Clear vision of a hazard ahead could be the edge you need to stop safely. At 100km/h you will cover that 500 metres in just 18 seconds, 100 metres every 3.6 seconds. The HTX driving lights produce 11.5 lux at 500 metres – that’s equivalent to the amount of light from expressway street lighting.Īn inferior light might achieve one lux at 500 metres or less. You may not think you need to see that far ahead, but this performance translates to brilliant vision and clarity at closer distances. With precision reflectors and filters, a quality light will have a well-designed beam pattern to deliver illumination where you need it and avoid ‘hot spots’ and shadows.įor example, a pair of Lightforce HTX driving lights produce one lux at 1.7km. In fact, this can actually reduce your visible distance due to glare and reflections up close. Adding extra lumens won’t help you if the light doesn’t travel further down the road. The further away from the vehicle that you can achieve one lux, the better. As you get further from the light source, its intensity fades. One lux is equal to one lumen per square metre – enough to comfortably read a newspaper. When combined with distance, this is the best indication of how well a light will perform in a driving application. Conveniently for them, this is always a higher number…īut while effective lumens are a more accurate measure of the amount of light emitted, more lumens won’t help you if they are not directed where you need them.Ī measure of the intensity of light. Measuring the effective lumens requires expensive equipment and expertise, which is why many manufacturers simply rely on the raw figure. Typically, the lower the quality of the light, the greater the losses.Įffective lumens are calculated by measuring the actual output of the light. These losses are typically in the range of 10-25% but can be much higher. Even the highest quality driving lights will experience losses due to thermal performance, absorption and reflection from lenses, and the way the unit is assembled. However, in the real world, there are losses in the system that reduce the theoretical maximum. A light comprising 15 LEDs, each with a maximum output rating of 1000 lumens gives a raw lumen output of 15000 lumens. The raw lumen figure is a theoretical value – it is calculated by multiplying the maximum output of each LED and multiplying it by the number of LEDs in a light. Many manufacturers will use the raw lumen figure when making claims about lighting performance, but this can be misleading. One thing to be wary of when comparing lights is that there can be a surprisingly large difference between raw lumens and effective lumens. The standard measure of brightness from a light source. Lumens and lux are both measures of light output but don’t be swayed by large lumen figures – for a true indication of lighting performance, you need to look at lux at a distance.įirst, let’s look at what these terms mean. But how do you choose the best lights for your needs? Not all lights are created equal, and not all performance claims use the same measurements. Better visibility improves safety by giving you more time to react, as well as by reducing fatigue. Fitting driving lights are one of the best modifications you can make to your vehicle.
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