are your headlights legal?
Printed From: the12volt.comForum Name: Lights, Neon, LEDs, HIDs
Forum Discription: Under Car Lighting, Strobe Lights, Fog Lights, Headlights, HIDs, DRL, Tail Lights, Brake Lights, Dashboard Lights, WigWag, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=110435
Printed Date: May 13, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Topic: are your headlights legal?
Posted By: bigjohnny
Subject: are your headlights legal?
Date Posted: January 07, 2009 at 5:44 PM
I post this, in hopes of educating the masses about HID lighting. I'm no professional, but I'm so god damn sick of being blinded by other drivers who simply don't know better.
In my everyday driving I see A LOT of people who have HID kits installed in their cars, but aren't aware that the lights they are running are illegal.
When installed incorrectly, the light from HIDs is not focused properly, this causes the lights from your car to be diffused all over the place namely into the eyes of oncoming traffic.
I speak from experience having almost been in 3 accidents due to being blinded by someones aftermarket HID kit.
The worst part is, most of the people buying these lights and kits have no idea that there lights are illegal.
If you are running these lights, and get into an accident with someone, YOU will be held at fault for having illegal lights on your car (This really only applies to head on type collisions).
These types of headlights MUST have a projector to properly focus the light where it's SUPPOSED to go. Halogen projectors are also INCORRECT for this type of application. you MUSt use a proper HID projector.
Here are some resources for people/installers who want HID lights, and;
1.) Don't want to endanger the lives of others or themselves
2.) Don't want to be at fault for an accident because they didn't know better.
HID Planet Forums - An exceelent resource and discussion board for learning more about HID lighting and PROPER retrofitting. Tons of info about how to actually do retrofits etc.
YouTube video explaining illegal HIDs. Yes the video may not directly apply to your state laws, but the facts are still the same.
The pictures below show how your beam pattern with HIDs properly installed should look. (These are borrwed from hidplanet, but not hotlinked.)
The reason for this is because it illuminates signs properly, as well as projecting the light miles down the road, but the step in the middle also keeps the light out of oncoming drivers eyes.
You can see from the picture on the bottom that it projects light low, far ahead of you down the road where it's actually needed, instead of just pouring light into every available open space.
When you switch on your high beams, the shield creating that nice little step, and crisp clean line, drops down and allows more light through.
I hope I have been able to shed some light on this matter, and help educate people not only to be safe and have these properly installed, but also that if you are in an accident that was caused by the other driver being blinded YOU WILL BE AT FAULT FOR HAVING ILLEGALLY INSTALLED LIGHTS!
In my everyday driving I see A LOT of people who have HID kits installed in their cars, but aren't aware that the lights they are running are illegal.
When installed incorrectly, the light from HIDs is not focused properly, this causes the lights from your car to be diffused all over the place namely into the eyes of oncoming traffic.
I speak from experience having almost been in 3 accidents due to being blinded by someones aftermarket HID kit.
The worst part is, most of the people buying these lights and kits have no idea that there lights are illegal.
If you are running these lights, and get into an accident with someone, YOU will be held at fault for having illegal lights on your car (This really only applies to head on type collisions).
These types of headlights MUST have a projector to properly focus the light where it's SUPPOSED to go. Halogen projectors are also INCORRECT for this type of application. you MUSt use a proper HID projector.
Here are some resources for people/installers who want HID lights, and;
1.) Don't want to endanger the lives of others or themselves
2.) Don't want to be at fault for an accident because they didn't know better.
HID Planet Forums - An exceelent resource and discussion board for learning more about HID lighting and PROPER retrofitting. Tons of info about how to actually do retrofits etc.
YouTube video explaining illegal HIDs. Yes the video may not directly apply to your state laws, but the facts are still the same.
The pictures below show how your beam pattern with HIDs properly installed should look. (These are borrwed from hidplanet, but not hotlinked.)
The reason for this is because it illuminates signs properly, as well as projecting the light miles down the road, but the step in the middle also keeps the light out of oncoming drivers eyes.
You can see from the picture on the bottom that it projects light low, far ahead of you down the road where it's actually needed, instead of just pouring light into every available open space.
When you switch on your high beams, the shield creating that nice little step, and crisp clean line, drops down and allows more light through.
I hope I have been able to shed some light on this matter, and help educate people not only to be safe and have these properly installed, but also that if you are in an accident that was caused by the other driver being blinded YOU WILL BE AT FAULT FOR HAVING ILLEGALLY INSTALLED LIGHTS!
Replies:
Posted By: airhed692005
Date Posted: January 08, 2009 at 12:56 AM
Posted By: bigjohnny
Date Posted: January 08, 2009 at 5:35 PM
Posted By: ckeeler
Date Posted: January 08, 2009 at 7:14 PM
Posted By: KarTuneMan
Date Posted: January 31, 2009 at 1:20 PM
Posted By: ryan95x
Date Posted: February 02, 2009 at 10:21 PM
Posted By: attack eagle
Date Posted: February 07, 2009 at 9:29 PM
Posted By: ckeeler
Date Posted: February 08, 2009 at 12:16 AM
Posted By: KarTuneMan
Date Posted: February 08, 2009 at 3:07 AM
Posted By: 91stt
Date Posted: February 09, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Posted By: ckeeler
Date Posted: February 09, 2009 at 10:31 PM
Posted By: 91stt
Date Posted: February 09, 2009 at 11:14 PM
Posted By: howie ll
Date Posted: February 15, 2009 at 3:33 AM