Lighting up the night.

[playtent]

If operating a main/dip switch is so challenging, I'd really rather I wasn't sharing the road with you at all

/luddite

All my concentration is going in to driving to perfection, it is a challenge, but I usually succeed.

[TheInsanity1234]

I have high beam assist. Now I'm still getting used to it as its a strange experience for quite a while. As the car has adaptive headlights, they switch on to high beam and when a car approaches, the o/s high beam turns outwards until the oncoming vehicle is within dazzle range and then to dip and the near side turns towards the kerb progressively until the car is so close that it has to dip. If your going around a left hand bend then the inner light doesn't dip at all.
When the car comes up behind someone the high beam stays on but both lights split to give a dark V in front of the car so it doesn't dazzle the vehicle in front. When you get close, then the lights will eventual dip and pull back straight. It's like a light show with inner and outer lights on and off at different times. If your going around a right hand bend the o/s light stays on and turns further to the o/s whilst the near side turns off!
It really is fool proof! That suits me and would be ideal for someone like JohnC,

Ah, yes, the exceedingly intriguing BMW system.

I watched a demonstration video, and it seemed to work marvellously!

[jcochrane]

I have high beam assist. Now I'm still getting used to it as its a strange experience for quite a while. As the car has adaptive headlights, they switch on to high beam and when a car approaches, the o/s high beam turns outwards until the oncoming vehicle is within dazzle range and then to dip and the near side turns towards the kerb progressively until the car is so close that it has to dip. If your going around a left hand bend then the inner light doesn't dip at all.
When the car comes up behind someone the high beam stays on but both lights split to give a dark V in front of the car so it doesn't dazzle the vehicle in front. When you get close, then the lights will eventual dip and pull back straight. It's like a light show with inner and outer lights on and off at different times. If your going around a right hand bend the o/s light stays on and turns further to the o/s whilst the near side turns off!
It really is fool proof! That suits me and would be ideal for someone like JohnC,

Sounds good to me but I would need the lights to turn on for me as it gets dark though. I can never fathom out all these buttons and switches in cars these days. I used to have no problem but then someone kindly let me drive their Tuscan and I've never recovered from the confusion and trauma I suffered as a result of all those little unmarked buttons and knobs to press and twist. I had to ask a lady who was admiring the car how to get into it as there was no door handle. Once in it took me half an hour to work out how to open the door to get out.

[jcochrane]

It really is fool proof! That suits me and would be ideal for someone like JohnC,

If operating a main/dip switch is so challenging, I'd really rather I wasn't sharing the road with you at all

/luddite

Which of course is the reason why I'd rather share the car with him than the road.

[Kimosabe]

I'm sure you're all dying to know this. The Morris Traveller used to have a footswitch for dip/main beam near the clutch pedal. This gave rise to a hybrid known as 'Heel-Toe-Flash-Gear-OverLap'.
I once lost the little screwdriver I used to turn the ignition on, so I used a nail file instead. They're much harder to clone than gizmodic key fobs and therefore safer. YYP 585H. RiP, where the 'R' stands for both 'Rot' and 'Rust'. I say bring back wooden cars.

[revian]

And a move to Wirral

Ian

As a matter of interest, where in Wirral?

Heswall... Inexpensive parts..

[revian]

You've chosen the better side of the peninsula. I know the area pretty well from my youth and occasional visits now.

Gent,tba using the off-topic I worked for 5 years in Chester and then 11 years Barnton/Pensby/Thingwall...

[waremark]

I need these brilliantly clever lights. Approaching 60 (years of age, mph, whatever) I find driving at night when unable to use main beam much more difficult than I used to when I was younger. This is in spite of generally having the benefit of Xenon lights - or is it that the Xenons do not help, because providing very bright light with a sharp cut off makes it harder to see anything at all beyond the cut-off?

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

Your eyes get tired as you get older. Your visual field decreases, diseases such as macular degeneration are much more common, and your eyes take much longer to adapt to changes in light. Our RoADAR meeting was treated to a talk the other night by someone who's specialised in older drivers. He said a 20 year old recovers from dazzle in 2 seconds, a pensioner takes 9. Where these figures come from I'm not sure, but I assume they're not too far off the mark or he wouldn't be quoting them.

[TripleS]

Your eyes get tired as you get older. Your visual field decreases, diseases such as macular degeneration are much more common, and your eyes take much longer to adapt to changes in light. Our RoADAR meeting was treated to a talk the other night by someone who's specialised in older drivers. He said a 20 year old recovers from dazzle in 2 seconds, a pensioner takes 9. Where these figures come from I'm not sure, but I assume they're not too far off the mark or he wouldn't be quoting them.

I don't know about the accuracy of those figures, though I would expect some variation between individuals within each age group, but the principle is no doubt right.

What I do know is that whereas I used to really enjoy night driving, I now find it more difficult to the point where I'd prefer not to do it. Shame really, but there we are.

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

Just insert the word "average" in the appropriate places, Dave.

I don't find it as easy as I used to although more training has helped, and I haven't lost the enjoyment yet.

[fungus]

I must admit I find night driving more difficult than I used to twenty years ago, let alone forty odd years ago.

I think Waremarks comment about zenons a valid point.

It's a bit of a double edged sword though, as you have more visibility when on full beam but the difference is greater when you dip. I notice this in particular when driving my daughters Cooper S which also has spot lights fitted, compared to my Fiesta which has halogen lights.

[5star]

I have high beam assist. Now I'm still getting used to it as its a strange experience for quite a while. As the car has adaptive headlights, they switch on to high beam and when a car approaches, the o/s high beam turns outwards until the oncoming vehicle is within dazzle range and then to dip and the near side turns towards the kerb progressively until the car is so close that it has to dip. If your going around a left hand bend then the inner light doesn't dip at all.
When the car comes up behind someone the high beam stays on but both lights split to give a dark V in front of the car so it doesn't dazzle the vehicle in front. When you get close, then the lights will eventual dip and pull back straight. It's like a light show with inner and outer lights on and off at different times. If your going around a right hand bend the o/s light stays on and turns further to the o/s whilst the near side turns off!
It really is fool proof! That suits me and would be ideal for someone like JohnC,

Ah, yes, the exceedingly intriguing BMW system.

I watched a demonstration video, and it seemed to work marvellously!

I had the pleasure of 6000 miles in a Mercedes S class last Autumn.

In a normal car, there are headlights. So you start with a dark road, and then the headlights shine where you need to see light. To stop blinding people, you have to dip your headlights, which then makes everything dark. So travelling at speed becomes less safe as you can’t see as far.

Intelligent lighting is the opposite. The headlights light everything (and I do mean everything). Cameras in the windscreen work out where other road users are and special beam modifiers bend light around these vehicles. So you maintain full beam at all times. Come up behind a car in front, and the light splits to wrap around the car without dazzling the driver. Come up against an approaching car, and the beam politely moves to the side. Overtake a car, and as you pass the light expands in front of the car being passed.

And the beam doesn’t abruptly change like switching from dip to main in a normal car, instead it morphs with fluidity, changing in shape as you change speed and driving style.

The only problem is upon passing a car on a dark country lane, it takes about a second to return to full reach, which is quite a long time when wanting to really make progress.

You can modify the bream properties from within the setup computer (e.g. whether static cornering lights should be active, or whether additional fill light should be used), and you can choose left or right side driving.

I'm keen to try Audi's matrix beam technology, plus of course BMW's system which looks just as impressive. BMW have a new type of lighting system in the i8 which is based around purple lasers. I'd like to see that, but as an £8000 optional extra, it is probably unlikely for a while.

[akirk]

wow that sounds impressive - I suspect it is one of those technologies which (assuming it is engineered well) looks hugely complex when explained, but simply becomes intuitive magic in operation - what is on the s-class today, will be common-place in a few years

Alasdair

[5star]

The headlights light everything (and I do mean everything). Cameras in the windscreen work out where other road users are and special beam modifiers bend light around these vehicles.

Really? Unless the "beam modifiers" turn the oncoming vehicles into massive gravity wells, I think that statement might a smidgeon incorrect.

The lighting system might well mask out the areas occupied by the oncomer to prevent dazzle but they certainly don't "bend" light around it.

No, but it sounds better, doesn't it? And from the driving perspective, that is how it felt.