Did you know that 65% of car accidents occur at nighttime or when lighting conditions are poor?
Indeed, the brightness of your car headlights is very important when you are driving at night because the human eye is not suited for night vision. Adequate colour distinction and contrast detection at night are not something Mother Nature endowed us with. So, getting the best visibility to perceive obstacles and danger as quickly as possible is the most important characteristic to consider when changing the headlight bulbs on your car. Hence the importance of using quality headlight bulbs.
Sometimes, a simple choice can have a significant impact on your road safety.
Halogen bulbs are designed with a filament and halogen gas. When current flows through the bulb, the filament heats and produces light. Halogen lightbulbs are the most affordable bulb compared to LED and HID, but they are less durable and don’t shine as brightly as LED and HID. Also, it is harder to install Halogen lightbulbs due to their fragility. As a matter of fact, when handling a halogen bulb, you must avoid leaving fingerprints behind because any type of fat or oil on the glass surface will reduce the longevity of the bulb. Indeed, fat and oil produce a chemical reaction when the bulb gets hot from turning it on. Still, if you touch it by mistake, don’t panic; you can gently clean off any residue with a soft rag.
HID bulbs (high-intensity discharge) are the original lighting found on luxurious cars. Those bulbs have electrodes that charge a gas (normally xenon), which produces the light. However, HID bulbs might need a few seconds before reaching their maximal brightness. They are brighter than halogen and LED, albeit less durable than LED. You have to be careful when buying HID bulbs because there are still some questions regarding their legality. Indeed, their brightness can cause glare and be a distraction to other drivers. When they have been installed by the manufacturer, HID bulbs are legal. But, if you use a conversion HID kit to change your halogen bulbs to HID, you may be running the chance of getting fined.
LED bulbs (light-emitting diodes) are designed with semiconductor materials that emit light when they are powered by an electrical current. They can last 25 to 50 times longer than a halogen lightbulb. Even if LED headlight bulbs are more expensive than halogen bulbs, they stand out for multiple reasons.
Generally, the original equipment on your car is halogen bulbs. For many makes and models, it is easy to replace halogen bulbs for LED ones without causing issues. However, you must check with an automotive specialist before doing this modification.
Yes, both headlight bulbs should be changed at the same time. As time goes by, your headlight bulbs will dim. If your bulbs are installed at different times, there will not only be an imbalance in the brightness of each headlight, but you will also run the risk of your bulbs burning out at different times, resulting in having to do maintenance more frequently. Changing your headlight bulbs at the same time will ultimately reduce the time and effort you put in to the maintenance of your vehicle.
