musclehedz
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KUALA LUMPUR: Fitting bluish-white headlights to their vehicles may bethe latest fad among motorists but the blinding lights have caused notonly discomfort to road users but also some confusion.Thousands of motorists may have to get them changed to the normal yellowlights as the Road Transport Department (RTD) says it is illegal toinstall the xenon high-intensity discharge (HID) lights without approvalfrom the department.And importers of luxury cars, which come with the lights pre-installed,must also get written permission from the RTD.This has prompted motorists to ask: Why allow such blinding lights in thefirst place?According to a website, HID lights are two times brighter than theconventional halogen bulbs used by most vehicles on the road. Among otherthings they:·ARE more efficient in terms of energy consumption, have a longerlifespan and can improve visibility for the driver compared to halogenlamps; and·WILL not cause unwanted glare or discomfort to other road users if theyare properly aligned.Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) adviser Datuk AdnanHamdan said motorists had complained that the lights posed a danger asthey were left temporarily blinded by cars with these lights.“Why allow them in the first place? Although it is not a major problem,it may become one soon as many motorists are converting to HID lights,”he said, adding that Fomca had received letters on the matter.He said the RTD rules on the matter were also not clear and need to bereviewed.RTD technical department director Zahamail Omar said only certain carmanufacturers who had met international specifications and had approvalfrom the RTD were allowed to use these lights.“Anyone wanting to modify their headlights must apply to the technicaldepartment for the product to be evaluated to find out if it fulfils thespecifications for road transport.“Any modifications made by the car owner that can cause accidents,interference or danger to other road users can be penalised under theMotor Vehicle Rules (Construction and Use) 1959,” he told The Staryesterday.He advised car owners to have their vehicles checked by the RTD to findout if their headlights were within specifications.Zahamail declined to comment on the penalties for using HID lights.Dean of the Engineering Faculty at Universiti Putra Malaysia Prof RadinUmar Radin Sohadi said it would not become an issue as long as the lightswere fitted according to proper procedures.“The problem arises when the people who fix it may not be setting theheight of the beam correctly. This could blur or blind people travellingin the opposite direction.“As it is, our headlights when not on high beam are already set to acertain angle that does not endanger oncoming traffic,” said Prof Radin,who is UPM's road safety research centre director.Those against the use of the lights said it was very blinding anddangerous.Public relations executive B. Sree Sudheesh, 23, said the RTD shouldenforce the rules with regards to the illegal use of the lights. He addedthat cars with such lights should not even be on the road.For Mohd Asnawi Arshad, 36, the extremely bright lights have often lefthim “in the dark”.“The moment the car passes by, my vision become blinded or blurred. It isvery dangerous.”Checks with car accessories centres revealed that some of them know thatHID lights are illegal.According to a mechanic who only wanted to be identified as Ricky, HIDheadlight kits did not last very long, with an average lifespan of aboutsix months.“They cost anywhere between RM900 and RM1,400 and there is no way to makeit dimmer,” he said, adding that he did not encourage his customers toinstall the lights.Those using HID lights felt it made a difference to them, especially whendriving at night on highways.“The light is extremely bright compared with the conventional yellowlights, and that is very good. Whether or not it distracts other peopleis a different issue, what is important is that it helps the driver,”said managing director Cheah Eng Kong.
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