Save HIDs!!

[ss_md]

As you all may know by now that the NHTSA has banned the sale of all aftermarket HID kits in the US after 08/15/2003. This is ridiculous. There have only been approximately 30K compliants against HID and HID impostor lights. This probably represents <.01% (guesstimate - no flaming) of all drivers in the US.

If you are an HID supporter please sign this electronic petition to keep the sale of aftermarket HID kits available for sale in the US.

For additional HID infomation visit: http://www.hidforum.com

Personally I LOVE the HIDs on my '02.

 

[nsxxtreme]

What I would like to know is how can they make something illegal that was designed for off road use only. Why not ban those huge lights that are on the side of car like the police have?

I could see not issueing any type of qualifications for street use but what about off road?

 

[tararan]

What I would like to know is how can they make something illegal that was designed for off road use only. Why not ban those huge lights that are on the side of car like the police have?

I could see not issueing any type of qualifications for street use but what about off road?

exactly what i was about to say..

 

[Ojas]

Yup, I asked the same question here: http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20444#post171143. Apparently, the answer is something along these lines:

From http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/interps/files/23112.ztv.html
"Off-road" and "off-road vehicles" are not terms defined in Standard No 108 or in any other regulation or law that we administer, and have no legal meaning...

Oh, wait... It gets better:

if the headlamps are capable of being installed and used in motor vehicles subject to the Federal motor vehicle safety standards (i.e., "conventional 'on-road' vehicles"), they are motor vehicle headlamps that must comply with Standard No. 108 in order to be imported or sold regardless of the "intent" of the importer or seller.

 

[Zishan]

What I don't understand is why ban HID's that come standard on some cars and are becoming used more and more by automakers, and NOT ban the sell of those cheap blue bulbs?! That doesn't make sense to me? I think it's more dangerous to have those cheap bulbs than the HID's?

 

[Ojas]

I wish the author of the petition would have taken the time to do a better job of presenting the case for aftermarket HIDs.

No doubt, the glare caused by aftermarket HID kits in many non-HID cars (think Neon, Civic, F-150, etc.) is bad news. The enclosures were simply not designed to run HIDs. I think the NSX's projector-beam design makes it a non-typical case (especially with the very tight vertical "cut-off"). Rather than ban aftermarket HIDs altogether, I would prefer to see the NHSTA come up with certain standards to measure glare of HIDs in stock headlight enclosures. With this information, legality of an aftermarket HID kit (replacing the bulbs but not headlight enclosures) could be determined.

IMHO: Pushing for some sort of standards rather than whining about how the aftermarket industry is going to be "devastated" and eventually controlled by the government would have made this petition more effective.

 

[96-EJ6]

I wish the author of the petition would have taken the time to do a better job of presenting the case for aftermarket HIDs.

No doubt, the glare caused by aftermarket HID kits in many non-HID cars (think Neon, Civic, F-150, etc.) is bad news. The enclosures were simply not designed to run HIDs. I think the NSX's projector-beam design makes it a non-typical case (especially with the very tight vertical "cut-off"). Rather than ban aftermarket HIDs altogether, I would prefer to see the NHSTA come up with certain standards to measure glare of HIDs in stock headlight enclosures. With this information, legality of an aftermarket HID kit (replacing the bulbs but not headlight enclosures) could be determined.

IMHO: Pushing for some sort of standards rather than whining about how the aftermarket industry is going to be "devastated" and eventually controlled by the government would have made this petition more effective.

I think it depends a lot on how the light is aimed...my Civic is equiped with HID and it doesn't look any different than a new TL/CL with stock HID. From 100 yards you can't tell the difference between the cars.

 

[nsxxtreme]

Yup, I asked the same question here: http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20444#post171143. Apparently, the answer is something along these lines:

Oh, wait... It gets better:

I really hate when the government tries to make the manufacturer responsible for how it's customers use it's products. Why not make the internet providers responsible for how it's customers use the internet, Oh I forgot the court system already ruled against this, they should do the same for HID's IMO. Pure BS. They better start out lawing those police spot lites I'm going to mount two on the side of my NSX for my lights.