NHTSA Complaint #10028604 — 1984 VOLVO DL

DEAR NHTSA, MY COMPLAINT IS DIRECTED TOWARDS ALL MODERN AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHTS, AND IS TWO-FOLD. THE FIRST PART OF MY COMPLAINT INVOLVES NON-SEALED BEAM HEADLAMPS. SINCE ABOUT 1984, AUTOS HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO USE THIS TYPE OF HEAD LAMP, AND IT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE EVIDENT THAT THE PLASTIC USED FOR THE LENSES OF THESE HEADLAMPS DETERIORATES, EVENTUALLY MAKING THE LENS MORE AND MORE OPAQUE. (I'VE NOTICED THIS ESPECIALLY ON VOLVO'S AND CHRYSLER MINIVANS MADE IN THE LATE 1980'S.) THE FORMERLY USED SEALED BEAM HEADLAMPS WERE MADE OF GLASS AND SELDOM CLOUDED OVER. ANY SAFETY ADVANTAGE OF CHANGING FROM GLASS TO PLASTIC CONSTRUCTION IS OVERRIDDEN BY THE LOSS OF VISIBILITY WITH CLOUDED LENSES. IT WOULD BE SO GREAT IF SHATTER-PROOF GLASS SEALED BEAMS WOULD MAKE A COMEBACK! THE SECOND PART OF MY COMPLAINT INVOLVES THE HID HIGH INTENSITY LIGHTS ON SOME NEWER CARS. THEY ARE SO ANNOYING AND DISTRACTING TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC! IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT BLUE LIGHTS WERE PERMITTED ONLY ON HIGHWAY VEHICLES LIKE SNOW PLOWS, BUT THESE CARS WITH THE BLINDING BLUE HEADLIGHTS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE PREVALENT. PERHAPS THEY DO IMPROVE FORWARD VISIBILITY FOR THE DRIVER, BUT THAT ONLY ENCOURAGES THE DRIVER TO GO FASTER. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY BE LIMITED TO FREEWAY OR HIGHWAY USE, IF AT ALL. THANKS FOR LETTING ME VENT MY WRATH AT THE CURRENT STATE OF AUTO HEADLAMP DESIGN! *JB