How bright are the Maverick headlights?

[topgun/goose]

Adaptive Beam headlights. They're in use overseas. Pretty wild stuff. The beams will reshape themselves. So for example if a car is coming towards you, it will lower and reshape the beam to not hit the driver, but it will still illuminate the other side of the road with a high beam shape.

US laws are pretty antiquated, so the lights have yet to be approved for use here.

That reminds me of back in the 70s, I bought a replacement headlamp assembly that had a replacable bulb that was halogen. The original was just a sealed beam unit where you replaced the whole thing when if went and with the vibration of the motorcycle that was pretty often. Anyway the best thing about the new unit Hella unit was that it was both brighter and it put the light on the road where was needed. There was actually a shield inside the lamp that cut off the light above the point where it would be in oncoming traffics eyes. It was really cool and not allowed for legal use in the states. Far superior to anything we had bck in the day and on high it put out lots of light. For some reason the lights that seem to be the best for oncoming traffic are not allowed on our roads. Go figure.

Sponsored

 

[Sig-vicious]

For some reason the lights that seem to be the best for oncoming traffic are not allowed on our roads.

I think the basis of the illegality is just the simple law that states one can't have low beams and high beams on simultaneously. So they don't meet that requirement due to their wild technology and I guess changing those laws are a slow arduous process. Technology always seems to out pace law administration.

 

[Brianx]

There are some awesome things coming or already here for headlights. One is highly pixelated lights, where they can be super bright, but individual elements are dimmed where the computer detects another vehicle. This is already in use in the EU. Last I read, which was some time ago, the US traffic safety authorities still did not allow them?

Mind you, that's probably a thousand dollar headlight.

well that's certainly more affordable that the $1500 Mav headlight assembly

 

[Brianx]

here in rural PA i'll take all the lumens i can get to (hopefully) avoid whitetail deer.

 

[sanpablo]

I’ve been flashed a couple of times and I don’t use the auto highbeams. I’ve been flashed solely because the lights are too bright from the factory.

I just adjusted my headlights lower because I was getting flashed often. When I would get flashed I would flash my brights to let them know only my low beams were on.
I followed the instructions in the owners manual. My lights were adjusted correctly from the factory but I lowered them a bit anyway. They seem to light up the road ok.

 

[Larrythelunatic]

My ‘22 Lariat (don’t know about the XL or XLT’s) has 2 low beam lamps lit, adding a third for high beams. Some see the two as a high beam showing. And there are some, rather insecure in themselves, who take it as a personal affront that one would dare shine his highs at them. So they up their lights to highs (rather than just flashing) to exact their revenge.
I remember 60 years ago, in high school driver’s ed, the instructor saying, if you’re blinded by an idiot’s highs, flash him. Don’t put your highs on. Better to have at least one of you able to see, rather than you both being blinded.

 

[Skisail]

My 2024 Maverick XL headlights are bright enough to get flashed almost daily. Day or night they seem to offend may people.

I think you need to have the alignment of your headlights checked. There’s also a procedure in the owner’s manual.

 

[EJRSSF]

I remember being stationed in Florida in 1974 and having to get my vehicle inspected. One of the inspection points was for headlight adjustment. They would fix the adjustment during the inspection...at no charge, go figure.

A buddy of mine got out of the USAF late 80s. NJ inspection station failed his relatively new Dodge Daytona Turbo. Said the headlight was "going to burn out". Tried to explain to the man..."you see all these headlights on the rest of these cars?...they are all going to burn out". Drove immediately to the reinspection line and passed.

 

[Carjack]

The average brightness of car headlights on US roads has doubled since 2015. “As headlights get brighter, it’s actually becoming harder to see.” I hate the brighter headlights, both on on-coming traffic and on my car (can’t dim them).
https://www.theringer.com/2024/12/03/tech/headlight-brightness-cars-accidents

I had a 2014 Taurus SEL, the headlights were so weak I could hardly see at night, especially when it was raining. I have a 23 Maverick XLT now and am thrilled with the greatly improved headlights.

 

[Trotter 73]

I never drive but recently I had no choice and drove about 20 miles. My vision is terrible but I was surprised how good I could see. The maverick lights were great and the auto dim worked great. Also in my opinion there’s hardly any blind spots in the Maverick. Trotter 73

 

[Trotter 73]

I never drive after dark is what I meant to say.

 

[Master Blaster]

The average brightness of car headlights on US roads has doubled since 2015. “As headlights get brighter, it’s actually becoming harder to see.” I hate the brighter headlights, both on on-coming traffic and on my car (can’t dim them).
https://www.theringer.com/2024/12/03/tech/headlight-brightness-cars-accidents

Mostly not true. You could not stop in time with the old lights at even 40mph, as the pattern and brightness were a joke. The colour of the newer lights is more blue, which can unfortunately be perceived as brighter. Its also a poor colour choice to people with cataracts. The new lights spread the beam out wider, with a much sharper upper cutoff than the old lights. Of course this assumes that you aren't staring at a set of badly-aimed "upgraded" aftermarket headlights that never got a DOT certification in China, coming at you with the upper cutoff way too high. There are lots of wannabe kids who put these in their pretend rice rockets and don't know how to aim them. There are also a lot of Teslas on the road with defective auto-highbeam lighting that need to be pulled off the road.

 

[Kenv24]

Mostly not true. You could not stop in time with the old lights at even 40mph, as the pattern and brightness were a joke. The colour of the newer lights is more blue, which can unfortunately be perceived as brighter. Its also a poor colour choice to people with cataracts. The new lights spread the beam out wider, with a much sharper upper cutoff than the old lights. Of course this assumes that you aren't staring at a set of badly-aimed "upgraded" aftermarket headlights that never got a DOT certification in China, coming at you with the upper cutoff way too high. There are lots of wannabe kids who put these in their pretend rice rockets and don't know how to aim them. There are also a lot of Teslas on the road with defective auto-highbeam lighting that need to be pulled off the road.

Master Blaster....hate to dis-agree with you...but some of your post is just NOT true. I don't care if the new lights are blue, white, Oxford white, purple or polka dot....they are not 'perceived' as brighter...they ARE brighter. Also.....we are not staring at a set of badly-aimed "upgraded" aftermarket headlights....these are mostly all brand new 2023 and 2024 cars and trucks with STOCK low beam headlights. Not trying to argue.....and I'm sure someone will say that they need to be adjusted from the factory.....but hell....do they ALL need to be adjusted by the owners??? Every single time I drive at night i'm seeing more and more that are just blinding. And I guarantee....it's not just me.

 

[Bad Samaritan]

After reading this thread, I went to Amazon and bought 2 pairs of night driving anti-glare glasses. Yes, I am so easily frightened.

 

[RainFall]

I think you need to have the alignment of your headlights checked. There’s also a procedure in the owner’s manual.

I agree with you. During the first few months, I got flashed sometimes. One time, in the parking lot at night, at the intersection, my light was high and I could see the driver. I searched and lowered the headlights. Haven't seen any flash for a year.

Sponsored