With many new cars offering much brighter headlights these days, the roads can be a dazzling place at night. Ultra bright Xenon lights are fitted to many cars as standard and some high end models have LED lights. All this leaves the humble halogen bulb we’ve relied on for years feeling a bit dim.
Luckily, you can update your headlights without forking out for a whole new car and there’s an array of bulbs to choose from. While you may be tempted by upgrading to flashy Xenon headlights, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, a standard car battery won’t produce the right voltage to power these bulbs so you’ll have to fit a ballast, which should come as part of the upgrade kit. However, Xenon headlights which don’t have automatic levelling constitute an MOT fail in the UK, so most kits will not be road legal.
The best option is to stick with the halogens and go for the ultra-bright ones now available. There’s no need for any extra kit, just fit the bulbs as normal. Some brands claim to be 100% brighter than standard and there are also tinted versions available for that Xenon style blue glow.