Night Driving Are Your Headlights Up to the Task?

Written by Don Stewart | 30 April 2007

[ Thanks to Johnnie Garner for providing some of the underlying information used in this Pony Trick. _ds ]

Night driving includes the hours of darkness and the twilight hours after sundown. The National Safety Council (NSC) says that the traffic death rate is three times greater during those hours than it is during daylight hours. Arguably, twilight is the most dangerous period because of constantly changing (diminishing) light.

Also according to the NSC, 90% of a driver’s reaction depends on vision. And at night, vision is severely limited. First of all, there’s the obvious darkness that compromises such things as depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision. And as drivers age, the amount of light required to see clearly increases, dramatically in some cases. One NSC example suggests that a 50-year old driver may need as much as twice the amount of light to see as clearly as a 30-year old driver.

Alcohol and fatigue also play into the equation. Fatigue can lead to drowsiness which in turn can lead to poor concentration and slower reaction time. Alcohol, of course, has its own set of negatives that can lead to poor judgment and poor reaction time. NSC reports more traffic fatalities occur on weekend nights than on any other night of the week, seemingly related to higher levels of fatigue and alcohol intake. It’s almost enough to make you want to leave your pony in the corral from sundown on Friday until sunrise on Monday but that’s not very practical.

All of us probably recognize that night driving is more dangerous because of the hazards that aren’t encountered during the day and we each have our own way of dealing with the challenges. As you might suspect, the NSC also has a list of suggestions designed to improve your safety while driving at night. Some of the suggestions are probably things that you already use but others may be new to you. The list follows:

• First and foremost, make as much light as possible available to your eyes and the eyes of drivers around you. Clean your headlights, taillights, signal lights and windows (inside and out) once a week, more often if necessary. The clean headlights and clean windows make more light available for you and the clean taillights, signal lights, and marker lights make it easier for other drivers to see you.
• Have your headlights properly aimed. Misaimed headlights blind other drivers and they reduce your ability to see the road.
• Don't drink and drive. Not only does alcohol severely impair your driving ability, it also acts as a depressant. Just one drink can induce fatigue, a condition that doesn’t mix well with driving.
• Avoid smoking when you drive. Nicotine and carbon monoxide hamper night vision.
• If there’s any doubt during twilight hours, turn your headlights on. Lights won’t help you see better in early twilight, but they'll make it easier for other drivers to see you. Being seen is just as important as seeing.
• Reduce your speed and increase your following distances. It is more difficult to judge other vehicle's speeds and distances at night so you need more time to react to unexpected situations.
• Don't overdrive your headlights. You should be able to stop inside the illuminated area provided by your lights. If you’re driving too fast to do that, you’re creating a blind crash area in front of your vehicle.
• When following another vehicle, keep your headlights on low beams so that the driver ahead of you isn’t blinded by the reflection of your headlights in his rear view mirror(s).
• If an oncoming vehicle doesn't lower its beams from high to low, reduce glare by watching the right edge of the road and using it as a steering guide. Glance repeatedly at the oncoming vehicle to make sure it stays in its own lane.
• Make frequent stops for light snacks and exercise. If you're too tired to drive, stop and get some rest.
• If you have car trouble, pull off the road as far as possible. Warn approaching traffic at once by setting up reflecting triangles near your vehicle and 300 feet behind it. Turn on the vehicle’s flashers and the dome light. You personally should stay off the roadway and also get your passengers away from the area.

That’s the list from the NSC. It helps you identify things you can do to improve safety at night. Right at the top of the list were two items designed to make sure your headlights are providing as much light as possible. But what if they need more attention than just washing and aiming? What if they’re yellowed and hazy, a familiar condition on cars with acrylic lenses? Maximum illumination isn’t possible no matter how clean and well-aimed they are if the lenses aren’t clear. Fortunately, there are several options available to correct the situation.

The first thing that might come to mind is replacement of the headlight assemblies. Certainly that would give you the clear lenses that you need but it can be expensive. We’ve had at least one presentation at a club meeting where it was explained how a professional can restore the lenses of your existing assemblies. That option is less expensive and it might offer the right balance between cost and effectiveness. Or if you enjoy doing your own refurbishing, you can restore the lenses yourself. If you choose the DYI approach, the following is an overview of how the project might proceed.

Before starting a restoration of any headlight assembly, check it closely for a lens with cracks or small holes. Both can be repaired with transparent plastic resin but if you find either condition, replacement may be the better option. You’ll have to decide what’s best for you.

If there are no cracks or holes, look for water trapped inside the housing. If you find water, remove the assembly from the car, drill a small hole in the bottom of the housing, and drain the water. Dry any remaining moisture by placing the assembly in the air flow from an air conditioner or a dehumidifier. When the assembly is dry inside, seal the hole with RTV silicone. You may also want to reseal the lens to the body of the assembly to prevent more water from getting inside.

For the restoration itself, there are kits available to help you do the job. For example, an outfit called Micro-Surface Finishing Products, Inc. makes dedicated kits for such things as expensive aircraft windshields, boat windshields, automotive clearcoat, and automobile acrylic parts (headlight lenses, tail light lenses, bug deflectors, etc.). I haven’t used their products but they get excellent reviews. Their kit for automotive acrylic parts carries the number: 3KHDLGT. You can check it out online at https://www.micro-surface.com/ and buy it for $15.00 if you like what you see. The kit contains: 3 inch x 4 inch double-sided Soft Touch sanding pads in 120/220, 400/1500, 2400/3600, and 4000/12000 grit; a 1-oz. bottle of MICRO GLOSS liquid abrasive; and two cotton flannel cloths.

Some of the headlight conditions that the kit will correct are:

Crazing: This is a series of very fine lines, stars, or haze when viewed at an angle in bright light. Crazing is below the surface and usually cannot be felt with the fingernail. It requires aggressive sanding to remove. Begin with the 120-grit pad.

Deep Scratches: These are easily felt with the fingertip. Begin with the 220 pad.

Minor Scratches: Minor scratches are easily detected with a fingernail. Begin with the 1500 pad. If the scratch is not easily removed, use the 400 pad, followed by the 1500.

Hairline Scratches and Light Scuffs: This category could also include light hazing. Begin with the 2400 or 3600 pad.

Now that a starting point has been defined, here’s the Cliff’s Notes version of the restoration process:

1. Decide whether you want to do the restoration on the bench or with the headlight installed on the car. Either will work but since you’ll be using abrasives, there will be less worries about paint damage with the assembly on the bench.

2. Select the appropriate Soft Touch pad. The pads can be used wet or dry but wet is recommended. Use water as the lubricant. A few drops of mild car washing soap can be added to the water to aid lubrication, if you like. Spray or mist the water onto the pad during use.

3. Sand over the entire lens with a firm pressure. Always work with vertical and horizontal motions. Never go in circles. Sand until the damaged layer has been fully removed. Check your progress frequently by flushing with water. If progress is too slow, go to the next coarser pad for a while and then back to the finer pad. When the damage has been completely removed, finish with a vertical sanding motion.

4. Thoroughly wash and flush the surface. Dry with air, either compressed air or a leaf blower will work.

5. Now take the next finer Soft Touch pad and repeat the process until the previous sanding pattern has been completely removed. Start horizontally, change back and forth between horizontal and vertical, and finish in the vertical direction. Use the water lubricant as you did with the previous pad. You’ll have to wash and dry the surface several times to determine when the previous sanding pattern has been removed. After each washing, use air or one of the flannel cloths to dry the surface. Don’t dry the lens with synthetics or paper towels because they’ll scratch the surface.

6. Move on to the next finer pad and repeat step 5. Continue in this fashion until you’re satisfied with the surface produced by the 12,000-grit pad.

You’re almost finished. There’s one more step (no. 1 below) and then there’s a suggestion for ongoing maintenance (no.2 below).

1. Make sure the lens is clean and dry. Use water to clean it and one of the flannel cloths to dry it. Apply a dime-size drop of MICRO-GLOSS to one of the flannel cloths that has been dampened with water. Rub the cloth briskly over the lens in a one square foot area. Rub in a straight line pattern using firm pressure to work the MICRO-GLOSS into the surface. This step takes one to two minutes and it’s finished when the MICRO-GLOSS almost disappears. If necessary, add a little water to extend the working time. Repeat in one square foot sections until the entire lens has been treated. Rinse the lens and wipe it dry with one of the flannel cloths.

2. The lens can be kept in new condition by cleaning it with Micro-Gloss on a regular basis. Use the procedure explained in the previous step.

With the headlight lenses restored, they’ll transmit the maximum amount of light consistent with their design. The end result will be improved vision for you during the dangerous night time hours and thus a safer trip.

Save the kit for future use, either another restoration or ongoing maintenance. Store the MICRO FINISH where it won’t freeze, rinse and dry the Soft Touch pads, and wash (no fabric softener) and air-dry the flannel cloths.