4 ms·
> SUVs in particular are bad especially during acceleration which points the lights higher Aren't self-leveling headlights standard by now? I think in the EU i
by vladvasiliu 2y ago
> SUVs in particular are bad especially during acceleration which points the lights higher
Aren't self-leveling headlights standard by now? I think in the EU it was mandatory for Xenon lights, but I don't know whether LED lights are considered differently. My dad's almost 20 yo Citroën had such headlights, even though, thanks to the funky suspension, the car never had dramatic changes in level.
- elric 2y ago> Aren't self-leveling headlights standard by now? I don't know, but as a pedestrian & cyclist in the EU, not a day goes by where I don't get blinded by headlights. SUVs are by far the worst offenders, but it's not just SUVs. Most newer cars seem to have the same problem. Heck, many newer bicycles have a headlight that's offensively bright and often seems aimed directly at my face. It's a sad state of affairs.
- karamanolev 2y agoSelf-leveling usually "one time", or "slowly", as in changes based on the weight on the rear axle. It doesn't work on the timescale of acceleration, braking, cornering, etc.
- vladvasiliu 2y agoActually, it did it "all the time". I found out about this while being stuck in traffic, and seeing the lights move slightly up and down while inching forward and stopping. It was visible because it moved in discrete steps, compared to the continuous movement of the car. I hadn't known it was a thing before, and went looking in the owner's manual for confirmation.
- mannykannot 2y agoThey might be, but that does not help much, as roads are neither level nor pitched at a constant grade. The attribution of the effect to acceleration might (at least in some cases) be a misdiagnosis of a problem actually caused by a slight longitudinal convexity of the road.