LED Driving Lights
LED driving lights are an easy and effective way to improve your vehicle’s visibility at night. They are also a great safety upgrade and can help fight eye fatigue.
In fact, driving lights are the second most important safety feature after appropriate tires. But how do you choose the right ones?
Increased Visibility
A quality set of LED driving lights is one of the best truck accessories you can buy. They can be a huge benefit to your safety levels when driving at night or in hazy conditions. This is because the brighter light will illuminate a larger area of the road, making it easier to see potential hazards and obstacles that might not be as visible in dimmer lights.
LED driving lights are available in a range of different sizes and styles. Some are more like floodlights, giving a wide beacon that illuminates a large area in front of LED Driving Lights the vehicle. Others are more spotlight-like, focusing a narrow beam on the road in front of the truck. There are even some that can function as both, giving the driver the option of choosing which type of light is most appropriate for each situation.
While a lot of manufacturers advertise their lights’ lux output, this is often not as accurate as it sounds. It’s important to know that lux is measured at a distance of 3.3 feet, so it doesn’t necessarily represent the amount of light being cast. In general, I’ve found that higher-end manufacturers tend to report a more realistic figure and will even submit their lights to an independent lux tester for total transparency.
When shopping for a pair of high-quality LED driving lights, look for brands with good customer satisfaction ratings and a range of designs to suit your specific needs. Some of the most popular choices include lights from ARB and KC HiLiTES, which both offer several options that fit a variety of budgets.
Lower Power Consumption
Compared to filament-style bulbs LED lights consume significantly less power. This means that your truck’s battery will have a much longer lifespan and you won’t have to worry about draining it out as quickly.
LED driving lights come in a wide variety of designs. Some are built with external drivers that are housed in separate units from the diodes while others have them integrated into the light bulb itself. If you opt for the external driver design, it will be easier to replace the driver if needed.
The LED driver circuitry converts the AC current into DC or direct current that will feed the LED bulbs. The LED bulbs themselves emit a certain amount of light when they are switched on but the overall output depends on the temperature and the efficiency of the drivers. The higher the rated lumen/watt, the more efficient the drivers are but it is important to consider a driver with a low failure rate.
Most LED lights are rated at over 80 lumens/Watt but some are starting to break through the 200 lumen/Watt barrier (though this is still very rare). You can also find a range of different power factor values that will affect the overall efficiency of an LED power supply. Power factor (PF) is the ratio between an electrical device’s input power and its output power. This is due to the delay between the voltage and current and can be caused by a number of components including transformers, power supplies and ballasts in fluorescent lighting.
Longer Lifespan
LED lights offer a longer lifespan than traditional bulbs. LEDs are essentially tiny semiconductor chips that emit light when current passes through them, and this light is visible to the human eye. They are not as prone to failure as filament-style globes because there are no moving parts.
However, the chips in well-manufactured LED lights are not the only part that needs to be able to work. The driver that powers the chips is also important. The drivers have to be able to handle high temperatures and high drive currents to last long enough for the chips to reach their expected lifespan.
As such, LED drivers need to be designed with care. A good driver circuit has to be able to filter out noise and voltage spikes on the incoming AC line as well as filter out harmonics in the output current to prevent them from impacting the performance of the LED chips.
When determining the lifespan of an LED light, it is also essential to consider how often and under what circumstances it will be used. A warehouse that operates 5 days a week, 50 weeks per year will require the lights to be on for 2,250 hours. At this rate, each LED light will last a maximum of 71 years and 5 months before reaching the end of its life.
Easy Installation
LEDs are small semiconductors that emit light when current passes through them. They also have built-in circuits that manage thermal conditions. Hence, they do not have the filament-style bulbs’ issue of overheating and burning out prematurely. This means that you will spend less time worrying about changing your truck or SUV’s headlight bulbs and more time enjoying the benefits of a brighter vehicle.
Another thing that you should note is that LEDs produce a more natural white light, making them ideal for use in fog or hazy conditions. This makes them a great alternative to yellow lights that tend to reflect off of dense fog or haze and cause confusion on the road.
Aside from the fact that LEDs are much easier on the eyes, they also feature a better range of illumination than traditional halogen bulbs. This is a major benefit that will allow you to see a greater distance with your LED Driving Lights driving lights, ensuring that you are able to stay safe and avoid accidents on the road.
While many lighting makers quote raw lumen figures for their products, you should always look for an effective lumen rating. This is the true measure of their brightness and is calculated through high-tech photometry. This will ensure that you are getting the most bang for your buck.
