Have you ever driven a car for a few years and realized that it’s much harder to see at night than it used to be? It’s not your imagination! If you don’t take care of your headlights, you could quickly find yourself unable to see in the dark. But why aren’t your headlights as bright as they used to be? There are two main reasons.
The Bulbs
Each year, more cars transfer over to LED headlights. However, many older cars still use halogen or filament bulbs. While these may appear bright at first, they quickly lose their effectiveness. That’s because the heat produced by these headlights can cause a black, soot-like deposit to form on the inside of the bulb. It’s more difficult for light to pass through this deposit, which can reduce the headlight’s effective range by as much as 50%!
If you find heavy soot deposits on your bulbs, make sure you replace them as soon as possible!
Headlight Covers
The covers for your headlights are another part of the equation. Some headlight covers are made of plastic, which has a tendency to yellow and become brittle in the sun. That damage can further reduce your headlight’s effective range, making it more difficult to see in the dark.
It’s important to clean your headlight covers regularly and check them for damage. Dirt and dust deposits can further reduce your headlight’s effective range because, like the soot, the light must pass through the grime.
Combined, dirty headlights and old bulbs can significantly reduce your headlight’s overall effectiveness, bring the average effective range of 160ft down to 100ft or even less! That reduced visibility not only makes it difficult to see, it increases the likelihood of a serious wreck.
If you’ve been injured in a car crash, we can help. Contact the team at Bashore Green today!