lot on the table however (no amber turn signals being the most obvious, and no front fender turn signal repeaters.)

 

[alpg88]

saw an acura rlx today, with all lead headlights, and was very surprised by the way they build headlights.
unlike most cars with drl it does not hAve separate leds for it, it uses headlights (same way some cars use high beams half power), it first i thought low beams were on, than it passed me, tail lights were off. very strange that they didn't use separate leds for drl as other do. another thing, front turns, they are in a place where normaly fog lights are, when it was bihind me close, i could not see his turn lights blinking.
very strange design desision.imo also rlx and mdx , which is also has all led headlights, they both have purpish tint to it.