Is it OK to have LED lights on in the car?
Contrary to popular belief, it is legal to have LED lights inside your car. Although they make your car's interior look cool, they also illuminate the inside, making it harder to see outside. However, you can still stay cool and trendy while maintaining safety standards.
Yes, LED headlights are legal. LED lighting is now standard in new cars, but LED headlights cannot be brighter than 3,000 lumens. Rachael Brennan. Her work has also been featured in MoneyGeek, Clearsurance, Adweek, Boston Globe, The Ladders, and AutoInsurance.com.
The most obvious disadvantage of LED lights is the cost. In fact, initially, only high-end vehicles came with LED headlights, Tail lights or turn signal lights. A second issue is the heat. While the LED light source itself doesn't get hot, there is a lot of heat that is dispersed to the emitter.
With a normal incandescent headlight, the headlight generates a lot of heat, losing a lot of power. Because LED lights don't generate that heat they are much more energy efficient. Leaving your lights on all night will still drain your battery even if you have LED lights though.
Yes, new technology LED lighting can and will get hot, but when compared to the lighting of the past, temperatures are much safer. The heat from the lighting will also warm your surrounding environment but in comparison to old incandescent lighting, this ambient heat is greatly reduced when using LED lighting.
Using an LED bulb in an enclosed fixture when it isn't designed for that may cause the bulb to overheat, potentially causing damage to the light bulb and fixture.
Despite their energy efficiency, long lifespan, and bright illumination, LED headlight bulbs can also produce harsh lighting that can dazzle other drivers and pedestrians, making them illegal and dangerous to use on the road. Here are three main features of illegal LED headlight bulbs.
Led headlights are illegal in some states due to the fact that they can be too bright for other drivers. Currently, Led headlights are legally banned in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana and Ohio.
- GTR Lighting Ultra Series 2 Low beam – 950 Max Lux. ...
- S-V.4 LED Headlight Low beam – 850 Max Lux. F3 Low beam – 790 Max Lux. ...
- Diode Dynamics SL1 Low beam – 590 Max Lux. Auxbeam T1 Low beam – 420 Max Lux. Headlight Experts Low beam – 370 Max Lux. ...
- GTR Lighting CSP Mini Low beam – 420 Max Lux. SNGL SH55U2 Low beam – 510 Max Lux.
Reduced Power Draw
Like all LED light bulbs, LED headlights are remarkably energy efficient. This may not be a major concern for some consumers, as their cars are designed to run just fine with stock headlight bulbs. But reducing your power draw will still help extend the life of your car battery by months.
Why do new cars have LED lights?
As reported by Slash Gear, the introduction of bright LEDs (and high-intensity discharge lights) to new car headlights is the leading factor, considering that LEDs glow brighter, project further, and are vastly more efficient (if more expensive to replace).
But one major drawback that both traffic lights and vehicles have experienced with LEDs is their lack of produced heat. While the LED drivers mounted onto vehicle headlamps can produce enough heat that they require cooling fans, little of this energy gets to the lens where it can help to melt snow and ice.
"In the United States, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment are regulated by the US Department of Transportation (DOT). Even though these types of LED lights can be used in place of an original halogen light bulb, it is not legal to use on vehicles registered for on-street use.
A new state law taking effect July 1 will ban all “aftermarket modifications that cause the headlights to appear as a blue light.” The impending rule with apply to motor vehicles, motorcycles, motorized skateboards or scooters, bicycles, electric personal assistive mobility devices and more.
The simple answer is NO.
Vehicle Code laws for headlight tinting in Illinois
Chapter 12, Section 12-201 of the Illinois Vehicle Code states that all motor vehicles except motorcycles should have 2 lighted headlamps showing white lights, including HID lamps or lights of a yellow or amber tint.
