Legal Issues You Should Know Before Installing Xenon HID Lamps Or A HID Kit In Your Car

You have most probably heard about the wonderful benefits of having Xenon HID (High Intensity Discharge) headlamps in your car, and you might be thinking about obtaining a HID kit to convert the headlamps of your own car. While it is true that Xenon HID headlamps have a great many advantages over traditional headlamps, you should definitely be aware of some of the legal issues surrounding these excellent headlamps, and what you must do to avoid getting in trouble with the law. This way, you will be able to install a HID kit in your car while following the letter of the law, the better to enjoy your new and improved Xenon HID headlamps.

If you live in Europe, authorities have made it compulsory for any vehicle with Xenon HID headlamps to have lens cleaners on the headlamps. This is due to the glare that the high-powered HID headlamps can cause, which might endanger other road users. If you choose to outfit your car with a HID kit, you will need to ensure that your headlamps come equipped with lens cleaners, or you will have to install one yourself when you install the HID kit.

If you live in the United States, however, no such rules have been put in place concerning HID headlamps. You have to be very careful when you purchase a HID kit, however, as there are regulations concerning the color of headlights that is allowed on the roads. According to the road use laws in the United States, drivers are only allowed to have headlamps the emit light ranging from the white of HID and halogen lights to the yellow of conventional incandescent bulbs. Lights outside of this accepted spectrum are illegal on all roads throughout the country.

This is a problem because of the many fake products on sale today. While true Xenon HID headlamps give off pure white light with a bluish tint to it, many fake products are now being sold that attempt to mimic HID lights by covering a normal halogen light with a blue filter. This produces a bluish light that looks very similar to that produced by a true Xenon HID lamp. When viewed side-by-side, it is quite easy to tell the difference between the white light of a true HID kit and the blue light of a fake.

This may not be so easy without any source of comparison, however, so you need to extremely careful when you purchase a HID kit for your car. If you are ever pulled over by the police, a true HID kit will not land you in any trouble but a halogen lamp that has been colored blue is cause for the officer to give you a ticket for violating the law against having headlights outside of the accepted color spectrum.