FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) – An ABC30 viewer wanted to know: Are bright HID lights on new vehicles legal? They are much brighter than typical headlights and make it difficult to see. An ABC30 viewer wanted to know: Are the new HID headlights on cars legal? First of all, understand that „blue” headlights are not really blue. They are bright white. You only look blue because the light you`re used to seeing from a car`s headlights is actually closer to yellow, not white. This color light applies to three types of headlights currently in use: However, if a vehicle is raised or raised after the market, the HID lights could become more distracting for drivers in front of the car and shine directly into the rear window. If the vehicle has been lifted to such an extent that the HID headlights make it difficult for the car in front of you, a police officer can quote you. The state vehicle code requires that these lights be no less than 22 inches and not more than 54 inches above the ground. „Unless otherwise specified, the colour of the lamps and reflectors of a vehicle shall be as follows: the light emitted by all lamps and the reflected light from all reflectors visible in front of a vehicle shall be white or yellow… Many state laws comply with these federal standards. This gives law enforcement the power to stop and cite vehicles that they say contain illegal xenon lamps or HID from the aftermarket. Each state has its own specific laws that govern the legal color of lighthouses, as well as when they should be used.

Most states require that the only colors allowed for lights at the front of a vehicle are white, yellow and amber. The rules are just as strict for taillights, brake lights and turn signals. You may have heard that it is acceptable to install a HID conversion kit if it includes a DOT logo, but the fact is that this sign only means that the company that manufactured the product has itself certified that it meets federal requirements. NHTSA, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is responsible for setting the requirements, but it does not actually certify that a particular product meets those requirements. So, while there is such a thing as DOT compliance, there is no DOT-approved lighthouse. Since NHTSA has officially stated that it is not possible for a HID conversion kit to comply with FMVSS 108, any „DOT approved” label on HID lamps for the aftermarket must be taken with a grain of salt. As always, it`s important to investigate exactly what the product is and whether it`s actually legal or not, rather than just taking someone`s word for it. A driver who wants better light from their headlights should be willing to pay for it. Cars with HID headlights are more expensive than those with regular headlights, which adds a few hundred dollars to the price of the car.

So why not just change the light source from a normal halogen system to one that works with xenon or HID lights? „High-intensity headlights, also known as HID headlights, debuted on some luxury vehicles a few years ago,” said Sgt. Brian Pennings of the California Highway Patrol. California law makes no mention of HID headlights. This means that HID headlights are not explicitly prohibited by California law, but are also not expressly permitted. California Vehicle Code Section 25950 requires vehicle headlights to be clear and emit yellow or white light: Teo Spengler purchased a J.D. at UC Berkeley`s Boalt Hall. As Deputy Attorney General in Juneau, she served before the Supreme Court of Alaska and the U.S. Supreme Court before opening the office of an assault plaintiff in San Francisco. She holds a master`s and master`s degree in creative writing and enjoys writing blogs and legal articles.

His work has been published in numerous online publications, including USA Today, Legal Zoom, eHow Business, Livestrong, SF Gate, Go Banking Rates, Arizona Central, Houston Chronicle, Navy Federal Credit Union, Pearson, Quicken.com, TurboTax.com and numerous legal websites. Spengler divides his time between the French Basque Country and Northern California. Finally, a variety of light colors are available. The hue of the light in the headlights is based on a temperature scale and is evaluated in Kelvin units. Most halogen bulbs have between 3,000 K and 3,500 K, which produces yellowish light. HIDs can be of almost any color, but the most commonly used in retrofit kits in vehicles produce 4,500K to 6,000K of light. This is closer to natural light and white-blue light. Currently, most jurisdictions in the United States require headlights to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 108, which states that replacement headlight capsules must meet the dimensions and electrical specifications of the factory equipment. This is a problem due to the fact that HID headlights do not work in the same way as halogen headlights. For example, HID headlights use ballast that halogen capsules do not need.

NHTSA has a very narrow view of what it takes to comply with FMVSS 108. According to the Washington State Patrol, a HID replacement of an H1 halogen bulb should exactly match the size and incandescent location, electrical connection and ballast of an H1 lamp, which is categorically impossible due to the fact that H1 lamps do not use ballasts at all. In addition, NHTSA found that HID conversion kits often exceeded the rated power of factory headlights, often several times. In some cases, HID headlights for the aftermarket were measured at more than 800% of the maximum candlestick power of the halogen headlights they were supposed to replace. In general, HID lamps contain two tungsten electrodes in a glass housing. The case contains xenon gas and metal halide salts. This explains why HID headlights are often referred to as xenon headlights. You can reduce the time it takes for a HID bulb to heat up to maximum illumination. LED Headlights: These may look blue, but are actually white. Drivers appreciate HID headlights because they produce a greater amount of light per unit of power than standard tungsten halogen car headlights. In fact, they consume less than half the energy of equivalent tungsten halogen lamps. This means you get brighter light for less power and improve fuel economy.

Most vehicles have standard headlights that emit yellowish light. However, there are bulbs on the market that have different colors. They are marketed as „blue” or „super blue”, and there is a lot of uncertainty about their safety and legality. „If you have a vehicle that has been modified with a replacement suspension, remember that this has changed the original manufacturer`s specifications for the angle of your headlights,” Pennings added.