[Allan Gibbs]

Way back when I lived in L.A, I would often turn on my motorcycle's highbeam when I was splitting lanes in rush hour traffic. It made a clear distinction from cars with daytime running lights.

I'm thinking that, in heavy daytime traffic, to use the Elise's high beam for that extra visibility. I was wondering how effective is the Elises highbeam? Lastly, is it hard to adjust the headlights beams slightly higher? I'm getting the impression that it's border-line too low.

 

[Sownman]

I'm hijacking Allens thread (sort of) with another question I've been wondering about. With the Elise so low what is the situation with being blinded by headlights on cars behind you. I would assume if you have your mirrors properly adjusted than any car let alone trucks or SUV's that pull behind you would shine right in your eyes. True or not ?

Steve

 

[LotusLust]

big pickups can be bad...some cars too. others do not seem all too bad. i use the night position of the mirror and that works well. i am more annoyed by the crappy headlight alignment on the lotus- and not having time to do anything about it

 

[Allan Gibbs]

I'm hijacking Allens thread (sort of) with another question I've been wondering about. With the Elise so low what is the situation with being blinded by headlights on cars behind you. I would assume if you have your mirrors properly adjusted than any car let alone trucks or SUV's that pull behind you would shine right in your eyes. True or not ?Steve

I'm hijacking my own thread too! I'm thinking of getting one of those auto-dimming mirror if the headlights of cars' behind me to too bright:

http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs...0101&productId=2465&catalogId=10101&langId=-1

http://www.stylinconcepts.com/part.cfm?PartID=22894&PartFamilyID=769&SubCategoryID=264&CategoryID=25

That and adjusting the headlights maybe on my to do list. I'm just not sure if the Elise's mirror just pulls out and not sure how to get to the headlight adjustors.

 

[Randy Chase]

I would assume if you have your mirrors properly adjusted than any car let alone trucks or SUV's that pull behind you would shine right in your eyes. True or not ?

Steve

True for a lot of vehicles. For the first time ever, I find myself actually routinely using the night position on the mirror.

Occasionally I have used my hand to shield off the driver's side mirror. And, I have actively driven away or moved to avoid lights.

 

[MikeRoberts44]

I don't have my Elise yet, so I am not positive how I will adjust my mirrors. When driving my DeLorean, I sometimes have a large (tall) Pickup or SUV pull up behind me. At that point, I usually switch the inside mirror to night position. My outside mirrors are set with very little overlap, so they are usually not a problem. Occasionally, the left side mirror will reflect headlights from the lane to my left, and I can shield it with my hand.

If you are not already doing it, experiment with setting your outside mirrors a lot further out than we did a few years ago. You don't need all three mirrors showing you the same thing, directly behind you. While driving my DeLorean (not noted for good rear visibiliby), I have no blind spots. I can see what is around me using one of the three mirrors or my peripheral vision without looking over my shoulder. The side plus is you never get three mirrors shining headlights in your eyes.

 

[rob]

If you are not already doing it, experiment with setting your outside mirrors a lot further out than we did a few years ago. You don't need all three mirrors showing you the same thing, directly behind you. While driving my DeLorean (not noted for good rear visibiliby), I have no blind spots. I can see what is around me using one of the three mirrors or my peripheral vision without looking over my shoulder. The side plus is you never get three mirrors shining headlights in your eyes.

I was told to try this by the instructor in a 'driver improvement' class. I find it works great to eliminate most of the blind spot for single lane changes, but I have to take care to check for motorcycles in the remaining blind spots and even a large SUV can be hiding a few lanes over if I want to swing that far wide.

 

[DrkFrcs]

Lots of times it doesn't matter if you have high beams on or not. People get distracted (cell phones, kids, eating, or any combo there of), that they will hit you anyhow.

I drive with my lights on.

I have used the night position on the rear view mirror for the first time since owning a car. You sit low, and any light comes in. But the night position works like a champ.

 

[ivan1]

ditto.
I also find if I don't change the mirror I see the reflection of the radio display off the rear glass.....

 

[speedracergirl8]

i drive with my high beams on day and night, so far i havent had anyone flick thier lights on me to turn down the high beams at night. Even if they did i would ignore them as i am probably passing them soon anyways.

I also noticed the radio face in my rear window, rather distracting, so i had to swtich the mirror as well.

I live outside of town with roads that are poorly lit so if i didnt use the high beams i wouldnt see all that much, i figure since i am so low i am not shining my lights into thier eyes anyways like a truck would.

Am i pissing people off by keeping them on high beam? I guess i need to do a test with a nieghbors car/Suv to see if it is bothersome or not

 

[Tpup]

let me get this straight. You drive with your high beams on in traffic on purpose. Do you think the world revolves around you? Do you think that the law applies to everyone else? What a self absorbed scum bag.

People who drive in traffic with their high beams on are stupid or just scumbags imo.

 

[MattG]

Whoa! Easy there.

 

[Ridgemanron]

It's O.K.. T Pup is a graduate of The
Ridgeman School Of Proper Conversation.
Rule 1 - Get the attention of the
audience.

 

[rob]

I would bet that the high beams on an Elise are no brighter than the low beams with driving lights on my Mercedes.

 

[Bobby]

What a self absorbed scum bag.

People who drive in traffic with their high beams on are stupid or just scumbags imo.

Hey Tpup, tells us how you really feel?

 

[speedracergirl8]

I am not even sure how to answer that reply, as abusive and obnoxious as it was.

I find my safety more important then the guy in his hulking SUV where my headlights come to his bumper level at most.

I am NOT blinding anyone, and the other post was correct , my lights even on high beam are no brighter then 90% of the other cars out there.

You would know that if you had your car by a inane comment like that.

I take it you dont have you car yet and instead find insults and ignorance the method of getting your point across.

Perhaps you also act out in other ways in your sophmoric temper and thus road rage occurs when your slighted in some way while driving too?

 

[LotusLust]

the low beams are for sure very low. the high beams can indeed be blinding as i have observed when followed by an elise.

i drive with brights in daylight but have other drivers flash their brights at me after dark. so my conclusion is that they are a problem.

 

[Modern Wedgie]

I was driving to San Francisco on Hwy 152, a 2-lane, sometimes 4-lane road through the mountains between 101 and I-5. It was about 2am. There was still a lot of traffic at that time, but not too much so I drove with my brights on a lot. There are also lots of semis on this road.

Anyway...we all know that the lights suck on this car. I too wondered whether having my brights on in the elise would matter to oncoming traffic. While driving most of the night, I did notice that while the lights werent all that bright, they do shine up a lot, enough to illuminate the entire back of cars, trucks, and semis alike.

Anyway, the point is, while driving along the highway, there were a few times I did not switch down my brights to oncoming traffic. This was only in the section where it was 4-lanes and straight. Having the brights on was more comforting for my own visibility, as I was always over driving the low beams on this pitch black mountain road. Each of those times, oncoming traffic flicked their lights at me...so they did notice I had my high beams on, despite their lower intensity than other cars.

 

[ex-M3]

I have not driven an Elise at night so I cannot comment on their specific lights. However blinding on-coming traffic with brights could be hazardous TO YOU if you dazzle them. People are like moths and are drawn to light so they may do something stupid.

However your best measure will be if other drivers flash you. If they do not, you are probably not bothering them and maybe the Elise lights are low enough, not bright enough to cause a problem. If they do flash you, they are telling you the lights are blinding them and you should dip your beams immediately.

 

[huggy bear]

I have been running with my high beams on since day 1. Only been flashed once by on comming traffic. These lights are truly aimed way too low.