| XENON HEADLIGHTS BRING YOU GREATER SAFETY AND VIISIBILITYXenon headlights were introduced as an option on the BMW-7 series in 1991 for Europe, and in 1993 for US models. This first system used an unshielded, non-replaceable burner designated D1. The AC ballast was about the size of a building brick. The first American-made effort at xenon lights was on the 1996-98 Lincoln Mark VIII, which used reflector headlamps with an unmasked, integral-igniter burner designated Type 9500. All xenon headlights worldwide presently use the standardized AC-operated bulbs and ballasts.Although only slightly more that a fifth of all car accidents occur at night, the risk of such an accident being fatal is disturbingly high. One reason for this is the fact that our eyesight starts deteriorating after the age of 30. Speeds and distances are often misjudged. With xenon lights, an intense arc of light extends the stopping distance drastically, giving you enough time to assess the situation and take the necessary measures.The daylight quality of xenon lights is particularly easy on the eye. With xenon headlights, drivers are more relaxed and do not tire as quickly. What’s more, these modern headlights produce much more light on the road ahead, and in a wider arc. Xenon lights lamps produce twice as much light as the best H7 lamps but need only two thirds of the electrical power.Another argument in favor of xenon lights is that experts agree that vehicles with xenon headlights will command much higher prices on the used car market than ones without this safety feature. So anyone looking to buy a car now should tick the box for xenon headlights as an optional extra - unless of course xenon lights are already included in the standard specification. Cars can also be upgraded at any time with additional xenon headlights. Xenon lights were initially offered only in flagship models but now they have filtered down into family cars as well. |
|
