what are the options for improving nighttime visibility? replacement bulbs? can additional lights be added?
06 civic
Are you referring to how readily your car is seen by others, or are you referring to how readily you can see other cars and objects?
If it is the former, you can add reflectors and/or reflector tape.
If it is the latter, you could add fog lights or driving lights, or you could use different/ more powerful headlight bulbs.
However, the use of more powerful headlight bulbs can lead to temporarily blinding other drivers, so I suggest that you refrain from that practice.
You might want to have the alignment of your headlights checked, as it is possible that they are not aimed correctly.
You also might want to have your eyes checked. When cataracts begin to form, they make night vision poor. And, I can tell you from personal experience that cataracts can develop as early as your late 40s-early 50s.
latter. unlit country roads with deer herds, etc.
Your best bet is to add auxiliary driving lights under your front bumper.
Be sure to have them aimed correctly.
The only thing I can add is to check the plastic covers over the headlights that so may of the designers at the auto companies have added. They get sun damaged, pitted from driving etc, and decrease the effectiveness of your headlamps.
I think it is time we contact our representatives in Washington and have them change the standards so we can once again have better cheaper lighting with only a small reduction in design. Come to think of it, I prefer the designs of many of the old cars to many of the new cars anyway.
My '03 Honda has very good high beams. Generally Hondas have good lightening but your Civic is a different generation than mine.
First, I’d have the headlight alignment checked. Are you carrying a lot of heavy stuff in the trunk that could make the headlights shoot up too high?
You can try “brighter” aftermarket bulbs, but I am a skeptic of their claims. Auxillary driving lights are an option, but it could be hard to find a good mounting place on the Civic.
I live in a heavy deer area and about all you can do if your headlights are working properly is slow down; and hope.
Northeast PA is overloaded with deer since more people mean more development and the “communities” have no hunting rules. The deer have migrated off state land onto “protected” land and are rapidly increasing in numbers. Well intended but misinformed residents feed the deer and are making a bad situation worse. Too many deer is a very real hazard. I ended up in a trama unit with a not so fun medivac ride in a chopper due to a deer/motorcycle accident.
My daughters complained of this problem. The one with the Toyota Tercel said it was like having two flashlights on the front of ther car. The other car is a 2001 Honda Civic. I installed a pair of Sivlerstar replacement bulbs in each car, and both daughters said they were much better. I also have them on my pickup truck. They seem to burn hotter and therefore burn out faster, but they really work and they are a quick fix, but not a cheap fix. They cost about $40-50 for a pair. The last ones I bought are the Silverstar Ultras, and so far they are lasting longer in my truck
Get some glasses. They’ll help with clarity, but not the brightness of objects. Depending on what your problem is, you might be able to get away with just some reading glasses. I wear reading glasses when I drive and can pass the driving test with them. Better to have your eyes checked and get a prescription, though.
Night vision varies considerably. It can be tested. Especially how long it takes to recover from the lights of a passing car…Your headlights might not be the problem…
ok this is veering off topic. this is not about eyesight.
it’s about car modifications. thanks.
You shouldn’t be having issues with an '06 Civic. Has the car been in a front end collision? That would be the only reason the alignment is out unless there was a problem with the original installation.
Be VERY wary about changing the bulbs. The reflectors and lenses are matched to a specific bulb, and changing the bulb can lead to other problems, including blinding other drivers, overheating plastic support parts, or overtaxing your electrical system.
Try this website: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/
If deer are a particular concern, you might also consider installing the whistle device that supposedly emits an ultra-high pitched sound audible to deer but not humans. I’m told these things are effective at chasing deer away from the roadway, but I have no personal experience with them. Maybe someone else can chime in. But newer bulbs and proper alignment make sense.
“what are the options for improving nighttime visibility?”
Yes, it IS about eyesight…If you have a night vision problem, modifying your headlights is not the answer…
I agree.
It is not rare to have someone post something, then tell us what we can and cannot say in response. When you post on a free forum, you get what comes, and many of us are well aware of vision problems interacting with lighting.
Denial is the first stage 