Several drivers know the importance of regular oil change and tire rotation. However, only a few understand how driving with foggy or dimming headlamps can compromise their safety on the road. Burned out lights considerably reduce driver visibility and may even catch the attention of law enforcement.
The light output of bulbs gradually diminish as they age due to a number of factors including electrical resistance, humidity, and filament fatigue. Good thing, drivers can take some steps to enhance their visibility when driving at night.
They are as follows:
- Obey the rules – Unlike animals’, the human eye is not gifted with excellent nocturnal vision. This is why the visual acuity of motorists may diminish by as much as 70 percent when driving at night. This problem is further exacerbated by foggy, dim headlights; thus taking a toll on the safety of everyone on the road. The best way to deal with this is to obey speed limits.
- Determine headlight clouding – In accordance with automotive lighting company, Lumileds, ozone, sunlight, chemicals used in car washes and road pollution can serve as contributing factors to headlamp clouding. When you notice that your headlamps have turn hazed and yellow, it is important to take your car to a workshop for inspection.
- Restore clouded headlamps – When your headlamps get cloudy, it doesn’t mean that you have to replace them right away. There are a number of high quality headlight restoration kits available in the market designed to restore yellow, hazy lenses.
- Replace outdated bulbs – Not all cloudy headlamps should be replaced, but when bulbs are outdated, it’s time to entrust them to a professional for replacement. If your car is equipped with standard halogen headlights, take note that they normally start to break down within two to three years of installation.
Once the sun goes down, driving becomes a challenge especially when your headlights are dim and foggy. By observing proper headlight maintenance, you will be able to enhance your visibility and ensure your safety on the road. However, when headlight replacement becomes the last resort, this is where a reputable workshop enters the picture.
