Headlights that see better to the side?

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jlsoaz

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 8, 2012
Messages
849
Location
Southern Arizona, USA
I believe I have the LED lights, as I have the 2012 SL. I was able better to see forward once I got used to the adjustment wheel, but seeing to the side is very difficult. After a few minutes of looking I haven't yet run across a thread about this, though I suppose maybe there could be.

Whenever I am making a turn on a poorly lit city street, whether to right or left, I feel as though I am driving blind for 10 or 20 feet until the car gets going in the direction that I am looking. I suppose this may be true, to some extent, for many cars, but perhaps it is exaggerated by the LED lights? I must admit, I haven't really tested, prior to writing this post, as to whether the other cars I drive or ride in are worse or better in this area.

In any event, I'm wondering if the difficulty in night-time seeing at a 90 degree angle to the path of the carcould be ameliorated. The auto companies must have looked at this question and found some answers. I suppose one way might be Tucker style lights that turn to some extent with the car (IIRC). Perhaps there is some reason that I don't know about that these are not widely implemented.

I wouldn't bother about it too much, and my lease is up in about 7 months, but I figure as I near the end of my use of the car, it's an opportunity to think back and give constructively-intended feedback to Nissan. This seems like a safety issue, and not an EV issue, and one that continues to come up for me almost every day, so I figured I'd leave a comment on this point.
 
Subaru has a neat system where the fog light will illuminate on the side towards which you're turning.

Duesenbergs had headlamps that angled with steering, in the 1920's.
 
Steerable headlights have been around for many years, most recently they are options on some VW and Audi products. My 2010 VW GTI has steerable headlights which will move up to 30 degrees left or right based on steering angle. It is especially nice when going on roads with hairpin curves. It also has "cornering lights" which do double duty as fog lights. They illuminate when the turn signal is on, or when the car is turned at speeds under 18 mph.

GTI-GolfR-sideskirts2.jpg
 
Hi everyone -

I think a basic thing to get from these three helpful responses is that it sounds like steerable headlights, or some other solution that gets the job done (multiple headlights with overall wider dispersal?) would be do-able for Nissan at this time, as far as we know.

I was happy to have innovative energy-saving LED lights when I got my 2012 Leaf (I think this is a cool feature) and although there was a concern about the beam of LEDs maybe being narrow, I think overall they have worked well, except that I don't think they provide enough light to the side.

As mentioned, I think this should get some prioritization in light of its safety aspect. It feels a bit dangerous at times. One scenario on my mind is 15 mph driving in the neighborhood near home, at night, where there a lot of stop signs but insufficient street lamps at times, and there may be cars parked around a bend, even kids playing to watch out for - things like that.
 
I am running LED fog lights in both my cars for the reason you mentioned--the desire for a wider field of view. This hack-a-thon isn't for everyone, but the BMW X5 LED fog light jammed inside the Leaf housing makes for a super wide field of view.

20140520_213246.jpg
 
asimba2 said:
I am running LED fog lights in both my cars for the reason you mentioned--the desire for a wider field of view. This hack-a-thon isn't for everyone, but the BMW X5 LED fog light jammed inside the Leaf housing makes for a super wide field of view.

Thanks much.

Maybe Nissan can simply proactively look at how some folks are hacking their Nissan Leafs (to overcome what some might call a deficiency) and provide the equipment as standard in upcoming Leafs.
 
Indeed, and yet, in a 2012 Leaf, I can't seem to see very much to the side at night, turning a corner, even moving with defensive driving attitude, more or less slowly, appropriate to conditions.

TomT said:
Heck, the Tucker had them!

OrientExpress said:
Steerable headlights have been around for many years
 
jlsoaz said:
Indeed, and yet, in a 2012 Leaf, I can't seem to see very much to the side at night, turning a corner, even moving with defensive driving attitude, more or less slowly, appropriate to conditions.
I agree. I'm actively posting here hoping somebody has a solution for side vision, even if it is an always-on foglight.
The problem seems particularly urgent when I can't seem to see pedestrians in crosswalks at night (on the driver's side). I can't tell if the problem is the A pillar blocking my view or that not enough light is being case to the sides. I don't seem to have the same difficulty by day, so to me that suggests a lighting problem.
 
I have been driving for 40 years, and owned over a dozen cars. I have never noticed that I can't see the road...
Maybe you: a) Are driving too fast, or b) You are getting older and have lost your night vision or need glasses? :lol:
 
^ not helpful. I'm reviving a thread I didn't start, so I'm not alone in wondering about more light and seeing better laterally

Specifically, the headlights produce little reflection from the asphalt (wet or dry) and minimal from reflective paint pavement markings. It is as if only two small bore tubes of light were being cast, perhaps 3' in diameter, centered 4' off the pavement, adequate only for pinging marking reflectors and stop signs

The net effect is that it is (1) hard to tell by looking if my headlights are on or making any difference (2) that I have been surprise once per month by pedestrians who were hard to see on the periphery (a common complaint about not being able to see pedestrians)

So returning to the point of this thread, my 2013 S's headlights appear to have been designed to get help from wide-angle fog lights I don't have. What do folks think is the best solution:
1) brighter headlights (and hope some "leaks" to the side and elsewhere)
2) headlight bulbs specifically designed to spread new light laterally
3) supplemental bulb(s) on the grille or in the fog light position that throw more light low and to the side
 
I don't have that problem, I have the halogens, and see great! HEE HEE...

Seriously, I do not think that fog lights are legally there to be used in addition to the headlights because you can blind other drivers. I have another car with those headlights, and never saw a problem. Sounds like this is a subjective problem of some people, like any other personal peeve with a car.
 
powersurge said:
I don't have that problem, I have the halogens, and see great! HEE HEE...

Seriously, I do not think that fog lights are legally there to be used in addition to the headlights because you can blind other drivers. I have another car with those headlights, and never saw a problem. Sounds like this is a subjective problem of some people, like any other personal peeve with a car.

Hi powersurge - foglights are not the main issue here. The main issue is seeing to the side, particularly with the early Leaf LEDs (I am not familiar with whatever headlight updates NIssan has instituted - maybe this is a solved issue?). In that circumstance, I do not think this is a subjective issue, nor do your comments appear to reflect you've given any thought to it before saying it's subjective. I was just a night or two ago driving along and once again reflecting how ridiculously difficult it is to see (from this 2012 Leaf SL, and not from my other car) as I turn around a corner at night in my neighborhood. Sometimes I guess it helps a bit momentarily to use my brights.
 
Fog lights aim steeply down. The do not blind other drivers. Technically they are configured to reach out and down via the relatively-less hazy zone close to the ground and may supplement low beams (high beams blind and worse, tend to make any fog worse due to fog being thicker 2' off the ground.
I happened to rent a Kia Forte this weekend and loved how the fog lights lit up the nearest 15' on the front corners of the car. They were on only in "marker" and "low beam" modes and would be shut off if I engaged the highs. I think a setup like that would be a perfect workaround to what I and others consider the inadequate low beam coverage/power of the leaf
 
Arlington said:
^ not helpful. I'm reviving a thread I didn't start, so I'm not alone in wondering about more light and seeing better laterally[....]

yeah, reading this thread a bit more closely over the last few days, I agree, Powersurge's comments that you were responding to did not seem helpful.

Arlington said:
[...]
So returning to the point of this thread, my 2013 S's headlights appear to have been designed to get help from wide-angle fog lights I don't have. What do folks think is the best solution:
1) brighter headlights (and hope some "leaks" to the side and elsewhere)
2) headlight bulbs specifically designed to spread new light laterally
3) supplemental bulb(s) on the grille or in the fog light position that throw more light low and to the side

Perhaps part of the issue is the directionality of LED's? Even so, it should be possible to do something along the lines of #2. I'd consider voting for #3 except I have not if I have experienced it and how it would play out. Sounds worth considering though.

Regardless if fog lamps or aimed-low lamps, I think lamps aimed to the side might also have the option of increasing or decreasing depending on the direction of the turn. (Kind of a fourth Tucker option, but instead of physical lamp movement, it is just electronically controlled switching). I'm not sure if this would be a good idea, but just raising it I guess for completeness.

fwiw, Then I guess there's just also the straight #4) Tucker option, but all this complication seems unnecessary. This problem is worse with my Leaf than with other cars I drive, so there must be some easy solution.
 
OK, I will admit that my unappreciated attempts at levity in my other posts were not helpful to the issue raised by some members. I just find it hard to understand how, in a automotive regulation-crazy society, Nissan has been able to produce a car with "inferior" headlights. I have never heard of this, as I thought that light intensity, height, and angles were highly regulated. This problem can be easily measured.... If this is so, then maybe people should have their cars inspected by the NTSB or other group. If this is truly a problem, then home mechanic solutions are not only unneeded, by potentially dangerous.. Am I accepted as a contributing member now?? ;) ;)
 
powersurge said:
OK, I will admit that my unappreciated attempts at levity in my other posts were not helpful to the issue raised by some members. I just find it hard to understand how, in a automotive regulation-crazy society, Nissan has been able to produce a car with "inferior" headlights. I have never heard of this, as I thought that light intensity, height, and angles were highly regulated. This problem can be easily measured.... If this is so, then maybe people should have their cars inspected by the NTSB or other group. If this is truly a problem, then home mechanic solutions are not only unneeded, by potentially dangerous.. Am I accepted as a contributing member now?? ;) ;)

Hi PowerSurge - good to have these points to consider.
 
I didn't like my 2012 headlights until I realized there's a button in the lower left near the steering wheel heater button that raises/lowers the lights. Mine was set all the way down. After adjusting them up using the button I now love my 2012 headlights better than any car I've had before. Wider, higher angle and more of the road is lit up.
 
brian0123 said:
I didn't like my 2012 headlights until I realized there's a button in the lower left near the steering wheel heater button that raises/lowers the lights. Mine was set all the way down. After adjusting them up using the button I now love my 2012 headlights better than any car I've had before. Wider, higher angle and more of the road is lit up.

Hi Brian0123:

I agree that button is a good one to know about and before I did find out about it, the situation was even worse. When you realize how to set them up so they are higher, this definitely makes the driving safer. This question came up for me a few years ago and it was either the Nissan phone number or this forum that I used to get it right.

Although adjusting the lights higher did help back then, I'm not sure if in my fallible view it sufficiently addresses the question of seeing around corners. I could be wrong as I sometimes over the years have lost track of that higher/lower setting, but in situations with very little outside light of any sort around, my impression is that even with the more elevated angle headlight setting, the 2012 SL headlights have been notably inadequate as compared to other cars I have driven, in terms of seeing to the side when taking corners and such.
 
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